computer science

Scilab

Scilab is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Scilab rather than just read about it. In short: Scilab is a free and open-source, cross-platform numerical computational package and a high-level, numerically oriented programming language. It can be used for signal processing, statistical analysis, image enhancement, fluid dynamics simulations, numerical optimization, and modeling, simulation of explicit and implicit dynamical systems and (if the corresponding toolbox is installed) symbolic manipulations.

Key takeaways

Scilab belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Scilab to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Scilab from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Scilab is a free and open-source, cross-platform numerical computational package and a high-level, numerically oriented programming language. It can be used for signal processing, statistical analysis, image enhancement, fluid dynamics simulations, numerical optimization, and modeling, simulation of explicit and implicit dynamical systems and (if the corresponding toolbox is installed) symbolic manipulations. Scilab is one of the two major open-source alternatives to MATLAB, the other one being GNU Octave. Scilab puts less emphasis on syntactic compatibility with MATLAB than Octave does, but it is similar enough that some authors suggest that it is easy to transfer skills between the two systems. Coupled with Xcos.

Introduction Scilab is a high-level, numerically oriented programming language. The language provides an interpreted programming environment, with matrices as the main data type. By using matrix-based computation, dynamic typing, and automatic memory management, many numerical problems may be expressed in a reduced number of code lines, as compared to similar solutions using traditional languages, such as Fortran, C, or C++. This allows users to rapidly construct models for a range of mathematical problems. While the language provides simple matrix operations such as multiplication, the Scilab package also provides a library of high-level operations such as correlation and complex multidimensional arithmetic. Scilab also includes a free package called Xcos for modeling and simulation of explicit and implicit dynamical systems, including both continuous and discrete sub-systems. Xcos is the open source equivalent to Simulink from the MathWorks. As the syntax of Scilab is similar to MATLAB, Scilab includes a source code translator for assisting the conversion of code from MATLAB to Scilab. Scilab is available free of cost under an open source license. Due to the open source nature of the software, some user contributions have been integrated into the main program. Object oriented programming was introduced in the Scilab 2026.0.0 release with the classdef command.

Syntax Scilab syntax is largely based on the MATLAB language. The simplest way to execute Scilab code is to type it in at the prompt, --> , in the graphical command window. In this way, Scilab can be used as an interactive mathematical shell. Hello World! in Scilab:

Plotting a 3D surface function:

Determining the equivalent single index corresponding to a given set of subscript values:

Toolboxes Scilab has many contributed toolboxes for different tasks, such as

Scilab Image Processing Toolbox (SIP) and its variants (such as SIVP) Scilab Wavelet Toolbox Scilab Java and .NET Module Scilab Remote Access Module More are available on ATOMS Portal or the Scilab forge.

History Scilab was created in 1990 by researchers from INRIA and École nationale des ponts et chaussées (ENPC). It was initially named Ψlab (Psilab). The Scilab Consortium was formed in May 2003 to broaden contributions and promote Scilab as worldwide reference software in academia and industry. In July 2008, in order to improve the technology transfer, the Scilab Consortium joined the Digiteo Foundation. Scilab 5.1, the first release compiled for Mac, was available in early 2009, and supported Mac OS X 10.5, a.k.a. Leopard. Thus, OSX 10.4, Tiger, was never supported except by porting from sources. Linux and Windows builds had been released since the beginning, with Solaris support dropped with version 3.1.1, and HP-UX dropped with version 4.1.2 after spotty support. In June 2010, the Consortium announced the creation of Scilab Enterprises. Scilab Enterprises develops and markets, directly or through an international network of affiliated services providers, a comprehensive set of services for Scilab users. Scilab Enterprises also develops and maintains the Scilab software. The ultimate goal of Scilab Enterprises is to help make the use of Scilab more effective and easy. In February 2017 Scilab 6.0.0 was released which leveraged the latest C++ standards and lifted memory allocation limitations. Since July 2012, Scilab is developed and published by Scilab Enterprises and in early 2017 Scilab Enterprises was acquired by Virtual Prototyping pioneer ESI Group Since 2019 and Scilab 6.0.2, the University of Technology of Compiègne provides resources to build and maintain the macOS version. After 5 years of Scilab versions made by ESI Group, Scilab operational team joined Dassault Systèmes in 2022. The Scilab versions from then on have been named by the year, the first one being scilab-2023.0.0. Typically two releases haves been published per year, the current being scilab-2026.1.0.

Scilab Cloud App & Scilab Cloud API Since 2016 Scilab can be embedded in a browser and be called via an interface written in Scilab or an API. This new deployment method has the notable advantages of masking code & data as well as providing large computational power. These features have not been included in the open source version of Scilab and are still proprietary developments.

See also SageMath List of numerical-analysis software SimulationX

References

Further reading Stephen L. Campbell; Jean-Philippe Chancelier; Ramine Nikoukhah (2006). Modeling and Simulation in Scilab/Scicos. New York: Springer. ISBN 978-0-387-27802-5.

External links

Scilab website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Scilab

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Scilab claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Scilab before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Scilab ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Scilab

In research: Scilab appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Scilab in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Scilab is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Array programming languages, Computer algebra system software for Linux, Computer algebra systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Scilab outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Scilab in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Scilab means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Scilab out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Scilab in simple terms?

Why does Scilab matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Scilab?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Scilab.