There is a short comment at the end of the introduction to SciPy documentation:
Another useful command issource. When given a function written in Python as an argument, it prints out a listing of the source code for that function. This can be helpful in learning about an algorithm or understanding exactly what a function is
doing with its arguments. Also don’t forget about the Python command dir which can be
used to look at the namespace of a module or package.
I think this will allow someone with enough knowledge of all the packages involved to pick apart exactly what the differences are between some scipy and numpy functions (it didn't help me with the log10 question at all). I definitely don't have that knowledge but source does indicate that scipy.linalg.solve and numpy.linalg.solve interact with lapack in different ways;
Python 2.4.3 (#1, May 5 2011, 18:44:23)
[GCC 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-50)] on linux2
>>> import scipy
>>> import scipy.linalg
>>> import numpy
>>> scipy.source(scipy.linalg.solve)
In file: /usr/lib64/python2.4/site-packages/scipy/linalg/basic.py
def solve(a, b, sym_pos=0, lower=0, overwrite_a=0, overwrite_b=0,
debug = 0):
""" solve(a, b, sym_pos=0, lower=0, overwrite_a=0, overwrite_b=0) -> x
Solve a linear system of equations a * x = b for x.
Inputs:
a -- An N x N matrix.
b -- An N x nrhs matrix or N vector.
sym_pos -- Assume a is symmetric and positive definite.
lower -- Assume a is lower triangular, otherwise upper one.
Only used if sym_pos is true.
overwrite_y - Discard data in y, where y is a or b.
Outputs:
x -- The solution to the system a * x = b
"""
a1, b1 = map(asarray_chkfinite,(a,b))
if len(a1.shape) != 2 or a1.shape[0] != a1.shape[1]:
raise ValueError, 'expected square matrix'
if a1.shape[0] != b1.shape[0]:
raise ValueError, 'incompatible dimensions'
overwrite_a = overwrite_a or (a1 is not a and not hasattr(a,'__array__'))
overwrite_b = overwrite_b or (b1 is not b and not hasattr(b,'__array__'))
if debug:
print 'solve:overwrite_a=',overwrite_a
print 'solve:overwrite_b=',overwrite_b
if sym_pos:
posv, = get_lapack_funcs(('posv',),(a1,b1))
c,x,info = posv(a1,b1,
lower = lower,
overwrite_a=overwrite_a,
overwrite_b=overwrite_b)
else:
gesv, = get_lapack_funcs(('gesv',),(a1,b1))
lu,piv,x,info = gesv(a1,b1,
overwrite_a=overwrite_a,
overwrite_b=overwrite_b)
if info==0:
return x
if info>0:
raise LinAlgError, "singular matrix"
raise ValueError,\
'illegal value in %-th argument of internal gesv|posv'%(-info)
>>> scipy.source(numpy.linalg.solve)
In file: /usr/lib64/python2.4/site-packages/numpy/linalg/linalg.py
def solve(a, b):
"""
Solve the equation ``a x = b`` for ``x``.
Parameters
----------
a : array_like, shape (M, M)
Input equation coefficients.
b : array_like, shape (M,)
Equation target values.
Returns
-------
x : array, shape (M,)
Raises
------
LinAlgError
If `a` is singular or not square.
Examples
--------
Solve the system of equations ``3 * x0 + x1 = 9`` and ``x0 + 2 * x1 = 8``:
>>> a = np.array([[3,1], [1,2]])
>>> b = np.array([9,8])
>>> x = np.linalg.solve(a, b)
>>> x
array([ 2., 3.])
Check that the solution is correct:
>>> (np.dot(a, x) == b).all()
True
"""
a, _ = _makearray(a)
b, wrap = _makearray(b)
one_eq = len(b.shape) == 1
if one_eq:
b = b[:, newaxis]
_assertRank2(a, b)
_assertSquareness(a)
n_eq = a.shape[0]
n_rhs = b.shape[1]
if n_eq != b.shape[0]:
raise LinAlgError, 'Incompatible dimensions'
t, result_t = _commonType(a, b)
# lapack_routine = _findLapackRoutine('gesv', t)
if isComplexType(t):
lapack_routine = lapack_lite.zgesv
else:
lapack_routine = lapack_lite.dgesv
a, b = _fastCopyAndTranspose(t, a, b)
pivots = zeros(n_eq, fortran_int)
results = lapack_routine(n_eq, n_rhs, a, n_eq, pivots, b, n_eq, 0)
if results['info'] > 0:
raise LinAlgError, 'Singular matrix'
if one_eq:
return wrap(b.ravel().astype(result_t))
else:
return wrap(b.transpose().astype(result_t))
This is also my first post so if I should change something here please let me know.
all of those functions are available without additionally importing Numpybecausethe intention is for users not to have to know the distinction between the scipy and numpy namespaces. Now I wonder, because I follow the posts about numpy and scipy a bit and use it myself. And I almost always see numpy being imported seperately (as np). So they failed? – joris