Python, Matlab and AI question

[Robert Kern]

dataangel wrote:
> I'm a student who's considering doing a project for a Machine Learning 
> class on pathing (bots learning to run through a maze). The language 
> primarily used by the class has been Matlab. I would prefer to do the 
> bulk of the project in python because I'm familiar with pygame (for the 
> visuals) but I already have a lot of AI code written in Matlab.
> 
> I'd like to be able to call Matlab code from within python. I'm not sure 
> this is possible. My code runs in Octave just fine.

There have been some bridges between Matlab and Python, but most of them 
are old, I believe.

   http://claymore.engineer.gvsu.edu/~steriana/Python/pymat.html

If you're on Windows, this may help:

   http://www.geocities.com/ptmcg/python/using_matlab_from_python.html

> I've heard about 
> numerical python and scipy, but I'm not sure what tool is going to mean 
> the least amount of recoding for me. At the very least I need to find a 
> really fast package for matrix operations.

That would be Numeric and scipy. You'll probably need Numeric anyways 
for pygame. scipy has a set of functions that try to mimic Matlab 
functionality with the same names, so that may help in translating the code.

> Anyone have any input on what the best tool for the job would be? I've 
> googled, but I figure it's best to ask experience ;)

-- 
Robert Kern
rkern at ucsd.edu

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
  Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
   -- Richard Harter