Re: [Numpy-discussion] Args for rand and randn: call for a vote

[Scott R. <sr...@nr...>]

On Sat, Jul 08, 2006 at 06:15:25PM -0500, Robert Kern wrote:
> Pau Gargallo wrote:
> > On 7/8/06, Robert Kern <rob...@gm...> wrote:
> >> Ed Schofield wrote:
> >>> * Should numpy.rand and numpy.randn accept sequences of dimensions as
> >>> arguments, like rand((3,3)), as an alternative to rand(3,3)?
> >>> * Should rand((3,3)) and randn((3,3)) continue to raise a TypeError?
> >> This is a false dichotomy. There are more choices here.
> >>
> >> * Remove rand and randn (at least from the toplevel namespace) and promote the
> >> use of random_sample and standard_normal which already follow the tuple convention.
> > 
> > i just wanted to point out another possible choice:
> > 
> >   * enable numpy.rand((3,3)) and make numpy.rand(3,3) raise an error
> > as zeros and ones do.
> > 
> > I suppose that you all discussed a lot about this choice also, but it
> > still seems very reasonable to me :-(
> 
> Extensively! The problem I have with it is that there are already functions 
> which do exactly that. Why have two functions that do exactly the same thing 
> with exactly the same interface but different names? I say, pick one and get rid 
> of the other if you must remove rand(3,3).

Robert, what you say is a perfectly valid solution for the spirit
of the first selection.  My +1 vote was really for _some_
functions in the top level numpy namespace that take tuple "shape"
parameters as input and generate uniform and gaussian normal
random deviates.  

If those functions are random_sample (although that is a bad name,
IMO, "random" is better -- which is already in there) and
standard_normal that is fine by me.

The problem was (is?) that rand and randn are not consistent with
everything else.  _That_ is why people are having issues.

Scott

-- 
Scott M. Ransom            Address:  NRAO
Phone:  (434) 296-0320               520 Edgemont Rd.
email:  sr...@nr...             Charlottesville, VA 22903 USA
GPG Fingerprint: 06A9 9553 78BE 16DB 407B  FFCA 9BFA B6FF FFD3 2989