Python for machine learning

Python is a versatile general purpose programming language. It is an interpreted language and can run interactively from a console. It does not require a compiler like C++ or Java, so the development time tends to be shorter. It is available for free download and can be installed on many different operating systems including UNIX, Windows, and Macintosh. It is especially popular for scientific and mathematical applications. Python is relatively easy to learn compared to languages such as C++ and Java, with similar tasks using fewer lines of code.

Python is not the only platform for machine learning, but it is certainly one of the most used. One of its major alternatives is R. Like Python, it is open source, and while it is popular for applied machine learning, it lacks the large development community of Python. R is a specialized tool for machine learning and statistical analysis. Python is a general-purpose, widely-used programming language that also has excellent libraries for machine learning applications.

Another alternative is Matlab. Unlike R and Python, it is a commercial product. As would be expected, it contains a polished user interface and exhaustive documentation. Like R, however, it lacks the versatility of Python. Python is such an incredibly useful language that your effort to learn it, compared to the other platforms, will provide far greater pay-offs. It also has excellent libraries for network, web development, and microcontroller programming. These applications can complement or enhance your work in machine learning, all without the pain of clumsy integrations and the learning or remembering of the specifics of different languages.