Algorithms and How to Apply Them
In this book, we have already looked at a variety of ways to create pandas data structures and select/assign data within them and have subsequently seen how to store those structures in common formats. These features alone can make pandas a powerful tool in the realm of data exchange, but we are still just scratching the surface of what pandas can offer.
A core component of data analysis and computing in general is the application of algorithms, which describe a sequence of steps the computer should take to process data. In their simplistic form, common data algorithms build upon basic arithmetic (for example, “sum this column”), but scale out to any sequence of steps that you may need for your custom calculations.
As you will see in this chapter, pandas provides many common data algorithms out of the box, but also gives you a robust framework through which you can compose and apply your own algorithms. The algorithms pandas provides...
