Essential tools for science and engineering,MATLAB has been banned, does this mean the end of your research journey?Graduation or academic papers cannot be completed? Only children worry about MATLAB being banned, mature individuals have already started looking foralternative tools!
Quick Science: What is MATLAB?
MATLAB is a commercial mathematical software developed by MathWorks, used for algorithm development, data visualization, data analysis, and numerical computation in a high-level technical computing language and interactive environment. Its functions include matrix operations, plotting functions and data, implementing algorithms, creating user interfaces, and connecting programs written in other programming languages, and it is widely used in mathematical computation and analysis, simulation modeling, electronic communication, energy and chemical engineering, finance, biomedical fields, and more.
MATLAB has basically become an essential tool for students in science and engineering. In many engineering colleges, the first lesson in specialized courses is teaching students how to install MATLAB. Its importance can be compared to that of Office. Currently, millions of engineers and mathematicians around the world are using it, so the recent ban on MATLAB undoubtedly caused a huge uproar.
What impact does the ban on MATLAB have?
It is certain that Harbin Institute of Technology and Harbin Engineering University can no longer use MATLAB. Therefore, the most direct impact is that all teachers and students from these two schools can no longer include data and charts obtained using MATLAB software in their future papers.
This includes students’ graduation theses and papers published by teachers, and the future teaching and research at the school will surely be greatly affected. Students graduating this year and teachers who have already written papers ready for submission may become the biggest victims.
What alternative tools are available?
▌SCILABSCILAB is an open-source software similar to MATLAB that can implement all basic functions of MATLAB, such as scientific computing, matrix processing, and graphical display, making it a near-perfect alternative to MATLAB.
Because the syntax of SCILAB is very close to that of MATLAB, those familiar with MATLAB programming will quickly master the use of SCILAB. More importantly,the language conversion function provided by SCILAB can automatically translate programs written in MATLAB language into SCILAB language. Currently, SCILAB can run on all PC platforms including Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. As an open-source software, SCILAB follows the GPL 2.0 open-source agreement, and the source code, user manual, and binary executable files can be downloaded and used for free from the official website. Users can not only freely use the software under the license conditions of SCILAB but also modify the source code as needed.▌SpyderSpyder is not a programming language; it is a simple integrated development environment developed by the authors of Python (x,y).
The interface of Spyder compared to other Python development environments, its biggest advantage is that it mimics MATLAB’s “workspace” function, making it easy to observe and modify array values. It provides advanced code editing, interactive testing, debugging, and other features suitable for data analysis.Spyder’s interface is very similar to MATLAB, and its author admitted to mimicking MATLAB’s design in earlier years. If the simulation modeling requirements for MATLAB are not high, Spyder is sufficient to replace it.▌OctaveOctave is a mathematical software package similar to MATLAB and SCILAB that can perform various calculations and programming.
Octave plotting interface
It also has a rich C++ interface that allows users to call it during programming. Its accompanying plotting tool uses gnuplot. The use of Octave is also based on a character terminal mode, and when plotting is needed, gnuplot will be called to plot data and display it.If students who are already very familiar with MATLAB language do not want to learn a new language, Octave is highly recommended,as Octave has open-source scientific computing and numerical analysis tools that are compatible with MATLAB syntax.▌PythonExcept for some specific fields (such as simulation, control, communication, etc.) or mathematical modeling, MATLAB does have an irreplaceable role, but in broader areas of mathematics and data, what MATLAB can do, Python can basically do, and can do it better!
Python is open-source and free, with a complete ecosystem, making it easier to get started (more books, related videos, training, and articles). Even if you do not work in programming, it is an essential advanced programming language for many high-end positions.▌GMATFor orbital calculations and mission analysis of spacecraft, you can try the General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT). GMAT provides both a graphical interface and script interface, and compared to STK, GMAT has more powerful deep space exploration-related functions and more configurable resources.▌GNU RadioFor applications in software-defined radio and signal processing, you can try GNU Radio. GNU Radio is a free software toolkit for learning, building, and deploying software-defined radio systems, callable through Python or a graphical interface similar to Simulink/Labview. The amateur radio demodulation software for satellites such as Zizhong and Longjiang was developed and open-sourced based on GNU Radio.
▌ROSRobot Operating System (ROS) is a flexible software framework designed to meet the collaborative needs of different robot software. Its purpose is to improve software modularity and reusability, and to achieve effective sharing of data/signals between different tasks, facilitating the creation of complex robotic behaviors across multiple robot platforms. It is also a collection of conventions and tools.▌GitHubGitHub provides a platform for developers worldwide to create a replicable repository, sharing their code in the repository. With just a click on the ‘ Fork ‘ option, you can follow the lead. It covers almost all of the world’s best developers. Besides sharing open-source code, GitHub has also become a productive tool for non-programmers in research for collaborative document writing, building personal websites, and even job hunting.
In Conclusion
The U.S. suppression of China may affect many students who originally planned to apply to American institutions. The academy suggests that when preparing applications, you may also consider countries and regions like the UK,to be prepared for both outcomes. According to the latest policies from the UK government, as part of the Graduate Route for new graduates, international students who complete their doctoral degrees at UK universities from summer 2021 onwards can live and work in the UK for three years after graduation.
Although China has developed quite well in terms of internet applications, such as during the pandemicTencent becoming a global partner of the United Nations, surpassing giants like Microsoft and Amazon to provide comprehensive technical solutions for the UN’s 75th anniversary.Douyin’s international version, TikTok also topped the global non-gaming appin both downloads and revenue in May.
However, in the field ofindustrial software, our technology is still far behind that of foreign countries. This time, the ban on MATLAB and the previously banned chip design software from Huawei both belong to industrial software.
With the ban on MATLAB, we areangry but more determined! As spokesperson Hua Chunying said: facing the U.S.’s negative handling and sanctions, “no suppression can stop the pace of China’s technological development!”
Although academia knows no borders, if we do not create our own core software, we will eventually face the risk of being “choked” by others. Therefore, we have spent decades developing our ownsatellite system—Beidou.
Our next task is to develop our country’s independent software and hardware, allowing our talents to fully showcase their capabilities, ensuring everyone is utilized effectively!
ps: The courses for the alternative tools mentioned in this article will be launched soon. Please leave a comment on the software you are interested in learning.
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Choose Learning Tools:
○ I want to learn *** software
○ pick *** software
○ waiting for a course on *** software
Encouraging Motivational Type:
○ The future of Chinese technology relies on me
○ Learning for the rise of Chinese technology
○ No suppression can hinder the progress of Chinese technology!
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