Introduction to NumPy

Why is Python so popular for research work?

MATLAB typically the most popular “language of technical computing”:

• Support for efficient numerical analysis with matrices, plotting
• Other dynamic languages have cleaner, more logical syntax (Ruby, Haskell).

The Scientific Python Trilogy

But Python users developed three critical libraries:

• IPython, precursor of the Notebook, created by Fernando Perez
• NumPy, fast matrix maths library created by Travis Oliphant
• Matplotlib, plotting library created by John D. Hunter

All available as a free and open toolchain.

Advantages of Numpy Arrays over Python Lists

• Less memory - smaller memory footprint
• Faster - often order of magnitude faster
• Convenience - supports powerful matrix and scientific operations

Tradeoff is flexibility.