Random algorithm

[Richard Gaskin]

Jacques Hausser wrote:

 > The application I'm developping presently is a general-purpose analyse
 > program of ecological data mostly designed for students training (but
 > it should be useful for "serious" work too). I don't want a good RNG
 > for THIS application only, it's to be used as a library for several
 > applications, mostly simulations in population biology and population
 > genetics, but also research of solutions of systems of equations by
 > processes like simulated annealing. And I suppose you will be glad to
 > hear that I find Revolution excellent to built such simulations, and
 > decently fast even without using externals. One quality of Revolution
 > is the ease to produce (among other things) a visual and animated view
 > of the progress of the simulation (progressive spreading and
 > diversification of genes across a geographic area with variable
 > climatic conditions, for instance). As a teacher, I like that, among
 > plenty of other qualities of Rev. As a researcher, I like also the
 > possibility to easy built quick-and-dirty, but efficient, programs to
 > solve problems when you meet them. And as an emeritus (hum,hum)
 > professor, I want to use some of the time suddently available to
 > replace my quick-and-dirty programs by well presented and well
 > structured applications. Made with Revolution, of course !

If you'll parson the California colloquialism, those sims sound way 
flippin' cool!  :)

Any chance we'll see a screen shot or two of the output and/or input UIs?

Simulations are an interest of mine but one I've had little chance to 
dabble in, so I've had to be content reading about others' work.  I may 
have the opportunity to port a predation simulation related to a 
prehistoric North American tribe, but such projects don't come along often.

Can you tell us anything about its innards?  Perhaps in an article for 
revJournal.com?  I'm sure it would be of interest to a great many people.


 > One not-so-marginal problem is the criticism of pernickery* referees
 > when you (try to) publish your results.
...
 > * I went to the dictionary for this one ;o)

Good find. :)

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Managing Editor, revJournal
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  Rev tips, tutorials and more: http://www.revJournal.com