Over the years as a home computing hobbyist, I've implemented (mostly just for fun) many of the more interesting new technologies and ideas that appear from time to time. Some of the following are also techniques used in investigative projects while working as an industrial engineer. Most of the examples below are done without 3rd party components:

Graphics

  • 2D and 3D vector graphics
  • Scalable vector map rendering with demographic business data overlays
  • Image morphing with mouse draggable transformation mesh
  • Fractal graphics. Implemented graphic rendering of Mandelbrot set. Trees, ferns (recursive algorithms).
  • Extensive use of the Windows GDI, graphics blitting, transparent masks, irregular fills.
  • Generation and reading of Windows Metafiles.
  • Graphic compression algorithms
  • Truetype font design and registration

 


Example of morphing graphics


Example of fractal graphics


3D Rendering of trigonometric function sin(r)/r in Excel
 

Artificial Intelligence

  • Trained off-the-shelf expert system shell with test knowledge base.
  • Implemented and trained a neural net using the polynomial adaline algorithm (PADALINE)


Astronomy

  • Implemented Kepler's law of planetary motion. My software can determine the locations of any planet to within a fraction of a degree at any time within a 3000 year range (except Pluto - 400 year accuracy span).
  • Great circle distance calculations between any 2 point on the earth given their longitude and latitude locations (used this for mapping).

Operations Research / Data Analysis

  • Implemented optimising programs using the simplex algorithm of linear programming.
  • Invented and built several heuristic optimising algorithms.
  • Forecasting. Implemented exponential smoothing, pattern recognition.
  • Extensive use of linear regression and other statistical methods.

Games

  • Created computer versions of a few of the old arcade games of the early 80s (breakout, lunar lander).
  • Mastermind game.

 


Lunar Lander game