Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Octave & gnuplot as alternative for Matlab on Mac OSX

To save some money over Matlab Student Edition, I decided to try out free stuff and bumped upon Octave. You can download it from here Click
Note I have Mac OS X Lion 10.7

This program got installed successfully. You just need to click on install package.

Now, since we need to plot results, Octave uses GNUPLOT as is plotting tool. You can download that from here Click

The installation for GNUPLOT is tricky. So here goes some step by step method.

1. Download gnuplot program.
2. Locate the folder in your Terminal
3. Inside the folder execute following commands
  • $./configure --exec-prefix=/usr
  • $make
  • $sudo make install

If you see following error after "make" command, the follow Step 4 else, you are all set.
ld: symbol(s) not found for architecture x86_64
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make[3]: *** [gnuplot] Error 1
make[2]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1

4. This error I guess is because the program gnuplot has different variable settings which will need to be updated. Use the following set of commands to install. It worked for me after lot of try and hope it works for you too. The reference for this solution is here . Thanks to him.


$export LDFLAGS=-m32
$export CFLAGS=-m32
$./configure -with-readline=bsd --without-tutorial --without-x --exec-prefix=/usr
$make
$sudo make install


Now, You may need to install Aquaterm too. This is used for plotting. The download link is here 

To have user interface like Matlab, please go ahead and install QtOctave here . This should make your life much easier.


I have just tried to compile the steps for some who might be struggling the same as I did and if there's any corrections you would like to make to this article, please drop me a link at mr.amitkc@gmail.com . It will help all.


Thank You
Take Care



Saturday, September 10, 2011

Why Logarithms

While preparing for Monday test on Mathematics, I reached topic on Logarithms and was quizzed as to what is the whole purpose of this mathematical concept. I found this link useful to understand it with some historical background and hence posting it here.


http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52469.html

Friday, August 12, 2011

Advice for Students : Got to read in my spare time.

Nice Ones.

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.
- Frank Tibolt

It's amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
- Harry S. Truman 

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.
- Bertrand Russell

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.
-Sir Francis Bacon


The barrier for becoming an 'expert' is set so low that the only real requirement is a talent for self-promotion.
-Damian Thompson. Counterknowledge.


An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions.
-Robert A. Humphrey 

Reference