Using Python for Interactive Data Analysis

This paper is intended to show how Python can be used to interactively analyze data much in the same way IDLTM or Matlab can. The approach taken is to illustrate as quickly as possible how one can perform common data analysis tasks. This is not a tutorial on how to program in Python (many good tutorials are available-targeting various levels of programming experience, either as books or online material; many are free). As with IDL, one can write programs and applications also rather than just execute interactive commands.