Simon's Projects 1998
Software Oriented Projects:
Network monitoring
Scientific data analysis
Speech interface for X
One time password
Slides viewer
 

Scientific data analysis in Java


Proposal

Scientists often have to correlate analytical data to complex parameterised functions. There are a number of well known techniques which fit a given function to a set of data points (lookup Marquart in a Numerical Recipes book). Given a set of data, a function and an estimate of the functions parameters, it is possible to reduce the root mean square error in an iterative fashion.

I originally wrote a curve-fit program for an Apple II in Pascal. This was ported to MS Pascal for an IBM PC running DOS and rewritten under Turbo Pascal, also for DOS. A friend of mine ported this code to C for Windows 3.1. It turns out that the user interface is far the most challenging aspect. The calculation is relatively straight forward and easily ported.

I would be very interested in a Java version of this program for teaching purposes (in other subjects). It would also be a nice demonstration piece - far too many Java demos lack substance.

Previous work

Several people had ago at this project in 1997/98.

Special resources

None.

Possible supervisors

I'm may be willing to supervise one student for this project.