Java vs Matlab

[karafrylee]

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.

 

[Alexander Krosky]

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.

 

[KaiRu]

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.

 

[JKPappas]

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.

 

[alain]

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.