Getting Started with Python

The primary programming language of this course is Python. By default, we use Python 3 for the class. You can either use online python platforms such as Google Colab or set up a local python environment on your machine. Here are some resources for both ways.

We will also offer a section to walk you through some of the tutorials. Details to be announced.

Google Colab

Google Colab is a convenient online Python environment run on Google Clouds, so basically there are no system requirements for it.

• Create, edit, export, load data, and write markdown cells on Google Colab.
• Code snippets and autocompletion.
• Plotting.

Local Python Environment

We recommend installing Anaconda on your machine, which offers a clean and intuitive management of your python environment. For interactive development environments (IDEs), we recommend using Jupyter Notebooks. If you prefer a more C++ programming style, Spyder or Visual Studio Code are good choices of IDE.

• Install Anaconda, Jupyter Notebook, and Spyder on Windows 10
• Install Anaconda, Jupyter Notebook, and Spyder on Mac
• Install Anaconda, Jupyter Notebook, and Spyder on Ubuntu
• Jupyter Notebook Tutorial

Python 101

Please read the following materials to familiarize yourself with basic operations in Python and the three packages that will be mostly used in this course.

Python Basics: Go through “Learn the Basics”.
Numpy Basics.
Matplotlib Basics.
Scipy Basics.

From Other Languages to Python

If you are a native MATLAB user, the following conversion table would be helpful.
- MATLAB-Python conversion (PDF)
- CheatSheet (Website)

If you are a R user, check the following resources out.
- Conversion R and Python