A Simple Introduction to Python

This book is aimed at pre-university students and complete novices to programming. After introducing Python as a powerful calculator, simple programming constructs are covered and the NumPy, MatPlotLib and SymPy modules (libraries) are introduced.

In 2022, Stephen Lynch was named a National Teaching Fellow, which celebrates and recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding impact on student outcomes and teaching in higher education. He won the award for his work in programming in STEM subjects, research feeding into teaching, and widening participation (using experiential and object-based learning). Although educated as a pure mathematician, Stephen's many interests now include applied mathematics, cell biology, electrical engineering, computing, neural networks, nonlinear optics and binary oscillator computing, which he co-invented with a colleague. He has authored 2 international patents for inventions, 8 books, 4 book chapters, over 45 journal articles, and a few conference proceedings. Stephen is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications (FIMA) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). He is currently a Reader with MMU and was an Associate Lecturer with the Open University from 2008 to 2012. In 2010, Stephen volunteered as a STEM Ambassador, in 2012, he was awarded MMU Public Engagement Champion status, and in 2014, he became a Speaker for Schools. He runs national workshops on "Python for A-Level Mathematics and Beyond," and international workshops on "Python for Scientific Computing and TensorFlow for Artificial Intelligence." He has run workshops in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the USA.