Course Glossary
Intermediate Python
Matplotlib: A Python library for creating visualizations such as line plots, scatter plots, and histograms.
Line Plot: A graph that uses lines to show changes in data over time or continuous variables.
Scatter Plot: A type of plot that shows the relationship between two variables by placing points in a
coordinate system.
Histogram: A graphical representation of the distribution of data, showing the frequency of values within
bins.
Customization (Matplotlib): Adjusting plot features such as labels, titles, ticks, sizes, colors, transparency,
and gridlines to make plots more informative.
Dictionaries: A Python data structure that stores key-value pairs, enabling fast lookups.
Dictionary Manipulation: Updating, adding, or removing key-value pairs in a dictionary using assignment or
the del statement.
Nested Dictionary: A dictionary that contains other dictionaries as values, useful for storing structured
information.
Pandas: A Python library for data analysis, providing the DataFrame and Series data structures for handling
tabular data.
DataFrame: A 2D tabular data structure in pandas with labeled rows and columns.
Series: A one-dimensional labeled array in pandas, representing a single column of data.
read_csv(): A pandas function used to load data from a CSV file into a DataFrame.
index_col: An argument of read_csv() that specifies which column to use as row labels in a DataFrame.
Square Brackets (pandas): A selection method in pandas used to extract columns (by label) or rows (by
slicing) from a DataFrame.
loc[ ]: A pandas method for selecting rows and columns by label.
iloc[ ]: A pandas method for selecting rows and columns by integer index.
Comparison Operators: Operators such as ==, !=, <, >, <=, and >= used to compare values in Python.
Boolean Operators: Logical operators and, or, and not, used to combine Boolean expressions.
NumPy Boolean Functions: np.logical_and(), np.logical_or(), and np.logical_not()—functions used for
element-wise logical operations on arrays.
Control Flow (if, elif, else): Conditional statements in Python that control the execution of code based on
logical conditions.
Filtering DataFrames: Using Boolean conditions in pandas to subset rows that meet specific criteria.
while Loop: A control flow statement that repeatedly executes code as long as a condition is True.
for Loop: A control flow statement that iterates over items in a sequence such as lists, dictionaries, NumPy
arrays, or pandas DataFrames.
enumerate(): A function that returns both the index and value when looping over a sequence.
iterrows(): A pandas DataFrame method that allows iteration over rows, yielding index and row data.
apply(): A pandas method that applies a function to each element in a Series or across a DataFrame
column.
Random Numbers (NumPy): Values generated using functions such as [Link]() (random float
between 0 and 1) or [Link]() (random integers within a range).
Seed (Randomness): A fixed value set with [Link]() to ensure reproducibility of random number
generation.
Random Walk: A simulation where each step is determined randomly, often used in probability and statistics.
max() Function: A built-in Python function used to ensure a value does not go below a defined threshold,
often applied in random walk simulations.
Simulation: Running multiple iterations of a process (e.g., random walks) to estimate probabilities or
outcomes.
[Link](): A Matplotlib function for creating line plots.
[Link](): A Matplotlib function for creating scatter plots.
[Link](): A Matplotlib function for creating histograms.
[Link]() / [Link](): Functions to label the x-axis and y-axis of a plot.
[Link](): A function to set the title of a plot.
[Link]() / [Link](): Functions to customize axis ticks and labels.
[Link](): A function to add gridlines to a plot for better readability.