Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around the programming languages commonly used in graduate school, particularly in the fields of quantum, high energy, and nuclear physics. Participants share their experiences and opinions on the importance of programming skills versus specific languages.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- One participant inquires about the most used programming languages in graduate school, expressing uncertainty about which school they will attend.
- Another participant suggests that it is more beneficial to learn programming concepts rather than focusing on a specific language.
- A different participant echoes the sentiment that many physicists learned Fortran 77 but lacked comprehensive programming skills, indicating a gap in understanding how to write maintainable code or utilize debugging tools effectively.
- One participant emphasizes the importance of learning to use debugging tools, sharing a personal experience of not utilizing gdb while programming in C/C++ for an extended period.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally agree on the importance of programming skills over specific languages, but there is no consensus on which languages are most relevant or widely used in graduate programs.
Contextual Notes
Some assumptions about the relevance of specific programming languages to different fields of physics remain unaddressed, and there is a lack of detailed information regarding the programming requirements of various graduate programs.