hi bald_monkey, i don't have access to Matlab at where i work, because we already have idl, so the argument is that idl is as good as Matlab. i think they are right, just that i have no knowledge of idl at this point in time. have you ever compared your optimization results with other programs, like gnuplot or excel? and where can Matlab be downloaded?

hmm, i think Matlab is not that easy to get, because the license is an issue. furthermore, its a huge software, so if i use it only for drawing curves, it might not go down well with my department.

i am doing engineering work. will go take a look at graphpad thx =))

actually i find excel really useful, in no small part because it presents your data in a form that is very easy to read and manipulate, and there are many hidden functions that i am just discovering.

hi,

does anyone know what are some of the better curve-fitting and optimization programs out there? are common programs like Origin and gnuplot good? how about pricy ones like Mathematica and Matlab? Or general software like Excel?

I have been using Excel for optimization purposes for a while, but I notice that sometimes the fits are not very good...and sometimes the program even reports dubious equations for graphs. i am guessing that there are some bugs in there because Excel is not dedicated for such intensive mathematical analysis in the first place. i have been introduced to gnuplot bys some professor, but before i go on to waste days getting used to the command lines, i would like to get some opinion.

hi,
I am a current phd student, in the field of applied science. i am starting my second semester (my university follows a system of 2 semesters per academic year) of compulsory course work now.
I am not sure if my project has the potential to give me a phd. It is supposed to be an international collaboration between my home uni and another research institute somewhere in Europe, so it’s supposed to be a rather large-scale project, whereby there is at least 1 other phd student from another faculty working on it for his own phd. The phd’s will then be led by a postdoctoral fellow. I think it is quite a serious project because there are a number of faculty members from my home uni and researchers from the European institute sitting on the oversight committee. In short, the project seems large-scale enough for at least 2 phd’s.
What worries me is whether my own potential supervisor is able to guide me through it. Although I am his 3rd phd student, his role was co-supervisor in the previous 2 projects. His latest student had a hard time getting his own phd, as the phd review committee felt that his project did not have enough theoretical depth. This caused him to drag his phd for a number of years. Others, including his colleagues, have also cast doubt on his abilities. To make matters worse, my home department refuses to allow him to be my main supervisor, as his status does not meet some requirements set by the department (that is the reason why he was co-sup all this while). For my case, he wishes to be the main sup as he is a PI in the project. When I raise this matter with him, and prompt him to get it settled with the department soon so that my project can start rolling, he is unwilling to talk about it. To add to this stalemate, he forbids me from seeking out a main sup as he feels that he can still be my main sup.
Quite a number of friends who have worked with him before have told me to run, as they know that this might not come out to be what I expect, while others who do not know him say that it is normal for a phd project to be in limbo in the beginning, as no one knows for sure if a project is phd-worthy or not. What should I do? Would appreciate any 2 cents worth.