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The scientific Python ecosystem of open source libraries has grown substantially over the last 10 years. By late 2011, I had long felt that the lack of centralized learning resources for data analysis and statistical applications was a stumbling block for new Python programmers engaged in such work. Key projects for data analysis (especially NumPy, IPython, matplotlib, and pandas) had also matured enough that a book written about them would likely not go out-of-date very quickly. Thus, I mustered the nerve to embark on this writing project. This is the book that I wish existed when I started using Python for data analysis in 2007. I hope you find it useful and are able to apply these tools productively in your work.
Python for Data Analysis is concerned with the nuts and bolts of manipulating, processing, cleaning, and crunching data in Python. It is also a practical, modern introduction to scientific computing in Python, tailored for data-intensive applications. This is a book about the parts of the Python language and libraries you’ll need to effectively solve a broad set of data analysis problems. This book is not an exposition on analytical methods using Python as the implementation language.
Written by Wes McKinney, the main author of the pandas library, this hands-on book is packed with practical cases studies. It’s ideal for analysts new to Python and for Python programmers new to scientific computing.
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Use the IPython interactive shell as your primary development environment
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Learn basic and advanced NumPy (Numerical Python) features
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Get started with data analysis tools in the pandas library
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Use high-performance tools to load, clean, transform, merge, and reshape data
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Create scatter plots and static or interactive visualizations with matplotlib
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Apply the pandas groupby facility to slice, dice, and summarize datasets
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Measure data by points in time, whether it’s specific instances, fixed periods, or intervals
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Learn how to solve problems in web analytics, social sciences, finance, and economics, through detailed examples
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