Function Plotter

This program allows you to generate plots of mathematical functions. You enter a function as a text formula (e.g., "x**2 + sin(x)"), specify a range for x, and the program will display a graph of the function.

Features

• Parses mathematical formulas using Python's Sympy library.
• Allows specification of x-range (min and max values) and number of points for plotting.
• Uses Matplotlib to generate and display the plots.
• Basic error handling for formula parsing and numerical evaluation.

Requirements

The program requires the following Python libraries:

• NumPy
• Matplotlib
• SymPy

Setup

1. Clone the repository (if applicable) or download the function_plotter.py script.
2. Install the required libraries: Open your terminal or command prompt and navigate to the project directory. Then, run:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

   If you don't have the requirements.txt file, you can install them individually:

   pip install numpy matplotlib sympy

How to Run

1. Navigate to the directory containing function_plotter.py in your terminal.
2. Run the script using Python:

   python function_plotter.py

3. Follow the on-screen prompts:
   • Enter the mathematical formula in terms of 'x'.
     • Examples: x**2, sin(x), log(x), exp(x*2)
     • Use Python/Sympy syntax (e.g., ** for power, * for multiplication).
     • For specific functions like Gamma or Bessel functions, use Sympy's naming (e.g., gamma(x)).
   • Enter the minimum x-value for the plot (or press Enter for default: -10).
   • Enter the maximum x-value for the plot (or press Enter for default: 10).
   • Enter the number of points to plot (or press Enter for default: 500).

A plot window will then appear showing the graph of your function.

Example Formulas

• x**3 - 2*x + 5
• sin(x**2)
• exp(-x**2 / 2) (Gaussian function)
• 1/x (Hyperbola - be mindful of the range to avoid division by zero at x=0 if not handled)
• log(x) (Natural logarithm - ensure x > 0 for the range)
• tan(x) (Tangent function - has asymptotes)
• abs(x**2 - 4)

Error Handling

• The script attempts to catch errors in formula parsing. If a formula is invalid, an error message will be displayed.
• If the function encounters numerical issues during evaluation (e.g., division by zero at a point, logarithm of a non-positive number), it will attempt to display an error message on the plot.

Contributing

Feel free to fork this project, make improvements, and submit pull requests. Possible enhancements:

• GUI for input and plot display.
• Option to save plots to a file.
• Plotting multiple functions on the same graph.
• More advanced parsing or symbolic manipulation features.