PyArmadillo: a streamlined linear algebra library for Python

TL;DR

PyArmadillo is a Python library that offers a Matlab-like syntax for linear algebra, enabling easy algorithm prototyping and seamless conversion to high-performance C++ code with Armadillo.

Contribution

It introduces a Python interface closely mirroring the Armadillo C++ library, facilitating rapid prototyping and efficient code translation between Python and C++.

Findings

Provides a Matlab-like syntax for Python linear algebra

Supports over 200 matrix operations and factorisations

Enables easy integration with C++ for performance improvements

Abstract

PyArmadillo is a linear algebra library for the Python language, with the aim of closely mirroring the programming interface of the widely used Armadillo C++ library, which in turn is deliberately similar to Matlab. PyArmadillo hence facilitates algorithm prototyping with Matlab-like syntax directly in Python, and relatively straightforward conversion of PyArmadillo-based Python code into performant Armadillo-based C++ code. The converted code can be used for purposes such as speeding up Python-based programs in conjunction with pybind11, or the integration of algorithms originally prototyped in Python into larger C++ codebases. PyArmadillo provides objects for matrices and cubes, as well as over 200 associated functions for manipulating data stored in the objects. Integer, floating point and complex numbers are supported. Various matrix factorisations are provided through integration with LAPACK, or one of its high performance drop-in replacements such as Intel MKL or OpenBLAS. PyArmadillo is open-source software, distributed under the Apache 2.0 license; it can be obtained at https://pyarma.sourceforge.io or via the Python Package Index in precompiled form.