Python modules
There a several modules which are already included in the standard Python distribution:
Other modules have to be installed seperately, e.g. Numpy, Scipy, Pylab, etc.
http://www.pythonxy.com/ Python(x,y) is a scientific python distribution with many modules included
Over 8000 special purpose modules and scripts can be found in the Python Package Index:
It is important to know where to find the functions that you need. We will go through some useful examples.
Numpy, Scipy and Pylab
Numpy
Numpy is the core library for multidimensional array objects (ndarray) and linear algebra. Most other scientific modules use the numpy array object. Numpy arrays and standard Python sequences have important differences:
- Numpy arrays have a fixed size at creation, unlike Python lists
- Numpy arrays facilitate mathematical operations on large numbers of data efficiently
The User's guide PDF provides a good introduction.
Scipy
The scipy module uses the numpy array
functionsPylab (aka Matplotlib) uses scipy and numpy and offers high-level functions that are similar in the name and syntax to those offered by Matlab.
User guide and references
http://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/user/ (start reading this user's guide) PDF
Recommended book
http://www.springer.com/math/cse/book/978-3-540-73915-9 Python Scripting for Computational Science
Importing Scipy
The statement
from pylab import *
imports the most important functions/objects for numerical computation and plotting.
Slides for teaching
http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~hpl/scripting/all-nosplit/index.html (some are outdated)