Introduction to Python
Slides by CPS on Python
Short introduction to Python with some first examples and a coding convention.
Why should you consider learning Python
- Python is the most popular programming language in the world with a popularity of 28%.
- It is easier to learn than many other programming languages.
- Python is very readable due to its structure. Thus, bugs can usually be found and fixed quickly.
- Python can be both procedural and object-oriented, which makes it very versatile.
- There is a large number of software libraries. On python package index, PyPI, over 400,000 packages can be found. And the most important ones can be downloaded quickly and easily using pip.
- Python and almost all Python software libraries are available for free on the Internet.
What Python can be used for
- Data Science is one of the most popular application areas of Python. Here, not only the complete data analysis but also the visualization will be implemented in Python. Generally, software libraries such as Numpy, Matplotlib and Pandas are used for this purpose.
- Machine learning is another very popular area. Python can be used for supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning. Libraries such as TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch or scikit-learn are used for this purpose.
Furthermore, Python can be used for all kinds of general purpose programs, such as app development, GUI design, web development and in many other areas. In addition, programs with Python interfaces can be automated through a Python program, for example simulation programs.
Practical example of Python in academia
Especially during the time as a student it is good to have a tool with which you can validate your hypotheses or perform the calculations by the computer. Thus, programs can be written with which problems in physics, chemistry or other tasks can be simulated and subsequently the simulation data can be plotted or even videos can be generated.
