What are lambda expressions and how are they used in data science?

What are lambda expressions and how are they used in data science?

Lambda expressions are anonymous functions defined with the keyword 'lambda'. In data science, they are often used for data manipulation and transformation, especially with libraries like Pandas.

Can you give me an example of a lambda expression in Python?

Sure! Here's a simple example: lambda x: x * 2 is a lambda function that takes an input x and returns its double.

How would I use that in a Pandas DataFrame?

You can use it with the apply method. For example: df['column_name'].apply(lambda x: x * 2) will double all values in 'column_name'.

Are there any performance considerations when using lambda expressions?

Yes, while lambda expressions are concise, they can be less readable than regular functions. For large datasets, using built-in functions or vectorized operations is often more efficient.