Python
Presentation By Nishanth Tharakan
Cluster 10CW
The Language, Not the
Snake
Who Made Python?
Guido van Rossum, AKA
“Benevolent Dictator for Life”
Who Made Python?
Who Made Python?
Named after “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”
Compare the name “Python” to:
“Today, Python is used extensively in many different application fields, including web server and cloud backends, machine learning and data science, scientific computing, education, rapid prototyping, and more due in part to its large collection of specialized libraries, such as the Django web framework, and NumPy, the scientific computing package. Its flexibility and convenience makes it particularly useful for gluing small utility programs written in other languages together into a larger whole. It is often used in introductory programming courses, such as at UC Berkeley and MIT.
Van Rossum’s design philosophy of
convenience, productivity, and extensibility, his commitment to maintaining Python as a free and open source project, and his mentorship and fostering of the Python community have been instrumental in Python’s success as a global language of the internet age.”
In a way, the
Python community is as as much a creator of Python as
van Rossum is.
What is Python?
High Level Language:
Dynamic Checking:
Garbage Collection
What is Python?
Indented:
Uses “tabs” and “enters” to distinguish between different lines
Example:
What is Python?
General Purpose:
Equipped to handle a variety of tasks, as opposed to specializing in a specific field
Example:
Fortran, Agol: Scientific Research
COBOL: Finance
LISP, IPL: Mathematical Symbolic Programming
What is Python?
Strong Library Support:
Many libraries for different purposes
Ex: matplotlib for graphs, numpy for linear algebra, pytorch for Machine learning, and Cython to write portions of python code in C!
*Libraries/Module: Set of functions and data-types you can use in your program
What is Python?
Implementations of Python:
Structured: works like building blocks in a line, useful for making workflows
(Like Scratch.mit.edu)
Object Oriented: Has multiple objects that interact with other objects to perform calculations, useful for simulations
(Think of Fortnite, Minecraft)
Functional Programming: The basis of Lambda Calculus, all components act as functions, useful for mathematics research
(Think for functions from algebra)
Ex:
C++
Python
“Import Zen”: Teamwork at scale
Why AI?
AI Related Libraries (That I’ve used):
Why AI?
Math Related Libraries (That I’ve used):
Example with API
Application Programming Interface
Example with API
Application
Programming
Interface
Client
With Request
Server with Code
Example with API
Example with API
Auth done
via
key
I can now start a fast chat even in a “slow” language.
Example with API
Why AI?
Eas(ier) to learn
Strong Library/API Support with other languages
?????
Python is King
Why AI?
Eas(ier) to learn
Strong Library/API Support with other languages
Hype
Python is King
The Great Cycle of Hype
Python: exists
The Great Cycle of Hype
Python: exists
Community builds useful libraries
The Great Cycle of Hype
Python: exists
Community builds useful libraries
Companies see good community and free resource, generate “free marketing”
The Great Cycle of Hype
Python: exists
Community builds useful libraries
Companies see good community and free resource, generate “free marketing”
New people find out Python is a cool language, and join the community
The Great Cycle of Hype
Python: exists even more
Community builds useful libraries
Companies see good community and free resource, generate “free marketing”
New people find out Python is a cool language, and join the community
Why AI?
Eas(ier) to learn
Strong Library/API Support with other languages
Hype
Python is King
Sources:
The Amazing Word Cluster Logo: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/744501382186006551/
Van Rossum’s Background: https://computerhistory.org/blog/2018-chm-fellow-guido-van-rossum-python-creator-benevolent-dictator-for-life/?key=2018-chm-fellow-guido-van-rossum-python-creator-benevolent-dictator-for-life
Info about the ABC language, a precursor to Python: https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/122179.122180#:~:text=ABC%20is%20an%20imperative%20language,with%20the%20predecessor%20of%20C
gBash repo (I wrote this with my dad): https://github.com/royans/gbash/blob/main/gbash.py
All code displayed was written on my VsCode client, using AI when needed to speed up basic writing of code (e.g. converting the C++ code snippet to its equivalent in Python)
Instances of API were generated on my Linux client using Google’s Gemini API from AI Studio