What are lambda functions and how are they used in data processing?

What are lambda functions and how are they used in data processing?

Lambda functions are anonymous functions defined with the keyword 'lambda'. They are often used for short, throwaway functions in data processing tasks.

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

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

How do I use lambda functions with the map function?

You can use them like this: list(map(lambda x: x * 2, [1, 2, 3])) which will return [2, 4, 6].

What are the advantages of using lambda functions?

They are concise, can be defined in-line, and are useful for functional programming techniques like map, filter, and reduce.