ABSTRACT

The combined technology of FlashMX, Flash Remoting and .NET enhances the functionality of the web applications up to the level found in desktop applications in terms of user interactivity, execution functionality, scalability, manageability. The visible trend in the industry is that the traditional role of Flash technology as a front-end presentation becomes extended to the tier of event-handling logic and to that of the server view in the architecture of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern.

The typical request-response and document-centric web pages evolve into the ones with the multimedia and computational capability to satisfy the attributes of the so-called rich internet applications, some notable ones of which include:

1. small memory footprint with band-with efficiency.
2. extensible, event-driven object model for interactivity.
3. the inter-communication with remote components and services hosted on standard servers such as J2EE, .NET, Web services.
4. platform and device neutrality
5. stability and minimum maintenance.

Demonstrating the Flash technology with real-time server communication, this paper discusses the various models in orchestrating the different roles of Mathematical engine (i.e., Computer Algebra System, Math Library), Flash movie, Flash Remoting, and .NET tools in producing the animated visual representation of the mathematical concepts.

To start, virtues and liability of Flash technology approach vis-a-vis Java counterpart are discussed, especially for those who are coming from the Java technology. And then the significance of Flash Remoting technology over the generic Flash method supporting server connection methodology of URL-encoded name/value pairs and serialized XML methods are discussed. Then it continues to talk about the various ways of how mathematical engines in .Net framework harness Flash technology in communicating with client, delivering mathematical results and graphics on the fly for the consumption by the web animation. A set of implementation examples of visualizing the mathematical concepts are given in order to demonstrate and discuss the ways of deploying each of ASP.NET pages, Assemblies, and Web services to manage the interoperability among the quartet of Flash movie, Flash Remoting, mathematical engines, and .NET support.

It can be said that the Flash-related client and server technology for the rich internet applications has been evolving primarily around the business community while its tremendous potential for the scientific computation remains virtually untapped. This paper intends to highlight the viable web technology that can provide an intuitive and, in a certain situation, a unique solution for various types of computing needs.

SOME DEMOS

1. Gaussian Elimination
2. Gram-Schmidt Process
3. Approximation Using SVD

FULL PAPER TEXT