Collaborative Research: Distributome--An Interactive Web-based Resource for Probability Distributions

该项目开发了一种新的计算和教育资源--Distributome，用于探索、发现各种概率分布并与之互动。Distributome项目利用了几十年来在开发互动学习材料、锻造技术进步以及建立和维持数字图书馆方面持续开展的成功的NSF项目的成果；所有这些都与有效的传播和专业发展基础设施相结合，以确保持续使用。这个项目有几个新奇的特点。该资源为基于社区的开发构建基础设施，扩展和验证分发的元数据，这些元数据由专家、学习者和教育工作者存储、处理、搜索、遍历和更新。Distributome提供了用于交互探索各种分发资源的图形用户界面，以及用于通过其他软件程序和工具对这些分发资源进行查询、发现和计算利用的网络服务。具体地说，这个项目提供了一个开放的(开发和利用)、平台无关的、可扩展的和广泛的框架，用于导航、发现和使用各种应用中的概率分布。整个框架是使用XML/Java/HTML/Wiki/MathML/LaTeX构建的，并可通过www.Distributome.org免费提供给整个社区。Distributome基础设施的用户群既包括教育者(将这些图形工具和教学材料整合到他们的课程课程中，并参与由一群活动家领导的独特的虚拟社区)，也包括最重要的学习者(探索、验证和理解使用概率分布和模型解决实际问题)。概率建模是解决现代STEM课程中基本的驾驶生物、工程、健康、物理科学和社会问题的根本。Distributome基础设施能够表示、演示、计算和可视化大量的概率分布、它们的相互关系以及它们的应用程序，并与相关的课堂和课外活动相结合，以促进学习。

This project develops a new computational and educational resource, the Distributome, for exploring, discovering and interacting with varieties of probability distributions. The Distributome project leverages the results of successful NSF projects that have been sustained over decades of work in developing interactive learning materials, forging technological advances, and building and sustaining digital libraries; all integrated with an effective dissemination and professional development infrastructure to ensure on-going use. There are several novel features of this project. This resource builds the infrastructure for community based development, expands and validates the distributions' meta-data that is stored, processed, searched, traversed and updated by experts, learners, and educators. The Distributome provides a graphical user interface for interactive exploration of diverse distribution resources, as well as a web-service for query, discovery and computational utilization of these distribution resources by other software programs and tools. Specifically, this project provides an open (development and utilization), platform-agnostic, extensible and broad framework for navigation, discovery and usage of probability distributions in diverse applications. The entire framework is built using XML/JAVA/HTML/Wiki/MathML/LaTeX and is freely made available to the entire community via www.Distributome.org. The user-base of the Distributome infrastructure includes both educators (integrating these graphical tools and instructional materials in their course curricula and participating in a unique virtual community led by a cadre of activists) and most importantly learners (exploring, validating and understanding the use of probability distributions and models for practical problem solving). Probability modeling is at the root of solving driving biological, engineering, health, physical science, and social problems fundamental to the modern STEM curriculum. The Distributome infrastructure enables representation, demonstration, computation and visualization of a large number of probability distributions, their interrelations and their applications integrated with associated class and out-of-class activities to advance learning.