computer science

OpenPlaG

OpenPlaG 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 OpenPlaG rather than just read about it. In short: openPlaG is a PHP based function graph plotter for use on websites. It was first released in April 2006.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

openPlaG is a PHP based function graph plotter for use on websites. It was first released in April 2006. In June 2007 its source code was published under the GNU GPL license. PlaG is an abbreviation for Plot a Graph. The current version 3.2 of openPlaG allows the display of up to three function graphs, their derivative and their integral. It can compute several different functions, with a focus on a large function variety and on probability functions. Settings for a graph can be saved and loaded. A substitution for a user-defined formula can be used. It has an instruction page, which explains the use of the plotter and the function syntax. About 180 functions are predefined. These belong to the categories basic functions, trigonometric and hyperbolic functions, non-differentiable functions, probability functions, special functions, programmable functions, iterations and fractals, differential and integral equations.

See also List of information graphics software

References

External links openPlaG in FSF/UNESCO Free Software Directory freshmeat listing openPlaG download page "openPlaG". Freecode.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OpenPlaG

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OpenPlaG 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 OpenPlaG 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 OpenPlaG 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 OpenPlaG

In research: OpenPlaG 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 OpenPlaG 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: OpenPlaG is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer library stubs, Fractal software, Free plotting software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OpenPlaG 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 OpenPlaG in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is OpenPlaG in simple terms?

openPlaG is a PHP based function graph plotter for use on websites. It was first released in April 2006.

Why does OpenPlaG 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 OpenPlaG?

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 OpenPlaG.