Modular Design of Graph Theory Based Software for Scientific Applications and Education

Abstract

This work describes a new software design approach in graph theory applications. Sometimes, while using or teaching applications related to this subject, one of the main drawbacks is to define the application-specific graph and easily process and visualize it in a computer. A generic and flexible graph processing and visualization engine is presented. It is focused on a modular scheme, allowing a multidisciplinary framework in a technology-aware platform. We present the power of this tool in computer science courses that include graph algorithms and data structures. However, major potential is achieved within applications in other scientific fields. Since it is well-known that Information Technology (IT) is becoming an essential requirement in most scientific disciplines, we describe the impact of the easy incorporation of the proposed framework in different fields.