Neural Data Science

While MATLAB remains a dominant computer language for scientific computing and analysis in neuroscience, it has become prohibitively expensive. This has created an opportunity for uptake of an alternative yet similar programming language - Python. This volume provides a beginner’s introduction to the principles of neuroscience data analysis and computational neuroscience using Python, a high-level, open-source programming language. The approach is to introduce concepts by explaining them in the context of methods for data analysis, computing, and plotting, and concepts and tools are examined from two perspectives: neuroscience ideas with Pythonic language, and Python tools with neuroscience concepts. Further, layman’s explanations of the code are provided at each step to ensure a thorough introduction to each component of the book. Chapters introduce neuroscience problems and principles in the language of Python, Python concepts and tools in the context of neuroscience, and provide a simple summary of how those concepts and tools work togetherDiscusses how the Python implementation compares to MATLAB and English explanationsCovers Python function libraries relevant to the neuroscience community, primarily NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, and QtPyPoints to relevant additional Python libraries and appropriate further readings