Python Installation

Python is a programming language, and it has been enhanced over the years through the development of a rich set of third-party libraries that build upon the core functionality defined in the language. Since we will be using a number of such libraries, it is helpful to leverage existing Python package bundles tailored specifically for scientific computing. For this course, we will be using the Anaconda Scientific Python distribution, provided by Continuum Analytics. Various versions of this distribution are available; we will be using version 3.4 (latest minor version 3.4.3). If you already have a Python installation on your own machine that you actively maintain (e.g., using a package management system), you might need to install some additional packages, such as:

• numpy / scipy
• matplotlib
• ipython
• Python Imaging Library (PIL) or Pillow

Last modified: August 2015