Import random import statistics def die ( sides = 6 ): return random. With each outcome equally probable, it comes down to calculating the mean value over sampled results. Let’s start with a not-so-good code, to begin with. Or if not plausible, you want at least to recognize the nature of the problem, Where is a probability density function (PDF).Īs you may wonder, the challenge here is that you want it to work with any distribution:

Where is a probability mass function (PMC), or for a continuous variable: Mathematically, it comes down to this formula: Our task, for the sake of demonstration, is to calculate the expected value You will see how simple improvements can lead to more reusable code and fewer bugs.

Understandable, and overall easier to handle. In this article, we focus on patterns that can make the code more robust, Therefore, the key is to design each component, so that most of the work can stayĪnd serve as a rock-solid foundation for the next stage of development.

There will always be experimental parts, and they change all the time. The second comes from the fact described earlier. Mistakes in computations are often hard to trace, especially when the code is semanticallyĪll looks good, but the (numerical) result is wrong.Įspecially, with implementing probabilistic models, the results may sometimes look good,ĭepending on some initial conditions or a random factor. The first one relates to mathematical errors. Writing science code comes with two (additional) specific challenges: Which will not require a “total reconstruction”, if experimental evidence suggests a different Unlike for “consumer software”, changes are often induced not by customer’s requirements,īut rather by outcomes of the process along the way.įor this reason, it is extremely valuable to design it in ways,

Replaced or modified often beyond what was planned initially. A large part of any scientific effort lies down in writing code.īe it typical machine-learning modeling, an analysis, or contributing to a data project,Ī significant part of the time goes into prototyping new functionalities.īeing exploratory, it is expected that several parts of the program will be

Writing code in python