Free computing resources for math and writing

Although commercial programs exist for doing lots of things, students, with limited resources might consider using the following:

1. Ubuntu or similar “free” Linux distributions. For the PC world, these may partition your hard drive and then install Linux side by side with Windows, allowing dual boot and access to either world.
1. Latex, the preferred word processor for equation dominated math based manuscripts. Latex can be downloaded to the Linux partition, but an alternative is to use “Weavr” and Google Docs. https://weavr.co.uk/ allows you to edit your Latex files stored in Google docs, and then compile them to pdf form. If your journal requires submitting ancillary files with your latex submission for publication this might not work out for you:   and  
2. Xfig is a fantastic drawing program for technical illustrations, but I’ve never tried installing it in windows (they say it can be done) but use it entirely in Linux, for example:
   
   
   
3. Inkscape is available in either system, and allows vector graphic illustration which sometimes is superior to xfig
   
4. Maxima is a substitute for Maple or Mathematica:
   
5. Gnuplot is a wonderful plotting program, Maxima can use gnuplot to do very interesting plots (see 5).
6. Gimp is a way of changing graphic files from one to another format and/or editing them in the mode of Photoshop.
7. Libre office is a word processor equivalent to Word/Excell/PowerPoint for local word processing, spreadsheet and presentation work. For simple word processing and/or spreadsheet and/or presentation work, online Google Docs works just fine.

Items 4-8 are available in both operating systems.

If there are other things which should be included in this list, please e-mail me, and I will insert them. Thanks.