Lab 1: Python Review

Overview

In this lab you will refresh your Python skills and become familiar with installing Anaconda and Jupyter on your own machine.

Materials

Puzzle Files

Description

Let the missing be your order,
Leaving out the one I drop.
Bright has won while dim is zilching,
Go around until you stop.
Split the journey into thirds as keys
For what had come before.
Tragic end on island clifftop
And in forty-four no more.

What To Turn In

Write a program in Python that solves the riddle above, using the puzzle files provided. Solving the puzzle by hand without evidence of coding will only be awarded minimal points.

As you work on this lab, record all of your progress in a Jupyter notebook, both successes and failures. Record your solutions and attempts in Code blocks, and annotate what you did with MarkDown blocks. Cite all the webpages you find and use in your search for your solution.

Warning: For this lab, you can collaborate with your team, but each member must turn in a notebook that they created on their own machine, to ensure they have installed and can use the tools needed to be successful the rest of the semester.

Installing Anaconda

To analyze our data this semester, we will be using Anaconda and Jupyter Notebooks, and hosting these on our own computers. What we will be doing is usually too large for the free cloud-based notebooks like Azure.

The Anaconda Installation page lists many instructions for multiple operating systems. Follow the instructions that make sense to you. The most recent Anaconda version is 2020.07.

Open a Jupyter Notebook

Now we can test to see that everything is working. Follow these instructions or mine below to get the base environment ready.

Then, type jupyter notebook and a browser window should appear. From here, you can make a notebook as I have demonstrated in class.

On a Mac

Open up the terminal and type

conda env list

Hopefully you only see the base environment. Then type

source activate base

to get the mappings correct for your programs.

On a Windows Machine

Open up the Anaconda Prompt and type

conda env list

Hopefully you only see the base environment. Then type

activate base

to get the mappings correct for your programs.

Adding Modules Using pip

At the anaconda prompt with the base environment activated, type:

pip install matplotlib
pip install pandas
pip install plotnine
pip install scipy
pip install numpy
pip install geopandas
pip install scikit-learn

Grading

20 points for code which leads to the correct answer.
10 points for proper citations of references.
10 points for written explanations of your attempts.