42 of the Best Free Linux Scientific Software
Science is the effort of trying to understand how the physical
world works. From observation and experimentation, science uses
physical evidence of natural phenomena to compile data and
analyze the collated information. Science really prospers and advances
when individuals share the results of their experiments with
others in the scientific community. There is a certain logic
that scientific software should therefore be released in
a freely distributable environment.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is
available,
we have compiled a list of 42 high quality Linux scientific
applications, covering a broad spectrum of uses. There's a mix of
graphical and console based
applications included. Hopefully, there will be something of
interest for all types of users.
Now, let's explore the 42 scientific applications at hand. For
each
title we have compiled its own portal page, providing a screenshot of
the software in action (where appropriate), a full description with an
in-depth analysis of
its features, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.
| General Mathematics |
| FreeMat |
Rapid engineering and scientific prototyping and data
processing |
| K3DSurf
|
Visualize
and manipulate multidimensional surfaces |
| Octave
|
High-level language, primarily intended for numerical
computations |
| Scilab |
Numerical
computational package |
| Computer Algebra systems |
| Axiom |
For research and development of mathematical algorithms |
| Mathomatic |
Fast
and easy-to-use console mode
Computer Algebra System |
| Maxima |
System
for the manipulation of symbolic and numerical expressions |
| PARI/GP |
Designed
for fast computations in number theory |
| Sage |
Integrates an included distribution of specialized
mathematics software |
| Statistical Analysis |
| PSPP |
Free
replacement of the proprietary program, SPSS |
| R |
Environment
for statistical computing and graphics |
| Plotting |
| Gnuplot |
Command-driven interactive function plotting program |
| QtiPlot |
Fully
fledged plotting software |
| Biology |
EMBOSS
|
The
European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite |
GROMACS
|
Molecular
dynamics simulator, with building and
analysis tools |
VMD
|
Displays,
animates, and analyzes large biomolecular systems |
| Chemistry |
| Avogadro |
Advanced molecular editor |
| Gabedit |
Graphical
user interface to computational chemistry
packages |
| GAMESS |
General ab
initio quantum chemistry package |
| MOSCITO |
Performs
molecular dynamics
simulations of rigid and/or flexible molecules |
| MPQC |
Computes the properties of molecules, ab initio |
| Open
Babel |
Converts
and manipulates chemical data files |
| PyMOL |
OpenGL molecular graphics system written in Python |
| Physics |
| CompHEP |
Automatic computations in High Energy Physics |
| Gerris
Flow Solver |
Tool
for
generic numerical simulations of flows |
| Octopus |
Real-space, real-time implementation of TDDFT |
| OpenFOAM |
Facilitates
the numerical solution of
partial differential equations |
| ROOT |
Solves the data analysis challenges of high-energy
physics |
| Astronomy |
| Celestia |
Real-time space simulation |
| KStars |
Desktop
planetarium for KDE |
| Skychart |
Prepare different sky maps
for a
particular observation |
| Stellarium |
A
virtual planetarium |
| Electronic & Engineering |
| Elmer |
Multiphysical simulation software |
| Qucs |
Integrated
circuit simulator |
Geographic Information Systems
|
| GRASS |
Geographic
Resources Analysis Support System |
| Quantum
GIS |
Create,
visualise, query and analyse
geospatial data |
| SAGA |
Analysis of spatial data |
| uDig |
Spatial
data viewer/editor |
| Econometrics |
| gretl |
Regression,
Econometric and Time-Series Library |
| Typesetting |
| Kile |
User-friendly LaTeX source editor and TeX shell and KDE |
| LyX |
Advanced
open source document processor |
| TeXmacs |
WYSIWYW scientific word processor |
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Last Updated Saturday, April 13 2013 @ 06:35 PM EDT
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