In an email exchange with Hans Werner Borchers, two optimization problems were mentioned where the optimization parameters define positions that can be graphed. One is a chain hanging problem (catenary) and the other the largest area polygon where the vertices cannot be more than one unit apart. Three decades ago I used the latter with very positive reactions to demonstrate optimization to semi-technical audiences, and I have found that the program will still run. However, it would be very useful to have a modern R implementation, possibly as a Web app, that can be used to illustrate optimization problems in a way that is accessible to non-technical audiences, as well as demonstrating R capabilities. If possible, I'd like to find a collaborator with skills in coding the graphics, which "update" steadily as the area in the polygon increases, as my expertise is weak in graphics. Please contact me off-list if interested.
For those who are not familiar with the polygon problem, the best known case is that the largest constrained (or small) hexagon is NOT a regular hexagon, but almost a pentagon with one edge slightly dented. For those wanting to see the idea, the MSDOS executable, which still runs (clunkily) in my Windows XP virtual machine or under DOSBOX for Linux is at https://www.dropbox.com/s/8l8dalpp9v03qf8/VMPOLY2A.EXE?dl=0 There is also an approximation to the BASIC source code (I seem to have lost the exact version) at https://www.dropbox.com/s/n0zldgufkn2jie4/VMPOLY2Y.BAS?dl=0 This can be run under GWBASIC in DOSBOX or under the PC-BASIC emulator from https://sourceforge.net/projects/pcbasic/ Cheers, John Nash ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.