Why Python?#
As an engineering student, you’ll learn a variety of programming languages tailored to different engineering applications. Among them, Python stands out as the most versatile and widely-used general-purpose language. Think of it as the Swiss army knife of programming—useful for everything from system modeling and simulation to signal and image processing, data science, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and much more.
One of Python’s biggest advantages is how quick and easy it is to write and understand. Its syntax is simple and closely resembles natural language, making it especially beginner-friendly.
Python is also open-source and supported by a large global community. This means you’ll find plenty of documentation, tutorials, videos, and forums to help you as you learn and grow.
On top of that, Python has an extensive ecosystem of frameworks and libraries that can save you a lot of time and effort—many of which are particularly useful for EE applications. Throughout these tutorials, we’ll introduce you to some of the most relevant ones.
About This Book#
In this book, we walk through the basics of Python with a focus on applications relevant to engineering students. While the fundamental topics are similar to other Python introductions, we tailor our content to what you’ll actually use during your bachelor’s studies.
You’re currently reading this book as an interactive Jupyter Book, meaning most of the code can be run directly in your browser. For an even smoother and faster experience, you can also access the book via Google Colab: Python Handbook for EE Students.
This book includes exercises that were largely designed by fellow students. For some topics, we offer two versions of the notebooks: a standard one and a step-by-step version that breaks the exercises into smaller, more manageable tasks—perfect for anyone who might need a bit more guidance.
By now, we hope you’re just as excited about Python (and Google Colab!) as we are. Let’s get started with the basics of Python programming!