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Linear (version 1.2.1)
Linear is a single document interface program developed for the teaching and exploration of
concepts in Linear Algebra. It not intended as a substitute for more sophisticated programs nor
as an alternative teaching method. It is intended as an easy to use exploration tool for students
in an undergraduate course in Linear Algebra. The program was written in the Java, making it
platform independent, using the JOGL graphics package for all graphics. The program was developed
by a software development team at Salisbury University consisting of Don Spickler, Katie Ford,
Israa Taha, John Zimmerman, Hela Koka and Megan Hildenberger.
Program Features
- Matrices can be up to 100 X 100 in size.
- Matrix entries can be complex-valued expressions in up to 24 variables.
- Complete file saving and loading including export options to HTML and LaTeX.
- Editing options for inputting new matrices and editing existing matrices, row and
column extraction, minors, joining, formatted copy to several forms, and a special matrix
input option for various well used matrices.
- A matrix expression evaluator for evaluating arithmetic expressions involving matrices
and vectors that are currently in the programs workspace.
- A row and column operation interface to allow the user to do easy and quick row and
column manipulations.
- Many standard matrix operations including reduce, invert, transpose, determinant,
characteristic polynomials, creation of xI-A.
- Many standard vector operations including cross product, dot product, length and normalization.
- An Eigenvalue and Eigenvector calculator.
- A root finder facility.
- An equation viewer that will graph the rows of the matrix as linear equations allowing
the user to investigate system solutions graphically.
- A vector viewer that will plot the columns as vectors allowing the user to investigate
linear combinations of the columns as well as the span of the columns.
- A linear transformation viewer that allows the user to investigate the matrix viewed as
a linear transformation. Features include a linear combination viewer and span viewer, as well
as point and click input/output viewing, vector field display, and the viewing of objects under
the transformation.
- An affine transformation viewer that allows the user to investigate the matrix viewed as an
affine transformation. Features include a linear combination viewer, point and click input/output
viewing and the viewing of objects under the transformation.
Screen Shots
Installation Instructions
Windows Users
- Using the Windows Install Program.
- First you will need to download and install the current version of the Java JRE
(1.6.0 or later). You can get the most current version at the
Sun Web Site or download version 1.6.0 update 4 at
jre-6u4-windows-i586-p.exe.
- Download the Linear_Setup.exe install program.
- Run the Linear_Setup.exe program and follow the instructions on the screen. This will place links to the
Linear program in your Start menu.
- Running Linear Without Installing
- Either
- With these five files in the same folder you can run the linear exe program
from a thumb or network drive as long as the computer you are working on has a
recent version of the Java JRE.
Linux and UNIX Users
- First you will need to download and install the current version of the Java JRE
(1.6.0 or later). You can get the current version of the Java JRE at the
Sun Web Site.
- Download the Linear_Linux.zip file.
- Extract the contents of the zip file to your system.
There should now be the files
linear.jar,
and ProgramIcon.PNG in the directory.
These files may be placed anywhere on your
computer as long as they are together. The
ProgramIcon.PNG file is to be used as the system icons for any
shortcuts you create to the program.
- Download the JOGL binaries for your platform. You can download the most current
version of the JOGL binaries from the
JOGL Project Page or
from the links below.
- Extract the contents of the zip file to your system.
There should now be several text files, an HTML file and a subdirectory
called lib.
- Copy all of the files in the lib subdirectory to the same location
as the Linear.jar file.
- Create a shell script to run the Linear program.
For example, if you are running bash your script might look like,
#!/bin/sh
APPBASE="/home/don/bin/Linear"
JAVABASE="/usr/java/jdk1.6.0_03/bin"
"$JAVABASE/java" -Xmx512m -Djava.library.path="$APPBASE" -jar "$APPBASE/Linear.jar"
with
APPBASE="/home/don/bin/Linear"
JAVABASE="/usr/java/jdk1.6.0_03/bin"
replaced by the paths of the program and the Java bin directory on your computer.
Note that with this version the -Djava.library.path="$APPBASE"
must be in the call so that Java knows where to find the JOGL binaries.
Also, the 512 can be increased or decreased but must not exceed the RAM (in MB)
of your system.
Mac Users
- Download the Linear_Mac.zip file.
- Extract the contents of the zip file to your system.
There should now be the files
linear.jar,
and ProgramIcon.PNG in the directory.
These files may be placed anywhere on your
computer as long as they are together. The
ProgramIcon.PNG file is to be used as the system icons for any
shortcuts you create to the program.
- Download the JOGL binaries for your platform. You can download the most current
version of the JOGL binaries from the
JOGL Project Page or
from the links below.
- Extract the contents of the zip file to your system.
There should now be several text files, an HTML file and a subdirectory
called lib.
- Copy all of files in the lib folder to "/System/Library/Java/Extensions".
Note that you will need administrative access to the system to do this.
You probably have this access if you are installing this on your personal
computer.
- Create a shortcut to the Linear.jar file.
Update History
- 3/19/10: Version 1.2.1
- Added workspace printing.
- Changed the OpenGL interface objects from GLCanvas to GLJPanel.
Some systems were experiencing image cut-out from the GLCanvas.
- 11/4/08: Version 1.1.2
- Bug Fix: Fixed a bug in one of the equation arithmetic functions.
The bug would produce a syntax error for certain expressions when the syntax was correct.
Bug found during testing.
- 9/22/08: Version 1.1.1
- Added zooming tools to the 2-D graphics interfaces.
- GUI Bug Fix: Span timer was not resetting correctly. Bug found during testing.
- 9/17/08: Version 1.0.3
- GUI Bug Fix: Graphic in the equation viewer was not updating on slider movements. Bug
found during testing.
- 1/14/08: Version 1.0.2
- GUI Bug Fix: Case insensitive name check error in the add and edit dialog box. Bug
found by Dr. Mike Bardzell.
- 1/14/08: Version 1.0.1
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