void * MyFrame::LinearModesWorker(
      int numDesiredModes,
      int * r, double ** frequencies_, double ** modes_ )
{
  *r = -1;

  // create mass matrix
  SparseMatrix * massMatrix;
  GenerateMassMatrix::computeMassMatrix(precomputationState.simulationMesh, &massMatrix, true);

  // create stiffness matrix
  StVKElementABCD * precomputedIntegrals = StVKElementABCDLoader::load(precomputationState.simulationMesh);
  StVKInternalForces * internalForces = 
    new StVKInternalForces(precomputationState.simulationMesh, precomputedIntegrals);

  SparseMatrix * stiffnessMatrix;
  StVKStiffnessMatrix * stiffnessMatrixClass = new StVKStiffnessMatrix(internalForces);
  stiffnessMatrixClass->GetStiffnessMatrixTopology(&stiffnessMatrix);
  double * zero = (double*) calloc(3 * precomputationState.simulationMesh->getNumVertices(), sizeof(double));
  stiffnessMatrixClass->ComputeStiffnessMatrix(zero, stiffnessMatrix);

  free(zero);
  delete(precomputedIntegrals);
  delete(stiffnessMatrixClass);
  delete(internalForces);

  // constrain the degrees of freedom
  int numConstrainedVertices = (int) (precomputationState.fixedVertices.size());
  int * constrainedDOFs = (int*) malloc (sizeof(int) * 3 * numConstrainedVertices);
  set<int> :: iterator iter;
  int i = 0;
  for(iter = precomputationState.fixedVertices.begin(); iter != precomputationState.fixedVertices.end(); iter++)
  {
    constrainedDOFs[3*i+0] = 3 * (*iter) + 1;
    constrainedDOFs[3*i+1] = 3 * (*iter) + 2;
    constrainedDOFs[3*i+2] = 3 * (*iter) + 3;
    i++;
  }

  int oneIndexed = 1;
  massMatrix->RemoveRowsColumns(
    3 * numConstrainedVertices, constrainedDOFs, oneIndexed);

  stiffnessMatrix->RemoveRowsColumns(
    3 * numConstrainedVertices, constrainedDOFs, oneIndexed);

  // call ARPACK

  double * frequenciesTemp = (double*) malloc (sizeof(double) * numDesiredModes);
  int numRetainedDOFs = stiffnessMatrix->Getn();
  double * modesTemp = (double*) malloc 
    (sizeof(double) * numDesiredModes * numRetainedDOFs);

  printf("Computing linear modes using ARPACK: ...\n");
  PerformanceCounter ARPACKCounter;
  double sigma = -1.0;

  int numLinearSolverThreads = wxThread::GetCPUCount();
  if (numLinearSolverThreads > 3)
    numLinearSolverThreads = 3; // diminished returns in solver beyond 3 threads

  //massMatrix->Save("MFactory");
  //stiffnessMatrix->Save("KFactory");

  ARPACKSolver generalizedEigenvalueProblem;
  int nconv = generalizedEigenvalueProblem.SolveGenEigShInv
    (stiffnessMatrix, massMatrix, 
     numDesiredModes, frequenciesTemp, 
     modesTemp, sigma, numLinearSolverThreads);

  ARPACKCounter.StopCounter();
  double ARPACKTime = ARPACKCounter.GetElapsedTime();
  printf("ARPACK time: %G s.\n", ARPACKTime); fflush(NULL);

  if (nconv < numDesiredModes)
  {
    free(modesTemp);
    free(frequenciesTemp);
    *r = -3;
    free(constrainedDOFs);
    delete(massMatrix);
    delete(stiffnessMatrix);
    return NULL;
  }

  int n3 = 3 * precomputationState.simulationMesh->getNumVertices();
  *frequencies_ = (double*) calloc (numDesiredModes, sizeof(double));
  *modes_ = (double*) calloc (numDesiredModes * n3, sizeof(double));

  for(int i=0; i<numDesiredModes; i++)
  {
    // insert zero rows into the computed modes
    int oneIndexed = 1;
    InsertRows(n3, &modesTemp[numRetainedDOFs*i], &((*modes_)[n3*i]), 
      3 * numConstrainedVertices, constrainedDOFs, oneIndexed);
  }

  for(int i=0; i<numDesiredModes; i++)
  {
    if (frequenciesTemp[i] <= 0)
      (*frequencies_)[i] = 0.0;
    else
      (*frequencies_)[i] = sqrt((frequenciesTemp)[i]) / (2 * M_PI);
  }
 
  free(modesTemp);
  free(frequenciesTemp);
  free(constrainedDOFs);

  delete(massMatrix);
  delete(stiffnessMatrix);

  *r = numDesiredModes;

  return NULL;
}