python and matlab

[Sturla Molden]

Rustom Mody <rustompmody at gmail.com> wrote:

> What Sturla is probably saying is that the matmab-python imp-mismatch is 
> so high that jumping across is almost certainly not worth the trouble.

I am saying that the abundance of Python packages for numerical and
scientific computing (NumPy et al.) and their quality is now so good that
binding Python to Matlab is not worth the effort. The only reason to do
this would be if Matlab is needed for a very special reason. E.g. there
might be a toolbox only available for Matlab, or there might be an
administrative decision to use Matlab albeit a Python package is needed.
But if it is just a general feeling that Python lacks the tools needed for
numerical computing, then it is a false assumption and not worth it.

Note that hardly any of the tools used for numerical computing with Python
is in the standard library. They are all focused around NumPy as the
central package. See scipy.org for further information.

> And BTW have you seen sage?
> http://www.sagemath.org/

Sage is supposed to be a computer algebra system, i.e. a free alternative
to Maple or Mathematica. 

Matlab is not a CAS system but a scripting environment for numerical
computing. Enthought Canopy and Anaconda are similar environments based on
Python. 

enthought.com
continuum.io

While they require a payed license, it is also possible to hand-pick the
needed packages and install them ourselves. But for libraries like NumPy to
be liked against high-performance libraries like Intel MKL, we must build
them ourselves or use one of the commercial Python distros for scientific
computing.

Sturla