Getting Started
Python is a relatively easy programming language to learn with a simple syntax. Many tools are freely available to help the student learn the Python syntax and language. As you progress through the lectures in this class you will learn most of the basics just by viewing the Lectures and completing the Assignments.
A great tool to help you work through all the Python commands is available at W3 Schools – https://www.w3schools.com/python/ – this is a full python tutorial with the ability to try code snippets that you write.
Environment
To do your programming you will need a good programming IDE installed on your computer. For this class Anaconda will be used and Anaconda will likely meet all your needs. The editor that is installed with Anaconda is Spyder and it will also be sufficient for all the needs of this class.
If you correctly installed Anaconda you will also have all the tools necessary to install mathematics libraries and update packages in Anaconda. This is usually done from a command line interface and uses the package management tools that come with Anaconda (pip and conda will be the two that we will use).