Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtp47.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!vollum
From: vollum@rtp47.UUCP (Rob Vollum)
Newsgroups: net.lang
Subject: Re: What language do you use for scientific programming?
Message-ID: <152@rtp47.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 21-Aug-85 11:42:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: rtp47.152
Posted: Wed Aug 21 11:42:57 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 15:06:53 EDT
References: <909@oddjob.UUCP> <163@ho95e.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Data General, RTP, NC
Lines: 39

>> 
>> I've been curious for a while what scientist/engineering types on the net
>> use for scientific programming.  
>
>Well, at least use RATFOR ( a preprocessor ) or full-scale Fortran-77 instead
>of generic fortran, so you can have control structures.  I find the biggest
>weaknesses fortran has for scientific programming are:
>	- no recursion - makes everything tough, especially multiple integration
>	- no dynamically dimensioned arrays ( though C is kind of clumsy also)
>	- clumsy input, though this is less important for scientific prog.
>On the other hand, complex arithmetic in C is really annoying.  However,
>the C++ language lets you define objects like complex numbers, expontentiation,
>lets you define better output routines, etc.
>-- 
>## Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs
>

Let me start by saying that I don't do any "scientific programming". But I 
still don't know why no one but me (in a previous reply posting) has even
mentioned Lisp (in particular Common Lisp, Maclisp, Zetalisp) as an option!
Every objection that has been raised is handled naturally in Lisp. I'm not 
advocating rewritting existing code in Lisp, but for prototyping or new
development, why not? Compilers for Lisp are getting good enough so that 
applications can run just as efficiently in Lisp as C or Fortran,
with the added benefit of a robust development and debugging environment.
Also, Lisp allows natural extension into arbitrary precision integer
calculation and rational arithmetic. One example of a huge application
written in Lisp is MACSYMA, which allows engineers to do SYMBOLIC (i.e.
without annoying roundoff errors, etc) differentiation, integration,
matrix manipulation, factorizations, expansions, etc.

I guess that I have a follow-up question. Is Lisp totally unknown in the 
scientific community?


-- 
Rob Vollum
Data General Corp.
Research Triangle Park, NC
!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!vollum