GiANT:
Graphical Algebraic Number Theory
GiANT is a graphical interface for working with number fields. It is
written in Java 1.4 and runs on top of the
computer algebra system KASH 2.5.
Motivation
Algorithms for dedicated computer algebra systems have developed
rapidly. Nevertheless, user interfaces for these feature-rich
systems have traditionally focused on command-line interaction.
GiANT is a graphical user interface for computer algebra. It
dynamically creates interactive diagrams, typesets formulas, and
supports drag-and-drop manipulation of elements and polynomials. The
result is a visual workspace designed to support mathematical intuition
and reduce cognitive load versus text-only algebra systems.
Screenshots, video
Screen shots of towers of fields
and working with the class group.
Video clips of building towers of fields
and working with fields using
drag-and-drop.
Paper, history
If you use GiANT for research or development, please cite the
paper: GiANT:
Graphical Algebraic Number Theory, Aneesh Karve and Sebastian Pauli, Journal
of Number Theory--Bordeaux (JTNB) , Tome 18, no. 3 (2006), p.
721-727.
GiANT was introduced at the MP60 Number Theory
Conference, Technical University of Berlin, 10 June 2005. GiANT was
featured at Algebra and
Computation 2005, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 16 November 2005.
Downloads,
documentation
and more can be found at the SourceForge
home for GiANT
GiANT should run on Java 1.4 or higher. It has been tested on Mac OS X
and some pure UNIX flavors, but not so much on Windows. GiANT requires
a
working installation of KASH 2.5,
which is free.
Future
development
Future development will be driven by the community.
Possibilities include: generalize GiANT to function with a wider
variety
of computer algebra systems. See the concluding remarks in the paper
for more ideas.
GiANT source is open under the GNU General Public
License (GPL). Interested developers can contact the project admin(s)
via the SourceForge
home for GiANT.
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the German Academic
Exchange (DAAD) and the KANT Group at TU-Berlin
for their support during the creation of GiANT.
GiANT is Copyright (c) 2005
Aneesh Karve 
. GiANT was
co-designed by
Sebastian Pauli 
.
