computer science

IGOR Pro

IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro rather than just read about it. In short: Igor Pro is a scientific data analysis software, numerical computing environment and programming language that runs on the Windows operating system. It is developed by WaveMetrics Inc., and was originally aimed at time series analysis, but has since then evolved and covers other applications such as curve fitting and image processing (see the official Igor Pro documentation).

Key takeaways

IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of IGOR Pro from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Igor Pro is a scientific data analysis software, numerical computing environment and programming language that runs on the Windows operating system. It is developed by WaveMetrics Inc., and was originally aimed at time series analysis, but has since then evolved and covers other applications such as curve fitting and image processing (see the official Igor Pro documentation). It comes with a fully functional programming language and compiler, but many functions are also accessible through menus. Igor Pro is primarily known for its graphics capabilities, and like Origin and other similar programs, is often used to generate plots for scientific and other publications. Other features include the possibility of extending the built-in functions with external operations (XOP) allowing data acquisition, manipulation and analysis features, communication with external devices and in principle any other task that can be programmed in C or C++. It was first released as "Igor" in 1989, and became "Igor Pro" circa 1994.

Features Igor Pro has several features that distinguish it from other graphing programs. The most significant ones are:

It is completely programmable with a compiled, C-like programming language. Igor features a hybrid interface that allows to control the program either with a command line or with clicking menu entries with the mouse. It stores data in up to four-dimensional, sophisticated arrays (called "waves").

The concept of Igor's "waves" Waves are up to four-dimensional arrays that can carry not only numbers, but also characters (text), or date-and-time entries. Waves carry additional meta-information, for example, the physical units of each dimension, which eliminates the need for a series array to provide uniformly-spaced X values in X vs Y graphs (halving the memory needed for the data). Igor offers a wide choice of methods to work with these waves. It is possible to do image-processing with images that have been saved as two- or three-dimensional waves. In addition, two-dimensional waves can be used for matrix calculations.

Capabilities of Igor's programming language Without the optional add-on packages (XOP, NIDAQ Tools), Igor's programming language supports, amongst others, the following concepts:

Generating compiled code (although no independent .exe file is created) Handling of variables, strings, structures, and waves Formatted output Regular expressions Making graphical user interfaces FTP and HTTP communication Reading/writing operations on the hard drive Integration with Python (can call Python and exchange data)

Community A community of users and enthusiasts provide user-to-user support through a mailing list, IgorExchange (a collaborative web site sponsored by WaveMetrics), and GitHub repositories. Several large scientific user facilities, such as Argonne National Laboratory, have developed and published data analysis libraries for Igor Pro. The control and data-acquisition programs for photoelectron spectrometers of ScientaOmicron and SPECS Surface Nano Analysis GmbH save spectra in Igor Pro file formats. The "INO MAKRO" Igor-based software was developed in Japan for the analysis of X-ray absorption and photoemission spectra. Igor Pro has been used as a platform for the modelling of impedance data. The first reported application was mechanical impedance data, specifically pneumatic performance of the lung. A more recent application is for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data, developed at NIMS in Japan.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with IGOR Pro

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro

In research: IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro 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: IGOR Pro is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Plotting software, Regression and curve fitting software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is IGOR Pro in simple terms?

Why does IGOR Pro 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 IGOR Pro?

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 IGOR Pro.