Evolution of a Computer Application
Tips for Reading this Article
This article is intended to be read in conjunction with a computer application
that is accessible on the Internet.
- The Groups32
Web page contains instructions for accessing Groups32 via Telnet and also
includes some written material. I use this site with students. This way of
making software available has the advantage that students can use it at home
with any computer or operating system. The instructor can add material during
the course. The Telnet version is not programmable. It does not require knowledge
of a programming language.
- I include with this article, for readers who would like to experiment with
programming, a ZIP file containing executable
versions of an early (1990) version of the groups program and the current
version. These executables will run only under Windows 95 or later.
- Groups16 was written in 1990. I include it for paleontological purposes.
- Groups32 is the current version. I have used it in courses in abstract
algebra at the undergraduate and beginning graduate level and for REU
projects.
Unless you are unusually well endowed with extremely good eyesight and a very
large monitor it is neither realistic nor necessary to have both the article
and the software visible at the same time. It is enough to have them running
in separate windows that you can switch between quickly.
- Start the Groups32 software (either via Telnet or using a downloaded version
on your own computer). Run the software in a large window.
- Start the article (using Adobe Reader for the PDF version
or your favorite browser for the HTML version) in a separate large window.
The PDF version of the article is intended to be read without scrolling. Its
pages fit comfortably within a large Adobe Reader window. Make sure the view
is set to "fit to width" and the window is as large as possible.
Use the navigation arrows on the top toolbar and navigation links in the article
to move from screen to screen. If you are reading with the Adobe Reader inside
a browser window, you may need to hide some of the browser toolbars.
- Switch back and forth by using whatever method your operating system provides
for switching between windows. (In the case of Windows you can switch using
the buttons on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.)
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