Using Python for programming algorithms

[David C. Ullrich]

On Sat, 17 May 2008 15:32:29 -0700 (PDT), Vicent Giner
<vginer at gmail.com> wrote:

>Hello.
>
>I am new to Python. It seems a very interesting language to me. Its
>simplicity is very attractive.
>
>However, it is usually said that Python is not a compiled but
>interpreted programming language —I mean, it is not like C, in that
>sense.
>
>I am working on my PhD Thesis, which is about Operations Research,
>heuristic algorithms, etc., and I am considering the possibility of
>programming all my algorithms in Python.

Other people have said things about how to use Python
effieiently. Something that seems relevant that I don't
see mentioned:

Are you going to be doing research _about_ the
algorithms in question or is it going to be research
_using_ these algorithms to draw conclusions
about other things?

Most of the replies seem to be assuming the latter.
If it's the former then Python seems like definitely
an excellent choice - when you have want to try
something new it will be much faster trying it
out in Python, when you write up the results
there will be no need for pseudo-code as a
guide to the real code because the Python
will be just about as easy to read as the
pseudo code would be, etc.

>The usual alternative is C, but I like Python more.
>
>The main drawbacks I see to using Python are these:
>
>* As far as I understand, the fact that Python is not a compiled
>language makes it slower than C, when performing huge amounts of
>computations within an algorithm or program.
>
>* I don't know how likely it is to find libraries in Python related to
>my research field.
>
>* I know Python is a "serious" and mature programming language, of
>course. But I do not know if it is seen as "just funny" in a research
>context. Is Python considered as a good programming language for
>implementing Operations Research algorithms, such as heuristics and
>other soft-computing algorithms?
>
>Maybe this is not the right forum, but maybe you can give me some
>hints or tips...
>
>Thank you in advance.

David C. Ullrich