GCLC page
About GCLC
GCLC
(from Geometry Constructions -> LaTeX converter is a tool for producing
mathematical illustrations and for teaching geometry. It basic functionality is
converting formal descriptions of geometric constructions into digital figures.
It provides easy-to-use support for many geometrical constructions, isometric
transformations, general conics, etc. Making figures is based on the idea of
``describing figures'' rather than of ``drawing figures''. Thus, this approach
stresses the fact that geometrical constructions are abstract, formal procedures
and not figures. A figure can be generated on the basis of abstract description,
in Cartesian model of a plane.
Scope: Although GCLC was initially
built as a tool for converting formal descriptions of geometric constructions
into LaTeX form, nowadays it is much more than that. For instance, there
is support for symbolic expressions and for drawing parametric curves. On the
other hand, Windows version makes GCLC a tool for teaching geometry, and not
only geometry but other mathematical fields as well.
Platform: There are command-line
versions of GCLC for Windows and for Linux. WinGCLC is the (Microsoft) Windows
version of GCLC and provides a range of additional functionalities, including
interactive work, animations, traces, ``watch window'', etc. There is no version
with graphic user interface for Linux.
The main purposes of GCLC/WinGCLC:
producing digital mathematical illustrations of high quality;
use in teaching geometry;
use in studying geometry and as a research tool.
The main features of GCLC/WinGCLC:
support for a range of elementary and advanced constructions, isometric transformations, and other geometrical devices;
support for symbolic expressions, second order curves, parametric curves, while loops etc.
user-friendly interface, interactive work, animations, tracing points, watch window ("geometry calculator"), and other tools;
very simple, very easy to use, very small in size;
export of high quality figures into \LaTeX{} and bitmap format;
versions for command line (DOS/Windows and Linux) and the MS Windows version;
import from JavaView JVX format;
freely available (from http://www.matf.bg.ac.yu/~janicic/gclc and from EMIS (The European Mathematical Information Service) servers: http://www.emis.de/misc/software/gclc/ ).
Author:
GCLC/WinGCLC is being developed at the Faculty of Mathematics, University of
Belgrade, by Predrag Janicic and his collaborators. It has had several releases
since 1996 and it has been used for producing digital illustrations for a number
of books and journal volumes and in a number of different courses.
References: More on the background of
GCLC/WinGCLC can be found in:
M.Djoric and P.Janicic. Constructions, instructions, interactions. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, 23(2):69--88, 2004.
Please send us your comments and/or suggestions to janicic@matf.bg.ac.yu (Predrag Janicic).
Send us your GCLC gems and we will put them on this page.
Downloads
WinGCLC (c) Predrag Janicic, Ivan Trajkovic: MS Windows version of GCLC; user-friendly multi-document interface, support for animations, traces, export to bitmaps etc. Includes gclc.sty, GCLC manual, sample files. (available since 01.01.2005; version 2005 (GCLC engine 4.0: 01.01.2005) Download
GCLC command-line version for DOS/Windows (c) 1996-2005 Predrag Janicic; includes gclc.sty, VIEW (simple previewer), GCLC manual, sample files. Download
GCLC command-line version for Linux (c) 1996-2005 Predrag Janicic; also gclc.sty, GCLC manual and sample files. Download
GCLC system description Download
GCLC manual Download
HYP-EUC ((c) 1997, 2003 Ivan Trajkovic: a program for converting a formal construction in a hyperbolical plane into a corresponding Euclidean construction in a Poincare's disc model. New version available soon.
jv2gcl converter (for DOS/Windows) (c) 2002 Predrag Janicic: converts files from JavaView to GCLC format. Download
Samples
WinGCLC screenshot
Copyright notice
GCLC/WinGCLC is a copyrighted and
cannot be used in commercial purposes. However, you are free to use it in
teaching, research and in producing figures and digital illustrations for
non-commercial purposes.
If you download and use GCLC package, please let me know by sending an e-mail to
janicic@matf.bg.ac.yu (Predrag Janicic); we
will put you on the GCLC mailing list and inform you about new versions.
If you used GCLC for producing figures for your book or a paper, we would be
happy to hear about that.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to
prof. Mirjana Djoric for the initial discussion which led to the first version of GCLC;
prof. Neda Bokan and other members of the Group for geometry, education and visualization with applications (mostly based at the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade) for their invaluable support in developing the WinGCLC package;
the colleagues which gave valuable contributions and suggestions in earlier stages of development of WinGCLC: Nenad Dedic, Milos Utvic, Nikola Begovic, Ivan Elcic, Jelena Grmusa, Aleksandra Nenadic, Marijana Lukic, Srdjan Vukmirovic, Goran Terzic, Milica Labus, and Aleksandar Gogic;
Konrad Polthier and Klaus Hildebrandt from TU Berlin for their hospitality and their support;
DAAD for funding the visit to Konrad Polthier's group at Mathematical Institute of TU Berlin, which was used for making the JavaView -> GCLC converter;
Predrag Janicic