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Java vs Matlab

Joined
3/3/11
Messages
22
Points
11
What features in Java can I apply to quantitative finance that would have obvious advantages over languages like Matlab? How can I fully utilise the functionalities that I can get with Java?

Basically, what I'm asking is how do I justify why a quant person would choose Java over Matlab? (Please don't give answers like "Why would you choose Java over Matlab?" because I'm trying to get constructive arguments here)

Thank you.
 
These are two totally different types of languages. Matlab, when used properly, is amazing for research, data manipulation, and fast-prototyping of ideas. The problem is the vast majority of people don't use it properly.
 
What features in Java can I apply to quantitative finance that would have obvious advantages over languages like Matlab? How can I fully utilise the functionalities that I can get with Java?

Define "fully utilise"? Both are Turing-complete.
 
I don't do much work in Java (I'm a .NET dev, mostly), but I don't think there are any real features that one has that are totally unavailable in the other. As Alex said, Matlab is good for rapid prototyping, whereas Java really isn't; on the other hand, it'll likely be easier to interoperate with other programs / libraries if you write your code in Java.

Also, Java is free, Matlab isn't. This may be a significant cost factor if you're planning to deploy your code on a cluster or a large number of workstations.
 
The killer feature. You won't deploy Matlab on a server for long live processes. Java is built for such a thing. There is a good reason why Java is a general language while Matlab is a custom environment.
 
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