This was pretty much my experience as well. I was introduced to Python in a graduate course and made the migration from Matlab over to Python over the course of a couple of years. In engineering there are few people using open source tools, I think mostly because people get used to doing things a certain way and don't want to change, and the vast majority of the software taught in engineering curriculum is proprietary. This makes it really hard to use open source tools and collaborate with other people in engineering because they often simply aren't willing to invest the time in learning new tools. In some cases, there isn't a viable open source tool to do the job, but often this isn't the case. Companies like Mathworks have gotten into bed with engineering departments and designed the course curriculum to be centered around tools like Matlab, so the level of entrenchment is quite deep. At the UC system though, with the financial trouble we are in, software licenses take a big chunk out of the budget, and people are starting to realize you can achieve many of the same things using FOSS. So maybe initially the motivation will be financial in nature, but I think all the other benefits of FOSS will become clear to these people once they take the time to try it. But there is a whole generation of entrenchment that will eventually retire and make room for open source, so I see things getting better as time goes on.
~Luke On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 10:32 AM, Sherjil Ozair <sherjiloz...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 9:07 PM, Cory Dominguez <corydoming...@gmail.com> > wrote: >> >> As a very small response to this question. My name is Cory Dominguez and I >> am a physics major at University of California at Santa Cruz. I am new to >> this group but I am interested in contributing. This quarter I am taking a >> class is Computational Physics where we have mainly looked at numerical >> analysis with c++ and for the second half of the quarter we get a crash >> course in Mathematica and do some symbolic analysis. I had heard of Sage >> through my various stumbles around the internet and I am a great fan of >> python. At least at my university, none of the professors I have talked to >> even know of the open source tools available today. They rely instead on >> software like Mathematica and Maple. I really wish that I had been aware of >> software like matplotlib, numpy, and sympy during my lower division courses. >> I think it could of increased my understanding tremendously. In my opinion >> if you make undergraduates aware of these tools and they are allowed to get >> used to them as they take their fundamental courses, then you lay a good >> foundation for this group in the future. I remember how stoked I was to get >> a TI-89 calculator, learning about sympy was like christmas. > > Exactly my feelings too, when I got to know about Sympy. :) > SymPy sure needs more advertising. But maybe, we'll focus on that when we > hit 1.0, I think. > Thanks for the reply, Cory. > >> >> Cheers, >> Cory >> >> On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 9:51 AM, SherjilOzair <sherjiloz...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >>> >>> A very smart and to-the-point question, Matthew. I've been wanting the >>> answer to this question myself when working on my project. The answer >>> to this question is critical for code writing. >>> >>> Another issue I would like to raise, that I believe is related to this >>> topic, is a phrase in the Sympy Mission, >>> >>> "… while keeping the code as simple as possible in order to be >>> comprehensible and easily extensible." >>> >>> How do we, as coders, follow this maxim ? Do we sacrifice performance >>> for readability ? Or is this line just their to emphasize our choice >>> of choosing python as our language. A notable example which doesnt >>> follow this guideline is the Polys internals. Comments ? >>> >>> As to the original question, is there any data of where/how Sympy is >>> used ? >>> If not, can we start collecting such data ? >>> >>> Thanks Matthew, once again, to raise such an important question. >>> >>> -Sherjil Ozair >>> >>> On May 12, 8:14 pm, Matthew Rocklin <mrock...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> > Do we have a clear understanding of who our userbase is? >>> > >>> > Is SymPy being used for education? for research in academia? in >>> > industry? I >>> > imagine the answer is that "yes, it's being used in all of those >>> > places". >>> > Does anyone know the extent to which it's used in these contexts? While >>> > designing I'd like to know what audience I should target. >>> > >>> > Best, >>> > -Matt >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "sympy" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to sympy@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> sympy+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/sympy?hl=en. >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "sympy" group. >> To post to this group, send email to sympy@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> sympy+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/sympy?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "sympy" group. > To post to this group, send email to sympy@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > sympy+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/sympy?hl=en. > -- "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sympy" group. To post to this group, send email to sympy@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to sympy+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sympy?hl=en.
