Simulating Nature with Mathematica
- To: mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu
- Subject: Simulating Nature with Mathematica
- From: smh at matilda.vut.edu.au (Stephen Hunt)
- Date: Tue, 5 Jul 94 1:15:00 EST
'Simulating Nature with Mathematica' Richard J. Gaylord and Kazume Nishidate The world around us is a constant source of wonderment. Some people are content to simply 'observe' nature, but for many of us, there is a strong desire to understand the 'how and why' behind the natural phenomena we see everywhere. In the past, there have been difficult barriers to overcome if we wanted to explore nature: purchasing or constructing equipment in order to carry out an experiment, or achieving a certain level of mathematical sophistication in order to develop a theory. Now, however, the availability of user-friendly computer hardware and software, provides a gateway for the exploration of nature by both the amateur and professional, alike. Mathematica World is pleased to introduce a new, recurring column "Simulating Nature with Mathematica" by Richard J. Gaylord and Kazume Nishidate. The aim of the column is two-fold: to show you computer simulation models of diverse natural phenomena, and to enable you to carry out your own computer explorations of nature. One emphasis in the column will be on 'scientific visualization'. That is, the creation of graphical output with Mathematica which can be used to help us to understand natural phenomena. Another emphasis will be on the development of simulation programs in Mathematica. The programs will be presented in their entirety so that you can simply use them to generate your own output. Additionally, the details of how the programs are constructed will be presented in a step-by-step fashion. If you work through these details, you will be able to modify and extend the programs for your own explorations. Studying the programs will also help you to learn how to write good (efficient, elegant) Mathematica code. The topics that will be covered in this column will be very diverse, drawn from biology, physics, chemistry, and the social sciences. For example, biological evolution, traffic jams, gelation, and heart rhythms will be discussed in the near future. We think that you will find these 'simulations' to be quite stimulating. Steve Hunt Editor For further information email smh at matilda.vut.edu.au