Independent Study
» Computer
Science Department I.S. Titles
Research opportunities for Wooster Computer Science students begin in
their sophomore year. Interested students may work with faculty members
on projects designed to introduce the students to computer science research
skills
and methodologies.
Many Sophomore Research projects involve software development or the
installation of new software tools. Typical recent projects include
the development of C++ software to support classroom activities and to
implement
tools to be used by faculty members in their research efforts. Other
projects involved examining mistakes commonly made by novice programmers
and preparing
program reading exercises. Another student investigated the use of
a parallel processor system to support high speed signal processing analysis.
A student
with a special-major in Art and Computer Science designed fractal texture
maps (two-dimensional fractal patterns) that were wrapped around three-dimensional
objects in a scene. The resulting images had a texture that could be
compared to the “Pointillist” technique used by some Impressionist
Painters.
The Applied Mathematics Research Experience Program (AMRE) is available
to undergraduate students with a background in mathematics, computer
science, or economics. The
eight-week summer program allows small groups of one to
three students to work with a faculty advisor on projects for
a local business or industry in areas such as software and
web development, data analysis, management analysis, and
product design/analysis, to name a few. Recent projects have
produced:
- a multi-version software product to identify mismatches between coordinates
on screen images and multi-language identifiers for partial images found
at those locations. The team developed a Windows application, a standard
web-based variation, and a third version using the Struts web application
development environment.
- a web-based contact management system for The
College of Wooster’s Division of Student Affairs. The application was written
in the PHP scripting language, runs on top of a MySQL database, contains a variety
of security mechanisms, and supports encrypted data transfer over a network when
placed on an HTTPS-enabled
web server.
- an application to analyze laser-generated data that measures tire
radii at fixed points on the surface of the tire as it rotates. The
project team used the data to develop estimates of curvature at fixed
points and to examine ways in which tire designers can use those estimates
in the tire
design process.
Using Wooster’s computer resources and guided by faculty mentors,
students complete independent study projects that may have practical applications
or that may contribute to the more fundamental, theoretical methodologies
of the discipline. Recently, students have investigated a wide range of
topics, including:
- A Virtual Tour of Taylor Hall using the X3D File Format for Dissemination
of 3D Graphics on the Web
- A Comparison of Haploid Genetic Algorithms and Polyploid Genetic Algorithms
on Non-Standard Optimization Problems
- Fractional Brownian Motion Simulation: Observing Fractal Statistics
in the Wild and Raising Them in Captivity
- Simulating Cloth Dynamics with a Mass-Spring Paradigm and Euler
Numerical Methods Real Time Animation of Smoke – An Application
of Navier-Stokes Equations for Fluid Flow and use of the Fast Fourier
Transform
- Non-linear Predictors: Employing Neural Networks to Predict S&P
500 Index Trends
- Interprocess Communication and the Use of Group Communication to Support
Replication in Distributed System
- Software Engineering and the Case Study Performed using the Calculation
of Metrics to Determine Productivity and Quality in the Classroom
- Cognition in Foreign Policy Crisis Decision-Making: Computer Analysis
of Public Statements by John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, and George
H.W. Bush
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