Slaven GSL FAQ Sep 4 2003 Q: Where can I get GNU Scientific Library? A: GSL is installed on several computers in Graduate Student Computer Lab at ground floor of Physics building. For more detailes, or If you have problems using it, ask system administrator, Hunter Pankey (hunter@gonzo.physics.gatech.edu), for the assistance. Q: How can I install GSL on my computer? A: First check if there are pre-compiled binaries for your operating system/compiler. Every GNU/Linux distribution (RedHat, Debian, Mandrake,...) comes with precompiled GSL packages, so if you are a Linux user you already have it. If you prefer to use Microsoft, you can find GSL binaries here: http://www.network-theory.co.uk/gsl/freedownloads.html Note, that for this you need a Microsoft compiler as well. For other systems use google or something similar to search for the right binaries. Q: I can't find GSL binaries for my operating system and/or compiler. What should I do? A: Just download source code from http://sources.redhat.com/gsl/ unpack it someplace at your computer and read instructions in README and INSTALL files. Compiling and installing GSL is _very_ simple, and it was reported successful on a wide range of platforms. You should be able to do it yourself easily. I personally compiled and tested GSL for GNU/Linux and True64 systems, and I can give you a hand with these two. To get help for other architectures subscribe to gsl-discuss mailing list: http://sources.redhat.com/ml/gsl-discuss/ Q: I can't use computers in graduate student lab, I can't find binaries for my system, I can't install GSL from sources, I can't subscribe to GSL mailing list, I can't do nothing. What should I do? A: I'll give you Quantian CD. Quantian is a scientific operating system which runs from your CD drive, no installation is required. Just boot your PC from your CD drive and in a matter of minutes you'll have Quantian running. since GSL is part of Quantian, it will be there, too. Q: How do I use GSL. A: GNU Scientific Library is a large colection of mathematical functions written in C. Instead of programing every numerical integrator, LU decomposition, root finding, etc., you can simply use pre-defined GSL functions. All you have to do is to link your program to the library during the compilation. For more details read GSL Reference Manual: http://sources.redhat.com/gsl/ref/gsl-ref_toc.html Q: Why do we need GSL at all? A: Well, it's much easier to use somebody's else codes than to program everything from scratch, to begin with. GSL is free, what means you can use it as much as you like for whatever purposes you want on as many computers as you like without fear that somebody would sue you for a licence violation. It also mean that you can see and modify source codes to fit your needs. GSL is a multipurpose library, meaning that you can find there almost everything you might need for solving your homework assignment problems. It is easy to use, it has simple programing interface and doesn't require a lot of computing resources. It is reliable. Thousands of scientists worldwide use it, and since they all can see and inspect sources, all glitches in GSL are usually fixed very quickly. Q: I'm still not convinced... A: I have codes for finding periodic orbits, calculating stability of cycles, calculating zeta function, etc, which I am willing to share with you. These codes are written so that they can be (relatively) easily modified and used for different dynamical systems. You might find them very useful for your homeworks and for your final exam/project. Of course, they are linked to GSL ;-).