[plt-scheme] Experience Using Mz(Dr)Scheme for Numerical Work

Will M. Farr wrote:

>> Why not use mzscheme for incremental development and bigloo for the 
>> long computations?

> I have considered this, but I'd prefer not to have to transfer my code 
> between systems before conducting a serious run.  Once you have a good 
> stellar dynamics code (a n-body integrator), there's a lot of stuff you 
> can do with it, but most of this involves patching other physics codes 
> into it---stellar evolution (some of the stars explode now, rather than 
> just moving according to Newton's Law) is one example.  

Using nothing but R5RS isn't that difficult, but it requires discipline.
In a physics context it is possible to get quite far with small means.
Perhaps you know "Structure and Interpretation of Classical Mechanics"?
Here is a random page:

    <http://mitpress.mit.edu/SICM/book-Z-H-11.html#%_sec_Temp_58>

showing how to find trajectories for a harmonic oscillator.

That is, developing in DrScheme and deploying in, say, Gambit or
Stalin is feasible.

However if choose a Common Lisp solution and have a PPC, then take a
look at:

   FPC-PPC (Version 0.21)
   A floating-point compiler for MCL and OpenMCL. This compiles Lisp
   double-float expressions directly into PPC assembly language, producing
   code that is usually faster and that allocates much less memory than the
   Lisp compiler.
   (Code | Documentation)

See the bottom of <http://vorlon.cwru.edu/~beer/> .


-- 
Jens Axel Søgaard