[Edu-sig] Programming in High School

[Vern Ceder]

David MacQuigg wrote:
> Here is another suggestion:  How about a program to predict stock
> prices?  We'll need maybe 1000 traders, each responding to a dozen
> random external events.  That will gives us a simple random walk
> around the mean.  Now let's make it more interesting.  Give each
> trader a "herding tendency" making it follow more closely what its
> nearest neighbors are doing.  Turn up the "herding coefficient" and
> watch how it makes the market more erratic, ultimately turning random
> walk into boom and bust.

I love this idea... It would take either a certain skill level (raw 
beginners might not be able to handle it) or some scaffolding to work, 
but it's a great idea. If someone has the time to work up a sample 
version, I'd love to see it. (Unfortunately, at the moment I don't have 
that time myself.)

Cheers,
Vern
-- 
This time for sure!
    -Bullwinkle J. Moose
-----------------------------
Vern Ceder, Director of Technology
Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804
vceder at canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137