10.1 Python Basics

Python is a simple, readable programming language that has become the standard for AI and data work. Its clean syntax lets you focus on ideas instead of fighting the language, and a huge ecosystem of ready-made libraries does the heavy lifting.

The basics you start with are variables (storing values), data types (numbers, text, lists), loops (repeating actions), conditionals (if/else decisions), and functions (reusable blocks of code). For example, a price = 50 variable could hold the cost of airtime, and an if statement could decide whether to give a discount.