Sorting Algorithm Overview - animated GIF

Found this nice animated GIF giving an overview of the performance of sorting algorithms.
Watch Insertion, Selection, Bubble, Shell, Merge, Heap and 2 versions of Quicksort battle through a stack of data in random, nearly sorted, reversed and "few unique" order.

Mesmerizing!

Support the LEGO Microscope!

Saw this a while ago on the LEGO ideas homepage - a fully functioning

 Microscope from LEGO parts.

What an awesome idea!
For those who don't know it: LEGO ideas is a site where people can propose their ideas to the LEGO company and if their project is popular enough and gets enough votes LEGO will consider producing it.
So, please support the LEGO Microscope, I'd really want to see this in stores.

Netlogo tutorial: mouse input, file I/O - Flygame, a simple game

click to enlarge

Today we'll make a simple game and look at mouse input and file I/O. The game's objective is to swat all of the randomly moving flies with your mouse in the least amount of time. When you have swatted all flies, the game is finished and the time used is your score (therefore, a low score is good, a high score means that you were slow catching the flies).

DOWNLOAD the .nlogo file HERE.

Netlogo tutorial: more fun with Langton's ants

In this post we have already considered Langton's ant. Today, let's have a bit of fun and look at the interaction of several Langton's ants (DOWNLOAD the .nlogo file here). The interactions can be quite interesting and colorful.

Easterbunnies in Netlogo

Eine kleine Osterspielerei mit Netlogo:
Osterhasen laufen einen random walk und fressen Gras. Wo das Gras abgefressen wurde färbt sich die Grasfläche hellgrün. Nach einer einstellbaren Zeit ("growth delay") wächst das Gras wieder nach. Wenn ein Osterhase längere Zeit ("rabbit-ttl") nichts zu fressen findet weil er nur leergefressene Stellen findet, stirbt er. Kann er jedoch mehrmals fressen (einstellbar mittels "lay-egg-after" Slider), dann legt er 2 Ostereier. Die Ostereier sind nach einer gewissen Zeit (3*"lay-egg-after") ausgebrütet und aus jedem Ei entspringen 2 neue Osterhasen.

Have fun & Happy Easter!

DOWNLOADS:
Das .nlogo File gibts HIER
Und die Netlogo Simulationsumgebung HIER.
Netlogo ist freie Software und läuft auf allen Platformen auf denen mindestens Java 5 läuft.