NumPy

NumPy is the fundamental package for numerical computing in Python. It provides the ndarray object, which is a fast and space-efficient multidimensional array supporting vectorized operations. NumPy arrays are more efficient than Python lists for numerical operations because they're implemented in C and support fixed-type elements. Key features include: broadcasting (applying operations to arrays of different shapes), universal functions (fast element-wise operations), array indexing and slicing, linear algebra operations, random number generation, and Fourier transforms. NumPy forms the foundation for many other scientific Python libraries. Understanding NumPy is essential for efficient numerical computation, data processing, and working with other libraries that build on NumPy arrays. The array-oriented computing style encouraged by NumPy often leads to more concise and readable code compared to explicit loops.