These notes are designed for someone new to statistical computing wishing to develop a set of skills necessary to perform original research using Python. They should also be useful for students, researchers or practitioners who require a versatile platform for econometrics, statistics or general numerical analysis (e.g. numeric solutions to economic models or model simulation).

Python is a popular general purpose programming language which is well suited to a wide range of problems.

Recent developments have extended Python's range of applicability to econometrics, statistics and general numerical analysis. Python – with the right set of add-ons – is comparable to domain-specific languages such as R, MATLAB or Julia.

Having read the reasons to choose another package, you may wonder why you should consider Python...