Why is Python used for high-performance/scientific computing (but Ruby isn't)?

Posted by Cyclops on Programmers See other posts from Programmers or by Cyclops
Published on 2012-03-07T13:08:48Z Indexed on 2012/09/26 21:49 UTC
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python

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ruby

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high-performance

There's a quote from a PyCon 2011 talk that goes:

At least in our shop (Argonne National Laboratory) we have three accepted languages for scientific computing. In this order they are C/C++, Fortran in all its dialects, and Python. You’ll notice the absolute and total lack of Ruby, Perl, Java.

It was in the more general context of high-performance computing. Granted the quote is only from one shop, but another question about languages for HPC, also lists Python as one to learn (and not Ruby).

Now, I can understand C/C++ and Fortran being used in that problem-space (and Perl/Java not being used). But I'm surprised that there would be a major difference in Python and Ruby use for HPC, given that they are fairly similar. (Note - I'm a fan of Python, but have nothing against Ruby).

Is there some specific reason why the one language took off? Is it about the libraries available? Some specific language features? The community? Or maybe just historical contigency, and it could have gone the other way?

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