Scientific computing newbie

["Hero_xbd!.RRR" <heroxbd@sohu.com>]

Hello, everybody.

I am a university student of mathematics and physics and have been using 
Debian GNU/Linux for about 4 years since I was in senior high.

At present I want to make use of the scientific packages in Debian to 
optimize my study as well as research (seminar). I have read some 
manuals on Octave, Maxima, Axiom, and TeXmacs, tried something out. But 
I still don't have a general concept of scientific computing (or maybe 
this saying "scientific computing" is itself wrongly used?).

So I subscribed on this list, but I find that the topics around are too 
specific for me.

Is there an FAQ of this list?
Could you please recommend some tutorials on how to establish a 
scientific computing environment, esp. for physicists and 
mathematicians, for study and research?
And what packages are best for starting?

Or some advice for me to avoid useless and time-consuming 
trying-and-discarding newbie loops?


Thanks in advance!
Cheers.

--
Xu Benda

Fundamental Science of Mathematics and Physics,
Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R.China, 100084

tel:86-10-51531861		
http://learn.tsinghua.edu.cn:8080/2005012177