Python Foundations for Scientists & Engineers

Gain hands-on coding experience and foundational knowledge of how to use Python and key scientific Python libraries for data processing, analysis, and visualization.

Course Overview

Python Foundations for Scientists and Engineers provides people with prior coding experience with the foundational knowledge needed to use Python and key scientific Python libraries for data processing, analysis, and Visualization.

This course uses a combination of lecture, live coding, and hands-on exercises to teach you basic skills and give you a chance to cement them with practice. If you program in another language, this class will help you transition to using Python.

If you already know some Python, but are mostly self-taught, this course will help fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

Prerequisite

Experience with Python is helpful (but not required). However, prior programming experience in some other language (e.g., C/C++, FORTRAN, Java, MATLAB, R, etc.) is expected. In particular, participants need to be comfortable with general programming concepts like variables, loops, and functions.

Lectures

Introduction – Python, IPython, Jupyter
Base Data Types – Integers, Floats, Complex, Booleans, Strings
Container Data Types – Lists, Tuples, Sets, Dictionaries
Control Statements & Files – If, While, For
Functions & Modules – Def, Import
Object-Oriented Python – Classes, Attributes, Methods
Matplotlib – Line, Scatter, Images, Histograms
NumPy – Arrays, Calculations, Indexing
Pandas I – Series, DataFrames
Pandas II – Visualization, Missing Data, Computations

Packages

matplotlib, numpy, pandas

Download the syllabus for this course here.