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Why would you use Matlab to "prototype algorithms"? Maybe we have different notions what that means but Matlab is certainly not aimed at that. It's aimed at engineers who want to evaluate their data or design/control embedded devices, and who are experts at their field of engineering while having very little computer science, numerics or programming background.

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I know no one who uses Matlab for the uses you mention. Basically everyone is using it for algorithm development, that includes both students and companies. And the way I understand it, algorithm development/prototyping also its core application.

Not that I like doing this in Matlab, but that's what everyone uses, though some are moving to python.

I work in embedded DSP and controls, and even with a very strong programming background, I find Matlab to be a lot faster to verify my approach for something is going to work than julia or numpy. Not because of all the toolboxes, which I mostly don't use, but because the work flow makes it easier to try stuff fast and visualize it in meaningful ways more easily.

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