r/Python • u/Alexanderdaawesome • Aug 05 '19

Python's response to MATLAB

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u/[deleted] Aug 05 '19

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u/[deleted] Aug 05 '19

Hi Matlab sales! How's your day going?

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u/PlusImagination Aug 06 '19

Companies pay for Matlab because the algorithms are verified as being what they say they are and supported by a staff of full time PhDs

Which algorithms are you talking about?

Post a question on stack exchange for python and maybe you'll get some advice, maybe it's relevant, and maybe it's right.

What questions are you talking about?

Not trying to poke at you, genuinely curious why some institution continue with Matlab.

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u/I_Feel_It_Too Aug 06 '19 edited Aug 07 '19

Because python doesn't come with enterprise support or any guarantee that the package does what it says it does.

Yes it does, from your choice of dozens of vendors. Have you literally never used the internet?

Companies pay for Matlab because the algorithms are verified as being what they say they are and supported by a staff of full time PhDs

No. Just... no. Use literally any other computer algebra system and get back to me.

but Matlab has its purpose.

There is nothing Matlab can do that a free alternative can't do much better. Edit: Well, dammit, ok, I'll concede SimuLink.

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u/billsil Aug 07 '19

Simulink is the killer toolbox. They're aren't many tools in Matlab that are better, but there are some.

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u/I_Feel_It_Too Aug 07 '19

Actually, that is one of the only things that I don't have an answer for. As far as I know, there really isn't anything out there that's competitive with SimuLink. (It's pretty far from my area of expertise, though.)

Have you ever used Wolfram's System Modeler? I'm curious to hear from someone with experience in SimuLink compare SimuLink to other technologies, and System Modeler is the only competitor that might have any chance—but again, I'm not in a position to be a very good judge in that domain.

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u/billsil Aug 07 '19

I've been doing MDAO for 13 years, so I think I do. WSM looks nice, but I have not used it. It's not open source (unless I'm totally missing the Wolfram aspect), so it's not really on my radar. I'd instead use ModelCenter or if you want open source, OpenMDAO. It has a way to go though.

The issue I see with Simulink, which will likely ultimately be it's downfall is it's limited block structure. Analyses are getting larger and more accurate. Complex data structures like pressure distributions from CFD that are mapped onto structural models isn't possible in Simulink.

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u/I_Feel_It_Too Aug 07 '19

WSM looks nice, but I have not used it. It's not open source (unless I'm totally missing the Wolfram aspect), so it's not really on my radar.

Yeah, I asked because I have never met anyone who has used System Modeller, I think probably for exactly the reasons you articulate: the dominance of SimuLink, and the closed, proprietary nature of System Modeller. But I really like Mathematica for the stuff I do, so I'm interested in how it fairs.

Wolfram is still very much a closed, proprietary tech company, but they have recently done some really surprising things. First, they started shipping Mathematica for free on every Raspberry Pi. (Ok, not that recently.) Then a month or so ago they released "Wolfram Engine," basically the Mathematica kernel and CLI, for free to anyone, though restrictions on its use apply (which restrictions I personally think are reasonable).

Thanks for the analysis!

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u/billsil Aug 07 '19

Because python doesn't come with enterprise support

It's called a mailing list.

or any guarantee that the package does what it says it does.

No code does. When you don't have the source, you can validate that it does. Shoot, you should validate what you're doing in order to make sure you understand what you're getting.

We have submitted bugs to Mathworks and other companies that sell engineering software. Years later, they're still there...at least with Python, you can submit a pull request.