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Wolfram Mathematica VS SymPy

Compare Wolfram Mathematica VS SymPy and see what are their differences

Wolfram Mathematica logo Wolfram Mathematica

Mathematica has characterized the cutting edge in specialized processing—and gave the chief calculation environment to a large number of pioneers, instructors, understudies, and others around the globe.

SymPy logo SymPy

SymPy is a Python library for symbolic computation.
  • Wolfram Mathematica Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-07
  • SymPy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-24

Wolfram Mathematica features and specs

  • Comprehensive Functionality
    Wolfram Mathematica offers a broad range of functions in various domains such as numerical computations, symbolic calculations, data visualization, and more.
  • High-Level Programming Language
    The Wolfram Language is a powerful, high-level programming language specifically designed for symbolic computation and algorithmic development.
  • Integrated System
    Mathematica integrates computation, visualization, and data seamlessly, providing an all-in-one system for technical computing.
  • Strong Community & Support
    Mathematica has a robust community of users and excellent support resources, including extensive documentation, user forums, and direct support.
  • Real-World Data Integration
    Integrated access to the Wolfram Knowledgebase allows users to import a vast array of real-world data directly into computations.
  • Interactive Notebooks
    Mathematica's notebook interface allows for interactive document creation, combining calculations, visualizations, narratives, and interactive controls.

Possible disadvantages of Wolfram Mathematica

  • High Cost
    Mathematica is quite expensive, especially for individual users and small businesses, with substantial licensing fees.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The software can be difficult to learn for beginners due to its high-level and feature-rich environment.
  • Performance Limitations
    For certain large-scale numerical computations or simulations, Mathematica may underperform compared to specialized numerical software.
  • Closed Source
    Unlike some other computational tools, Mathematica is not open-source, which can be a disadvantage for those who prefer open-source software for flexibility and transparency.
  • Version Compatibility
    There are sometimes compatibility issues between different versions of Mathematica, which can cause problems when sharing code and documents between users with different versions.
  • Hardware Requirements
    Mathematica can be resource-intensive and may require high-performance hardware to run efficiently, especially for complex tasks.

SymPy features and specs

  • Symbolic Computation
    SymPy provides robust support for symbolic mathematics, allowing users to perform algebraic manipulations, calculus, equation solving, and more, symbolically rather than numerically, which can be crucial for exact computations.
  • Open Source and Free
    As an open-source library, SymPy is free to use, modify, and distribute, offering transparency and community contributions to enhance its functionality and reliability.
  • Integration with Python
    SymPy is implemented in Python, which makes it easy to integrate into Python-based workflows and take advantage of other powerful libraries within the Python ecosystem.
  • Extensive Documentation
    SymPy has comprehensive documentation and a large number of tutorials and resources available, which aids users in learning and effectively using the library.
  • Cross-Platform
    Being a Python library, SymPy can be used on any platform that supports Python, ensuring wide accessibility regardless of the operating system.
  • Interactive Use
    SymPy can be used interactively in a variety of environments, such as Jupyter notebooks, which makes it excellent for educational purposes and exploratory computing.

Possible disadvantages of SymPy

  • Performance Limitations
    Since SymPy is purely Python, it may suffer from performance issues, particularly with very large symbolic expressions, compared to libraries implemented in lower-level languages.
  • Numerical Limitations
    SymPy is primarily a symbolic computation library and may not be suitable or optimized for numerical computations compared to dedicated numerical libraries like NumPy or SciPy.
  • Complexity with Large Problems
    For highly complex or large-scale mathematical problems, SymPy can become cumbersome and may require significant memory and computation time.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Complex Tasks
    While basic functionalities are easy to grasp, mastering advanced features of SymPy can be challenging due to the depth and breadth of its capabilities.

Wolfram Mathematica videos

Introduction to Wolfram Notebooks

SymPy videos

Python Sympy Integrals

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Wolfram Mathematica and SymPy)
Technical Computing
92 92%
8% 8
Numerical Computation
93 93%
7% 7
3D
100 100%
0% 0
Math Solver
87 87%
13% 13

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Wolfram Mathematica and SymPy

Wolfram Mathematica Reviews

10 Best MATLAB Alternatives [For Beginners and Professionals]
Wolfram Mathematica is packed with features that make your computations super-easy. Mathematica can handle any visualizations or plot with ease.
6 MATLAB Alternatives You Could Use
Deveoped by Wolfram Research, the pioneers of computational software, Mathematica comes with a truckload of features for all your mathematical computational needs. The latest version boasts over 700 new functions, as well as multiple function libraries and geo visualization/animation tools. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. From 2D/3D image processing to enhanced...
Source: beebom.com

SymPy Reviews

4 open source alternatives to MATLAB
SymPy, another BSD-licensed Python library for symbolic mathematics. It can be installed on any computer running Python. It aims to become a full computer algebra system; has an active development community with regular releases; and is used in many other projects (including SageMath, above).
Source: opensource.com
3 Open Source Alternatives to MATLAB
SymPy, another BSD-licensed Python library for symbolic mathematics. It can be installed on any computer running Python 2.7 or above. It aims to become a full computer algebra system; has an active development community with regular releases; and is used in many other projects (including SageMath, above).

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Wolfram Mathematica and SymPy, you can also consider the following products

MATLAB - A high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming

C++ - Has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing the facilities for low level memory manipulation

GNU Octave - GNU Octave is a programming language for scientific computing.

Scilab - Scilab Official Website. Enter your search in the box aboveAbout ScilabScilab is free and open source software for numerical . Thanks for downloading Scilab!

D (Programming Language) - D is a language with C-like syntax and static typing.

Autodesk Fusion 360 - Integrated CAD, CAM, and CAE featuring collaborative editing and cloud-based computation.