TriPendulum Dynamics

Overview

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This repository provides a comprehensive framework for running simulations, visualizing results, and providing a user-friendly interface to interact with the simulation environment. The system is built using Python, and the code is modular, allowing for easy scalability and integration with other projects or simulation models. The core components of the framework are organized in the src directory, and unit tests are provided to ensure correctness and robustness of the implementation.

This project includes the following key functionalities:

• Simulation Engine
• Data Visualization and Plotting
• User Interaction Interface
• Utility Functions for General-Purpose Use
• Unit Testing Framework

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Repository Structure

The project structure is organized to promote clean separation of concerns and easy navigation:

.
├── README.md                  # This document.
├── main.py                    # Entry point for running the simulation.
├── requirements.txt           # Python dependencies.
├── src                        # Core source code for the project.
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── plots.py               # Module for generating plots.
│   ├── simulation.py          # Core simulation logic and functions.
│   ├── ui.py                  # User interface code.
│   └── utils.py               # Utility functions and helpers.
└── tests                      # Unit tests for core functionality.
    ├── __init__.py
    ├── conftest.py            # Pytest configuration and fixtures.
    ├── test_simulation.py      # Tests for the simulation logic.
    └── test_ui.py             # Tests for the user interface.

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Dependencies

All necessary dependencies are listed in the requirements.txt file. To set up the project, use the following command:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Ensure you are using Python version 3.8 or higher for compatibility with the codebase.

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Core Modules

1. Main Application (main.py): The main.py serves as the entry point for running the simulations. It initializes the simulation environment, interacts with the user interface, and invokes the plotting mechanisms for visualization.

2. Simulation Engine (src/simulation.py): This module contains the core logic to run simulations. It can be configured to model different scenarios and provides an API for fetching simulation results. The module is flexible and can be extended with new simulation models. The Simulation class is responsible for handling the state and progression of the simulation over time.

   • Key components:
     • Simulation: Main class that controls the state of the simulation.
     • run_simulation(): Method to initiate and run the simulation over time.
     • Configurable parameters for setting up different simulation environments.

3. Plotting and Visualization (src/plots.py): The plots.py module provides functionalities to visualize the results of the simulations. It supports multiple types of plots such as line charts, histograms, and scatter plots. It uses libraries like matplotlib and seaborn for rendering high-quality visualizations.

   • Key components:
     • plot_results(): Function that generates the visual representation of the simulation outcomes.
     • generate_histogram(): Creates histograms based on simulated data.
     • plot_time_series(): Displays time series data for the evolution of the simulation over time.

4. User Interface (src/ui.py): The user interface module is designed to interact with users, allowing them to configure simulation parameters and view real-time results. It can be a command-line interface or a GUI depending on the implementation.

   • Key components:
     • UserInterface: Class that provides methods for user input/output.
     • display_menu(): Function to present simulation options to the user.

5. Utility Functions (src/utils.py): A collection of helper functions used across the codebase to handle common tasks, such as file I/O, data transformation, and mathematical operations.

   • Key components:
     • save_to_file(): Saves simulation results to a file.
     • load_configuration(): Loads configurations from a JSON or YAML file.

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Testing Framework

The project uses pytest as the testing framework. All unit tests are located in the tests directory. The test files ensure that the core functionalities of the simulation and user interface work as expected.

1. Test Setup (tests/conftest.py): Contains shared fixtures and configuration settings for the test suite.

2. Simulation Tests (tests/test_simulation.py): Tests the core simulation logic, ensuring correct progression and outcomes. It verifies that the state changes as expected when different simulation parameters are applied.

3. UI Tests (tests/test_ui.py): Verifies the correctness of the user interface interactions. It checks that the UI correctly processes user inputs and provides accurate outputs.

To run the test suite, execute the following command:

pytest

This will run all tests and display the results in the terminal. Code coverage reports can also be generated using pytest-cov.

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Usage

1. Running the Simulation: To start the simulation, simply run the main.py script. Depending on how the user interface is designed, you may be prompted to input parameters or choose options from a menu.

   python main.py

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License

This project is open-source and licensed under the MIT License. Please refer to the LICENSE file for more details.

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Future Work

Some areas that could be further developed in this project include:

• Advanced Simulations: Adding more complex simulation models to explore new domains.
• Improved UI: Expanding the UI for enhanced usability, including adding a graphical user interface (GUI) or web-based dashboard.