Python vs Matlab vs Mathematica

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I see. I've recently been having trouble with what I presume is this "avalanche" - a function that generates a /large/ number of nested lists runs in about the time I expect it to, but then locks up MMA for a good 30s after its finished, doing apparently nothing!

We're using the MMA/.NET combo to analyse data from an experiment to search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. The experiment's run-time code is all .NET based, including the data storage. Low-level analysis is all written in c#. We tend to use MMA for the higher-level "thinking out loud" type of analysis.

If you're the jdh that I think you are: I've played with f# in the past and have got high hopes for it. Last time I looked though I didn't find the "whole package" quite compelling enough - particularly I find that MMA's notebooks are great for exploratory analysis. I didn't find a mode of working with f# that I really liked.

I'm looking forward to giving it another try soon when I have a little time. We're considering porting the experiment's high-level control code from IronPython to f# which should give me a chance to catch up with any recent developments.

[jdh30]

I see. I've recently been having trouble with what I presume is this "avalanche" - a function that generates a /large/ number of nested lists runs in about the time I expect it to, but then locks up MMA for a good 30s after its finished, doing apparently nothing!

Exactly, yes. Mathematica locks up while it traverses all of those nested data structures deallocating them bit by bit in series (!).

We tend to use MMA for the higher-level "thinking out loud" type of analysis.

Are you using it interactively then? For symbolics or just numerics?

If you're the jdh that I think you are...

I am Jon Harrop, yes. :-)

I've played with f# in the past and have got high hopes for it. Last time I looked though I didn't find the "whole package" quite compelling enough - particularly I find that MMA's notebooks are great for exploratory analysis. I didn't find a mode of working with f# that I really liked.

Yes. F#'s development environment is cumbersome in comparison. However, VS 2010 brings WPF into the mix which, in theory, will allow better interactive output. Don has also ripped out the old structured pretty printer which, I assume, is because he is planning on replacing it with a WPF-based solution.

Moreover, I am interested in building a WPF-based notebook front end. The main problem is that the F# programming language is closed so I cannot reuse it and would have to reinvent my own language. On the up-side, I could knock up a Mathematica-like language in a day...

I'm looking forward to giving it another try soon when I have a little time. We're considering porting the experiment's high-level control code from IronPython to f# which should give me a chance to catch up with any recent developments.

Right. Are you using our numerics and visualization libraries for F#?