MATLAB vs Python for Engineers

I talk about my experience in college and in my professional career developing code for MATLAB and Python. I discuss the pros and cons of each option, and give my recommendation as to which one I would have preferred to have focused on.

[m_a_s]

Matlab is an entry level drug peddled by academic institutions and MathWorks is the supplier.
I have worked at more companies that use Fortran than Matlab. And these days, almost everyone is using Python (an interpretid scripting language that is used to make C/C++ libraries like Numpy easy to use).

[ParallaxDimensions-YouTubeYT]

I’ve been using python for 12 years (I was that nerd 11 year old kid who came from from school and learned to code) and matlab for just above 2 years for my mecheng degree. Goddamn, I cannot express my hate for numpy after extensive use of matlab. Matlab makes vector and matric operations intuitive and an absolute breeze. In comparison, numpy has so many conditions and shit it makes my head hurt when something doesn’t work because the shape is (12, ) instead of (12, 1)

[Palon]

I am currently doing my BA degree for chemical eng. And i have to say that i do massively appreciate the “on ramp” course Matlab offers. It was such a huge help getting into scripting for the first time.

[EvrendenNotlar]

Octave is a great alternative. Matrix operations are really intiutive in MATLAB.

[SelectHawk]

I think it depends on what you are trying to do, but I generally agree. I definitely use python a lot more now that I am primarily in industry. The tools that Mathworks has developed are exceptionally good for some niche applications. It is vastly easier to model heat transfer, or tune a simulated PID, or dip your toes into deep learning, or do a variety of other tasks that Mathworks has built into MATLAB on that platform than it would be to build a similar application (gui included) in python. A professor COULD prebuild those tools in python, but that is a lot of work. I feel like, similar to how publishing companies offer pre-made slides and lectures to professors if they use their newest edition book, MATLAB makes professors lives easier for teaching their undergrads. Modelling heat transfer between two buried parallel pipes was one of the first things we did in my Intro to Mechanical Engineering class, and that would have been a semester project for a junior level class at least, if it had been required to be completed in python. In grad school, I have had classes that require both MATLAB and Python, and I have worked in labs that use both.

[prashkd]

I've had this conversation with MATHWORK support team and they're really embedded in this marketing model where they are focused on retaining Big corporates (Boeing, GE etc) and don't give rat's A** about students / Hobbyists. I pay $300 every year for their home license which, functionally speaking, is much inferior to what Python can do for FREE. The only reason I am paying for this license is because MATLAB is quite popular in my industry and I have to keep my MATLAB skills sharp.

[ameniamerri]

Hello Mr. Vincent Stevenson, I am a student from Tunisia, I need your help please.
Soon I will graduate. But I have problems with MATLAB simulation, please help me. I am very sad because I can not open the simulation, my project is control tolerant renewable energy recovery systems (wind chain) at the base generator synchronous permanent magnet pentaphase. The purpose is to drive the synchronous generator with pentaphase permanent magnet associated with the MLI rectifier. The MPPT-controlled MLI rectifier. The main purpose is to control the output power. The choice of control is vector control. I did my work on MATLAB SIMUlink. I did the simulation but didn’t get the result. I don’t understand what’s wrong

[robertgriffin]

Thanks for sharing your opinion. I'm working on using a tool to design solar systems and one of the courses I looked up had topics on the use of matlab in their curriculum. Given the cost of matlab I think I will lean towards learning python and just apply the concepts using matlab to python. Appreciate your thoughts. 🙏

[bappabain]

popularity comes from ease of is easier to use than linux, python is simpler than MATLAB....here comfort matters, not cost.

[beenay]

I know excel vba. How does it compare to matlab? Can i just use excel vba without learning matlab.

[Dedurk]

I'm a fresh graduate of mechanical engineering and am interested in learning python. Please point me to the right source to learn this freely

[Gusnake]

Thanks for the video, what distro do you recommend? or what platform and editor work better together? Thank you!

[akashrana]

Thanks Vincent for sharing your thughts they are really insightful.

[randallmcgrath]

Python appears to be the most popular language for Machine learning no doubt, based on job applications ive been reading.

[hasben]

💯💯💯 agree. I love matlab I hate to see fail, but it feels like that's where it's headed if they don't open it up to more people😔😔

[aidansweeney]

I don't understand how someone who is such a champion of open source software can work at Amazon.

[OskarNendes]

nice. been using python for a long time. I get a bit pissed off by it being too multidisciplinary, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. I see Julia as having a great potential as a programming language exactly because of this: it is not mixing the indie and professional world in a single box, and this is why I am learning Julia at the long term...
Because... I don't know if you understand me. We start wanting to do a simulation and end writing an app in Flask... Have we missed the point? How far?

[diwakarsingh]

I'm about to graduate as electrical engineering, so i know python but i don't know what's the option for Simulink.

[therewereattempts]

is there anything you cannot do in Python that you do in MATLAB?

[hellfridge]

Currently studying material engineering and I want to know which one is better for me to learn?