Hi Andrew My name is Rafael Gonzalez. Basically I have three ideas and I would like to know which one you could be interested in. These are: an arbitrary precision library, a Monte Carlo method framework and a wave propagation utility library. The first one would be an implementation of arbitrary precision arithmetic for C++. I checked the mailing list archives an I found that the BigInt project was already taken for GSoC 2007 but I haven't found usable code about it apart from that located in the repository of past GSoCs (sandbox). So, in case this project is finished already I still would like to propose a BigDecimal Java-like class [1]. This class will provide an automatic handling of rounding the numbers and surpass the limitations of the double data type. Also, I consider that the Java class has a drawback: when you try to make a division that generates repeating decimals and it is set to show the exact result, an exception is thrown. So I think checking for a repeating decimal division and giving the result in a rational form, continued fraction form or periodical form (e.g. 1/7=142857...) can be very useful. I don't know if this idea could be more proper for a Number Theory library, but this could be a useful application for it (this was also proposed somewhere in the mailing lists and is also a very interesting idea, mainly because of the primality tests). My second idea is a Monte Carlo simulation framework. It would be very hard and maybe impractical to give a generalized form of a Monte Carlo method, because at some point, the most time there will be specific ways of processing samples. And I know that Boost have libraries for statistics and random sampling, which is an important part. But some applications for finances like risk management can make a good project [2]. Finally, my third idea is about something I'm researching for my Phd thesis. I'm defining my topic and despite I still don't have a title it will be about methods for the simulation of electromagnetic propagation applied to photonic crystals. I'm reading bibliography about it and I know about the struggle beetween Finite Differences and Finite Elements methods. I'm reading mostly about the FDTD (Finite Differences Time Domain) using the Yee algorithm. This algorithm is highly centered on electromagnetic waves and I would like to propose a set of structures and algorithms to run it. This may not be new, but currently, almost every software for this purpose is commercial. A free option is Meep [3], a simulator made by people from the MIT. This one gives a simulator and interfaces for Python an C++. Despite it is well documented, using the Boost standards can be helpful for several people. This also can be generalized and become the entry point for a PDE numerical solution framework. Those are my ideas, and I'll appreciate your feedback. Tell me if this can be proposed for GSoC with Boost. 1.http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/api/java/math/BigDecimal.html 2.http://www.amazon.com/Financial-Engineering-Stochastic-Modelling-Probability/dp/0387004513/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301443672&sr=1-1 3.http://ab-initio.mit.edu/wiki/index.php/Meep

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I would like to participate with Boost in GSOC 11. I have some ideas about arbitrary precision and a Monte Carlo simulation framework. I've already seen the time line and I know that applications begin today, so, should I prepare it right now or I we have time to discuss it with someone.

Hi,

It's helpful to actually propose your project on the mailing list, usually with a decent amount of detail so that potential mentors understand your goals. I'm curious to hear what kinds of features and applications you plan to support.

Andrew

-- ISE Rafael González García e-mail: rafael.gonz@gmail.com skype: rafael.gonzalez86 mobile: +52 (044) 81 16 60 11 16