Week 3

Concepts covered last week

  • variables: str, int, float, bool, inspect using type()
  • conversion: str(), int(), float()
  • operators: + - * /, **, modulus %
  • logical operators < > == >= <= != and or not True False
  • operator precedence, using brackets ( ) to save your sanity
  • print() and formatted output using f-strings
  • reserved keywords in Python (e.g. for, return, etc
  • operations on strings (strings are “objects” with “methods”)
  • getting input from the user using input()
  • getting help using ? and on web documentation
  • commenting code using #
  • conditionals using if elif else
  • loops using while and for
  • range() & zero-based indexing in Python

Useful readings

Concepts to cover this week

  • lists, tuples, dictionaries
  • list comprehensions in Python (sorry, MATLAB!)
  • NumPy arrays, indexing, slicing, np.zeros(), np.ones(), np.arange(), np.linspace(), np.random.rand(), np.random.randn(), np.random.randint()
  • Functions, inputs, outputs, return, default arguments, **kwargs, anonymous functions (lambda in Python and @ in MATLAB)

Useful readings

iPython notebook from class