About the Site
What is the Wolfram Demonstrations Project?
The Wolfram Demonstrations Project was conceived by Stephen Wolfram as a way to bring computational exploration to the widest possible audience. With hundreds of interactive, open-code Demonstrations--created solely in Mathematica* by users from around the world--the Wolfram Demonstrations Project brings to life ideas in math, science, and many other areas, from elementary education to front-line research. All Demonstrations, and their code, are provided free of charge and run on any computer with Mathematica* or the free Mathematica Player.Why was the project started?
We here at Wolfram Research realized the technology we were making available in Mathematica had great significance for education, so we decided to provide an environment where people could contribute and exchange Mathematica code that was educationally useful.What is a Demonstration?
A Demonstration is an interactive visualization of a concept. Demonstrations can be about any topic. As you move a Demonstration's controls, you see a change in its output that helps you understand the concept being demonstrated.How are Demonstrations created?
At its core, a Demonstration is actually just a small program created with a standard copy of Mathematica*. Demonstration authors fill out an authoring template and upload it to our site. Our server converts the filled-in template to an HTML page that has an embedded Flash preview and a link to the downloadable Demonstration itself. See the author guidelines page for more information.Who makes Demonstrations?
Anyone with a good idea and a copy of Mathematica* can create a Demonstration--including you! We've received Demonstrations from a wide range of people, from distinguished professors to computer enthusiasts to high-school students. We site administrators and editors are staff members at Wolfram Research, and many of us also author Demonstrations.*Version 6 or higher
Using the Site
How can I find a particular Demonstration?
In the search bar on any page, enter some words that describe what you're looking for. You can also browse the "Some Related Demonstrations" box in the sidebar of any Demonstration's web page for other items that might be of interest. (If you ever discover we have a Demonstration you couldn't find by searching for relevant terms, please contact us using the feedback form at the bottom of this page, and we'll investigate.)How can I find more information on a particular Demonstration?
Each Demonstration contains a set of related links to sites such as MathWorld, The Wolfram Functions Site, or other relevant sources of information.Can I modify a Demonstration?
If you have Mathematica 6 or higher (previous versions are incompatible with Demonstrations), you can modify a Demonstration's source code. View the source code by clicking the "Demonstration Source Code" link at the bottom of the downloaded Demonstration. If you make a new Demonstration or an improvement to an old one, please send it to us for inclusion in the site.Can I request/suggest a Demonstration to be made?
Sure. Use the feedback form at the bottom of this page to send us your ideas. Please understand that we are very busy editing new submissions and adding features to the site, so we can't guarantee that we'll be able to incorporate your ideas promptly.How can I request more information about Demonstrations, or provide comments?
Fill out the feedback form at the bottom of this page to request more information about the structure or creation of Demonstrations in general, or to request help in getting started making your own Demonstrations. We are unable to respond to requests for more information about individual Demonstrations. To comment publicly on a specific Demonstration, click the "Comment" link on its page. To report a bug or error, click its page's "Report an issue" link.Why don't I see my comment?
All comments must be approved by our editors before they are displayed publicly on the Demonstrations site. Flames, rants, spam, profanity, and personal attacks are strictly prohibited and will not be approved.What if I believe a Demonstration contains a bug or an error?
If you believe a Demonstration is in error, do not use the Comments field. Instead, click the "Report an issue" link to provide us with your feedback. We encourage you to suggest your own fix to any errors you discover. Our editors will work with the Demonstration's author to check the veracity of the work and to fix any errors or bugs.Downloading
Can I download the Demonstrations?
Yes. In fact, the real Demonstrations can only be viewed after being downloaded--the web pages display Flash previews. Just click the orange "Download Live Version" button above any Demonstration's web preview to download it.Do I need Mathematica to use a Demonstration?
No. The free Mathematica Player allows you to run any Demonstration downloaded from the Wolfram Demonstrations Project. Mathematica* allows you to modify any Demonstration by editing its source code, and submit your own Demonstrations, as well as many other absolutely astounding things.Why do I have to download Mathematica Player to see the Demonstrations? Can't they just run in a web browser?
The technology used to run these Demonstrations far exceeds the capabilities of web browsers. For example, Mathematica Player can easily solve differential equations and graph the results, even updating the output based on parameters that the user changes in real time. Mathematica, of course, can do much more than that.Do I need to register to download Demonstrations?
No. You just need Mathematica* or Mathematica Player. If you want to tell us about your experience using the Demonstrations, please use the feedback form at the bottom of this page.Can I see the source code for a Demonstration?
Yes. Just click the words "Demonstration Source Code" at the bottom of the downloaded Demonstration, and a new notebook with all the source code will open. You can also view the source code and download the notebook on the Demonstration's web page.*Version 6 or higher
Demonstrations Controls
How do I move the controls on the web page?
The web page only contains a preview of the Demonstration. To manually control a Demonstration, you need to download it*.Can I change the speed of the playback?
For a downloaded Demonstration, yes*. You can move the controls of the Demonstration however you like, and even create your own animations that play at whatever speed you wish.Can I animate individual sliders?
Yes*. Click the plus icon to the right of a slider to reveal its animation controls, where you can animate, step backward and forward, and enter specific values. Click "Play" to animate the slider. You can control the speed with the "Faster" and "Slower" buttons, and the direction of the playback with the last button in the animation controls.Can I animate multiple controls?
Yes*. Click the plus icon in the Demonstration's upper right corner to open its Bookmarks/Autorun menu, and select Autorun. Note that this method does not always cycle through every control, as the author may have excluded some from the Autorun feature.Can I step through a slider's values?
Yes*. Open the animation controls (see "Can I animate individual sliders?" for instructions), then press the "Step Forward" and "Step Backward" buttons to step through the values.How do I move a slider to an exact number?
Open the animation controls for a slider* (see "Can I animate individual sliders?" for instructions). Move the slider to the desired number by entering that number into the input field. You can even enter irrational numbers, such as pi or the square root of two, by using the same syntax as for the Wolfram Mathematica Online Integrator.Is there a way to move the sliders more precisely?
For fine adjustments*, hold down the Alt key while moving a slider. Holding Ctrl and/or Shift at the same time as Alt increases the precision of the adjustment.How do I make a Demonstration remember particular settings?
You can save settings as bookmarks*. To make a bookmark, first open the Bookmarks/Autorun menu by clicking the plus icon at the top-right corner of the Demonstration. Click "Add to Bookmarks..." and a window with an input field will appear at the top of the Manipulate. Type a name for the bookmark in the input field and click "Add". To retrieve a bookmarked setting, simply click the bookmark's name in the Bookmarks/Autorun menu.Can I make my own animations?
You can make an animation of a Demonstration* from a series of bookmarks. First, pick a few "key frames" from your Demonstration and bookmark them (as explained in "How do I make a Demonstration remember particular settings?"). Once you have a few bookmarks, click "Animate Bookmarks" in the Bookmarks/Autorun menu.How can I print a Demonstration?
Select Print from the File menu.Can I use a gamepad to control Demonstrations?
Demonstrations can all be controlled by peripheral input devices, such as gamepads and joysticks. The way the controls are hooked up depends on what kinds of controls the Demonstration uses.* The animations that you see on the web are only previews of the real Demonstrations. To download a Demonstration, go to its web page and click the "Download Live Version" button. To use the downloaded file, open it with Mathematica (Version 6 or higher) or the free Mathematica Player.
