A Student's Guide to Python for Physical Modeling

A Student's Guide to Python for Physical Modeling

<p>Python is a computer programming language that is rapidly gaining popularity throughout the sciences. <i>A Student's Guide to Python for Physical Modeling</i> aims to help you, the student, teach yourself enough of the Python programming language to get started with physical modeling. You will learn how to install an open-source Python programming environment and use it to accomplish many common scientific computing tasks: importing, exporting, and visualizing data; numerical analysis; and simulation. No prior programming experience is assumed.</p><p>This tutorial focuses on fundamentals and introduces a wide range of useful techniques, including:</p><ul><li>Basic Python programming and scripting</li><li>Numerical arrays</li><li>Two- and three-dimensional graphics</li><li>Monte Carlo simulations</li><li>Numerical methods, including solving ordinary differential equations</li><li>Image processing</li><li>Animation</li></ul><p>Numerous code samples and exercises―with solutions―illustrate new ideas as they are introduced. Web-based resources also accompany this guide and include code samples, data sets, and more.</p>