Numpy.mat in Python

background

When reading the book Machine learning in Action, I noticed that when the author used package Numpy, he used a rare function/method named mat(). This is a method I have never seen before. So let’s check the document in Python by using help():

>>>import numpy as np
>>>help(np.mat)

Then the result showing on the screen is:

Help on function asmatrix in module numpy.matrixlib.defmatrix:

asmatrix(data, dtype=None)
    Interpret the input as a matrix.

    Unlike `matrix`, `asmatrix` does not make a copy if the input is already
    a matrix or an ndarray.  Equivalent to ``matrix(data, copy=False)``.

    Parameters
    ----------
    data : array_like
        Input data.

    Returns
    -------
    mat : matrix
        `data` interpreted as a matrix.

    Examples
    --------
    >>> x = np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]])

    >>> m = np.asmatrix(x)

After that, let’s try some other examples:

In [19]: a = [[1,2],[3,4]]

In [20]: a
Out[20]: [[1, 2], [3, 4]]

In [21]: np.mat(a)
Out[21]: 
matrix([[1, 2],
        [3, 4]])

In [22]: b = np.mat(a)

In [23]: b
Out[23]: 
matrix([[1, 2],
        [3, 4]])

In [24]: b[0,0] = 5

In [25]: b
Out[25]: 
matrix([[5, 2],
        [3, 4]])

In [26]: a
Out[26]: [[1, 2], [3, 4]]