Python is currently the most popular programming language. The question often arises whether it is suitable for use by engineers. While the most advanced software used in the industry commonly uses faster programming languages, such as C++, Python can be used to create many programs of great importance to engineers. Here are some libraries that are useful for modern engineering applications.
1. NumPy
The first library to start with is NumPy. The core of this library are arrays. Their main advantage is the speed of operation. Comparing operations on NumPy arrays with operations on Python lists, we will see that the speed of the former is up to a hundred times faster. Due to high performance, NumPy is used by other Python libraries. The NumPy library provides us with a number of methods for matrix operations and linear algebra.
2. SciPy
This library contains what is most valuable to an engineer. With its help, we can easily solve differential equations or fit a curve to a data set. It also implements fast Fourier transform and optimization algorithms. It it relies on NumPy library, so the calculations performance is optimized.
3. Data handling and analysis with Pandas
Pandas is the most popular library used in Data Science. Due to the fact that it is great for working with large data sets, it is often used by engineers. This is because modern factories collect huge amounts of process data. Information on the functioning of the equipment is collected in real time and used by engineers to optimize the process, create mathematical models and analyze the process.
4. Plotting data with Matplotlib
Visualization of results is a very useful method used when performing any analyses, including engineering ones. Using this library, we can create both 2D and 3D charts as well as animations. The quality of the created images is very high, which is why Matplotlib is often used by scientists to create plots for scientific publications.
Summary
Python libraries provide a range of tools that make it possible to perform most of the tasks faced by engineers. In addition to those mentioned in this article, there are also libraries available for topics such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, which are increasingly used in engineering and many others. What is important Pyrthon run on all popular operating systems, are quick to install, and are free of charge.