Introduction to Python

Python is a versatile, interpreted programming language introduced in 1991. It is available in many varieties and scales very well from little scripts and interactive sessions to full-blown applications with graphical user interfaces. This article on Wikipedia covers some general aspects of Python.

Due to its scalability, easy syntax and free availability it became very popular in science. Therefore many add-on modules for specific problems are available. Those cover many aspects that are traditionally done with other (commercial) tools like numerical calculations, symbolic math and generation of publication ready plots.