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HofstadterTools
What HofstadterTools is
HofstadterTools is a free Linux desktop package of Python programs and classes for studying the Hofstadter model. It computes band structures, energy spectra, quantum geometry, and topology on regular Euclidean lattices. The band_structure program evaluates bands at fixed rational flux density across momenta, while butterfly evaluates energy at zero momentum across rational flux densities. Documentation covers square, triangular, Bravais, honeycomb, and kagome lattices, and saved results can be replotted with dedicated programs. Installation is available through pip, conda, or source, and the package is designed for Python 3.9 or later. Topology and quantum-geometry calculations are disabled by default for speed and can be enabled with command-line flags. Common nearest-neighbor Hamiltonians are built in, while generalized constructions may be computationally expensive. Custom lattices with multiple sites per unit cell require source installation. The project uses GPL-3.0.
Who it suits
It suits researchers, students, and developers using Python on Linux to analyze Hofstadter-model bands, spectra, geometry, or topology. Users can install it from package channels or source.
What it does well
- Free GPL-3.0 project
- Computes bands, spectra, geometry, and topology
- Supports five documented lattice types
- Installable with pip or conda
- Saved results can be replotted
What to know first
- Python 3.9 or later required
- Custom multi-site lattices need source installation
- Generalized Hamiltonians can be computationally expensive
Verdict
HofstadterTools provides specialized Python calculations and plotting for Hofstadter-model studies. Its broad lattice coverage and free distribution help technical users, while advanced custom work may require source installation and more computation.
Facts from HofstadterTools's own pages
- Assessment tools
- No · hofstadter.tools, 23 Sept 2026
- Authoring tools
- No · hofstadter.tools, 23 Sept 2026
- Band structure
- The band_structure program evaluates the Hofstadter band structure at fixed flux density over a range of momenta. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Band structure command
- The band_structure program evaluates the band structure at a fixed rational flux density across a range of momenta. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Butterfly coloring limitation
- Butterfly coloring uses the Streda-Widom Diophantine relation and may sacrifice precision for efficiency, especially for non-rectangular lattices. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Butterfly command
- The butterfly program evaluates the energy spectrum at zero momentum across a range of rational flux densities. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Butterfly spectrum
- The butterfly program evaluates the energy spectrum at fixed momentum over a range of flux densities. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Custom Hamiltonian performance
- Constructing generalized Hofstadter Hamiltonians can be computationally expensive; common nearest-neighbor Hamiltonians are hardcoded for square, triangular, honeycomb, and kagome lattices. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Custom lattice limit
- Implementing custom lattices with more than one site per unit cell requires an advanced source installation. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Custom lattice limitation
- Implementing custom lattices with more than one site per unit cell requires installation from source. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Delivery mode
- desktop · hofstadter.tools, 23 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · hofstadter.tools, 23 Sept 2026
- Install methods
- The package can be installed with pip or conda, or installed from source for advanced use. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The documentation lists pip and conda-forge as package installation channels. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Lattice types
- The documentation describes square, triangular, Bravais, honeycomb, and kagome lattice options. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Lesson library
- No · hofstadter.tools, 23 Sept 2026
- License
- The GitHub repository identifies the project license as GPL-3.0. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
- Physics calculations
- It computes generalized Hofstadter band structures on regular Euclidean lattices and properties including quantum geometry and topology. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- HofstadterTools is a set of Python programs and classes for analyzing the Hofstadter model and computing band structure, quantum geometry, and topology. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Python requirement
- The package is designed to work with Python 3.9 or later. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Saved data plotting
- The plot_band_structure and plot_butterfly programs can replot band structures and butterfly spectra saved to file. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Security
- The opened project pages provide no security or compliance claims. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- The opened documentation pages do not state security or compliance commitments. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- For support, the maintainers direct users to start a GitHub discussion; issues can be reported through GitHub, and other inquiries can be sent to Bart Andrews. · hofstadter.tools, 9 Oct 2026
Where HofstadterTools stands on Freedom251
- Physics Simulation Software#78 of 89