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Superposed_Cat
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Okay I get that FORTRAN was made for science and C AND C++ are fast but why do you have to know one of them? (or so I heard). Thanks for any help.
jedishrfu said:ADDENDUM: Matlab and Java are now taking over as the preferred languages for simulation.
Daverz said:Yeesh, let's hope that's not true. Matlab is proprietary and Java is ill-suited to scientific computation.
jedishrfu said:but it is true...
and the future of Java appears to be heading toward Scala and its syntactical sugar, scriptability and its model of OO + Functional Programming...
While it is possible to use any programming language for physics, certain languages like FORTRAN, C, and C++ are better suited for scientific computing. These languages are designed to efficiently handle large amounts of data and complex mathematical operations, which are essential for many physics calculations.
High-level languages like Python are great for general-purpose programming, but they may not be as efficient as lower-level languages like FORTRAN, C, and C++. In physics, where calculations can involve massive amounts of data and require high-speed processing, these lower-level languages are often preferred.
In addition to their efficiency, FORTRAN, C, and C++ have been widely used in the scientific community for decades. This means there is a large library of well-tested and optimized code available for these languages, making it easier for physicists to build upon existing work and collaborate with others.
No, it is not necessary to know all three languages. Depending on your specific field of physics, you may find that one language is more commonly used than others. However, having a working knowledge of all three can make you more versatile and better prepared to work with different research groups.
Yes, these languages are not limited to just physics. They are commonly used in other scientific fields such as engineering, astronomy, and computational chemistry. Their efficiency and ability to handle complex calculations make them valuable tools for many scientific applications.