In this section, you’ll get ready to tackle functional programming in Python! You’ll learn the basics of functional programming in Python and how you can use immutable data structures to represent data in your programs.

You’ll go over what functional programming (FP) is from a computer science perspective and how it compares to other programming paradigms, like object-oriented programming (OOP) or procedural programming.

Here’s the example data set we’ll be working with throughout the course:

Text

| Name            | Field      | Born | Nobel Prize? |
|-----------------|------------|------|--------------|
| Ada Lovelace    | math       | 1815 | no           |
| Emmy Noether    | math       | 1882 | no           |
| Marie Curie     | math       | 1867 | yes          |
| Tu Youyou       | physics    | 1930 | yes          |
| Ada Yonath      | chemistry  | 1939 | yes          |
| Vera Rubin      | astronomy  | 1928 | no           |
| Sally Ride      | physics    | 1951 | no           |

00:00 Hey guys! It’s Dan. In this video, we’re going to talk about the basics of functional programming in Python. This video is going to be part of a series where I’m going to cover some of the basics of functional programming.

00:13 We’re going to talk about immutable data structures and how you would typically represent your data if you’re using a more functional programming style and—very importantly—we’re also going to talk about what this functional programming stuff is anyway, and what that term means. In the course of these tutorials, I’m going to take you through a few examples where you’ll learn how to work with the filter(), map(), and the reduce() functions in Python.

00:42 These are some of the core building blocks of a more functional programming style, and it’s generally a good thing to know about these, right? Like, if you’re wondering, “Okay, why should I watch this video?” It’s potentially a mind-expanding exercise for you, where you can learn about a different programming style.

01:00 It’s not necessarily better than other programming styles, like object-oriented programming or procedural programming, but it’s another tool in your toolbox that you should really know about.

01:11 So, why don’t we jump in here?

samuelakosa on March 31, 2020

nice!

Simon on May 17, 2020

Very useful! Thanks

manishgspcrop on May 19, 2020

useful

Poo Poo Undy on Aug. 7, 2020

VERY useful!

DroxyDopa on Oct. 23, 2020

Which font is this???

squeakyboots on April 26, 2021

The example data in the description lists Vera Rubin a Chemist, but she’s an Astronomer. The examples later in the course list her as an Astronomer correctly.

Martin Breuss RP Team on April 26, 2021

Thanks @squeakyboots! I fixed it in the description : ) Here’s her Wikipedia page:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Rubin

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Functional Programming Course Overview