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Anubhav Kumar

Anubhav Kumar

04-Nov-2025

NumPy (short for Numerical Python) is a Python library used for numerical and scientific computing.
It provides:

  • A powerful N-dimensional array object (ndarray)
  • Tools for performing mathematical, logical, and statistical operations on arrays
  • Support for linear algebra, Fourier transforms, and random number generation

NumPy forms the foundation of data science and machine learning in Python — libraries like pandas, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch all rely on NumPy internally.

Why Use NumPy?

Here’s why NumPy is preferred over plain Python lists:

Feature Python List NumPy Array
Speed Slow Very fast (uses C under the hood)
Memory Efficiency High memory usage Low memory usage
Vectorized Operations Not supported Supported
Mathematical Functions Manual loops Built-in optimized functions

Example:

import numpy as np

# Python list
lst = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
# NumPy array
arr = np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])

print(lst * 2)   # duplicates list → [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print(arr * 2)   # multiplies each element → [2, 4, 6, 8, 10]

Installing NumPy

You can install NumPy using pip:

pip install numpy

Then import it in your Python code:

import numpy as np

Key Features of NumPy

  • Multidimensional Arrays – Central data structure (ndarray)
  • Mathematical Operations – Perform operations element-wise
  • Broadcasting – Operations between arrays of different shapes
  • Linear Algebra Functions – Matrix multiplication, determinant, inverse, etc.
  • Statistical Operations – Mean, median, standard deviation, etc.
  • Random Module – Generate random numbers and distributions

Simple Example

import numpy as np

# Create a 1D array
arr = np.array([10, 20, 30, 40, 50])

# Basic operations
print("Array:", arr)
print("Sum:", np.sum(arr))
print("Mean:", np.mean(arr))
print("Max:", np.max(arr))
print("Min:", np.min(arr))

Output:

Array: [10 20 30 40 50]
Sum: 150
Mean: 30.0
Max: 50
Min: 10

In Short

Concept Description
Full Form Numerical Python
Type Python library
Main Object ndarray
Use Scientific, mathematical, and data analysis tasks
Speed Fast (implemented in C)

 

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