[R-sig-finance] slightly OT - R vs. matlab

[Patrick Burns]

In my experience versions of S are much more prevalent
than matlab in equities, while matlab is more prevalent than
S in fixed income.  However, S does seem to be making
some inroads into fixed income.

I can explain this by observing that

1)  fixed income is mathematical as well as statistical.

2)  matlab was available before S.

3)  for reasons way beyond my capabilities, it has only been
in recent years that more than a handful of people have thought
that finance is a statistical subject.

This depends on the generally accepted axiom:
matlab is better suited to mathematics, S is better suited to statistics.


Patrick Burns

Burns Statistics
patrick at burns-stat.com
+44 (0)20 8525 0696
http://www.burns-stat.com
(home of S Poetry and "A Guide for the Unwilling S User")

Jim McLoughlin wrote:

> Hi
>
> Was discussing this with a colleague today and wondering what other 
> people thought - how popular is R (or S-Plus) in quantitative finance 
> compared to matlab?  (I know SAS probably beats both of them for 
> non-computational finance work).  Any strong opinions on why R is 
> better/worse than matlab?
>
> thanks,
>
> Jim M
>
> _______________________________________________
> R-sig-finance at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-sig-finance
>