It's probably easier to find good Python learning materials than good Fortran learning materials because Python is used more widely, and Fortran is currently considered a "specialty" language for numerical computing. Python and Fortran are both relatively easy-to-learn languages. I know the basics of C++, Maple and I master MATLAB and Mathematica9 almost completely if that's any help. Thanks a lot for the answers so far! The answers which are in line with what I'm looking for are those of LKlevin and SAAD.
The basic question for me comes down to: which one is the easiest to learn, which one is the fastest, which one is most user-friendly and above all which one is most used (so a comparison of these 4)? And next to that, what are the most common (free or paid) compilers in use? I'm currently considering converting an old laptop (early Intel dual core) to Linux hopefully that's fast enough. I'm planning to start with one and then learn the other, but I don't know which transition might be the easiest.Īlso which compilers would you recommend? I saw a course on computational physics which introduces both FORTRAN (77 I believe) and Python. I'd like to use it to get numerical solutions for physics-problems, including Monte-Carlo simulations, numerical integration and differentiation, molecular dynamics, etc.
I'm working on a Windows machine at the moment. Which one is better: FORTRAN or Python? And I guess that in both cases you need Gnuplot, am I right?