computer science

GraphCalc

GraphCalc is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GraphCalc rather than just read about it. In short: GraphCalc is an open-source computer program that runs in Microsoft Windows and Linux that provides the functionality of a graphing calculator. GraphCalc includes many of the standard features of graphing calculators, but also includes some higher-end features: High resolution Graphing calculator screens have a resolution typically less than 120×90 pixels, whereas computer monitors typically display 1280x1024 pixels…

Key takeaways

GraphCalc belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect GraphCalc to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of GraphCalc from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

GraphCalc is an open-source computer program that runs in Microsoft Windows and Linux that provides the functionality of a graphing calculator. GraphCalc includes many of the standard features of graphing calculators, but also includes some higher-end features:

High resolution Graphing calculator screens have a resolution typically less than 120×90 pixels, whereas computer monitors typically display 1280x1024 pixels or more. Speed Modern computers are considerably faster than handheld graphing calculators Three-dimensional graphing While high-end graphing calculators can graph in 3-D, GraphCalc benefits from modern computers' memory, speed, and graphics acceleration (OpenGL) GraphCalc was developed by Brendan Fields and Mike Arrison, computer science students at Bucknell University, before graduating in 2000. Mike continued the development briefly from 2001–2003, but has since abandoned the project. Other similar projects being maintained are KAlgebra and Cantor.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GraphCalc

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GraphCalc claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GraphCalc before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GraphCalc ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GraphCalc

In research: GraphCalc appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses GraphCalc in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: GraphCalc is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2000 software, Free educational software, Free plotting software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for GraphCalc outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GraphCalc in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what GraphCalc means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain GraphCalc out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GraphCalc in simple terms?

Why does GraphCalc matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GraphCalc?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GraphCalc.