Plots and Data Visualization

Introduction to Matplotlib
What is Matplotlib?
Matplotlib is a plotting library for the Python programming language and its numerical mathematics
extension NumPy. It provides a wide variety of plots and charts for visualizing data.

Why use Matplotlib for Data Visualization?

Used for its flexibility and ease of use, Matplotlib allows users to create high-quality plots with
customizable features.

Plotting with Matplotlib

Title
ax.set_title
Figure Legend
Anatomy of a figure
plt.figure ax.legend
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Green
Pink
Line
ax.plot
Grid
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ax.grid

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Text Annotation
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Y-axis label

H ax.annotate()
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Markers
ylabel
ax.scatter
ax.set_ylabel

Axes
Axis fig.subplots
ax.set_ylabel

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X-axis label

xlabel x Axis
ax.set_xlabel ax.xaxis

Typical Workflow of Plotting

a
Import necessary libraries
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np # (optional, if we need to work with numerical data)

b
Prepare your data
Organize your data in a format that Matplotlib can use for plotting. This often involves using
NumPy arrays or Python lists.
For example:
# Data preparation: Creating two lists representing x and y values
x = np.array([1, 2, 3, 4, 5]) # Array representing x values
y = np.array([10, 15, 13, 18, 16]) # Array representing y values
Plots and Data Visualization
c
Create a plot(s)
Use Matplotlib functions to create different types of plots, such as line plots, bar plots, scatter
plots, histograms, etc.
For example, for a line plot:
• Using the pyplot interface:
plt.plot(x, y)

• Using an object-oriented interface:

fig, ax = plt.subplots() # Create a figure and an axis object
ax.plot(x,y) # Plot data on the axis

*Note:
fig: This represents the entire figure object, including the entire graphical representation, such as axes, labels, legends,
etc. It’s like the canvas on which our plots are drawn.
ax: This represents an individual subplot or axis within the larger figure. Think of it as a container for a specific plot or chart.
We can have multiple axes within a single figure, each representing a separate plot.

d
Customize the plot
Add labels, titles, legends, grid lines, colors, and other customizations to make the plot more
informative and visually appealing.
For example:
plt.xlabel('X-axis') ax.set_xlabel("X-axis")
plt.ylabel('Y-axis') ax.set_ylabel("Y-axis")
plt.title('Simple Line Plot')
Or ax.set_title("Simple Line Plot")
plt.grid(True) ax.grid(True)

e
Save and display the plot
Use plt.show() to display the plot on your screen. You can also save the plot to a file using
plt.savefig().
plt.show()

Simple Line Plot

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Y-axis

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X-axis

f
Interact with the plot (Optional)
Matplotlib provides interactive features for exploring the plot, such as zooming, panning, and
saving specific parts of the plot.
Plots and Data Visualization

Basic Plotting
Line Plot
• Creating a simple line plot
plt.plot(x, y)

• Customizing line styles, marker styles, and colors

For example:
#Setting marker 's' uses a square marker for the plot points
plt.plot(x, y, linestyle='--', marker ='s', color='red')

Simple Line Plot

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Y-axis

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X-axis

For example:
#Setting marker 's' uses a square marker and ‘o’ uses a circle marker for the plot points
plt.plot(x,y1, linestyle='--', marker='s', color='red')
plt.plot(x,y2, linestyle='--', marker='o', color='skyblue')

Scatter Plot
• Creating a scatter plot
plt.scatter(x, y)

Scatter Plot
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Y-axis

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X-axis

• Customizing marker styles and colors

◦ (s)ize, (c)olor, cmap, marker, area, and alpha
For example:
plt.scatter(x, y, marker='*', color='blue')
Plots and Data Visualization
Scatter Plot
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Y-axis
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Bar Plot
• Creating a bar plot
plt.bar(x, height)

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We can use a combination of plots in a single figure as well.

plt.bar(x, y)
plt.plot(x_range, th1, "--", color = '0.2') # adding a certain threshold

• Horizontal Bar Plot

Customizing width, color, and alignment
plt.barh(y, width)

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Plots and Data Visualization
Histogram
• Creating a histogram
plt.hist(data, bins=10)

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• Customizing bin size and colors

plt.hist(data, bins=10, color='skyblue', alpha=0.5, edgecolor='black')

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Pie Chart
• Creating a pie chart
sizes =[55, 30, 15]
plt.pie(sizes)

• Customizing wedge sizes and colors

The following parameters give us a donut pie, as shown below.
labels = ['A', 'B', 'C']
colors=['lightcoral', 'lightskyblue', 'gold']

plt.pie(sizes, colors = colors, labels = labels)

plt.pie([1], colors = ['w'], radius = 0.5)
Plots and Data Visualization
For example:

Advanced Plotting
Subplots
The subplots() function in Matplotlib creates a grid of subplots within a single figure, making it
easier to compare different datasets or visualize multiple aspects of the same data.
• Creating subplots
# Step 1: Create some sample data
x = np.linspace(0, 2*np.pi, 400)
y1 = np.sin(x)
y2 = np.cos(x)
y3 = np.exp(x/2) # Exponential function
# Step 2: Create a figure and a grid of subplots with different sizes
fig, axs = plt.subplots(2, 2, figsize=(10, 8),
gridspec_kw={'width_ratios': [2, 1], 'height_ratios': [1, 2]})
# Step 3: Plot the first subplot in the first row
axs[0, 0].plot(x, y1, color='r')
axs[0, 0].set_title('Sine Function')
# Step 4: Plot the second subplot in the first row
axs[0, 1].plot(x, y2, color='g')
axs[0, 1].set_title('Cosine Function')
# Step 5: Plot the third subplot in the second row
axs[1, 0].plot(x, y3, color='b')
axs[1, 0].set_title('Exponential Function')
# Step 6: Remove the empty subplot in the second row and the second column
fig.delaxes(axs[1, 1])
# Step 7: Adjust the spacing between subplots
plt.tight_layout()
# Step 8: Add a main title to the entire figure
fig.suptitle('Grid of Trigonometric Functions with Different Sizes', fontsize=16, y=1.05)

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Sine Function Cosine Function Exponential Function

Tips
• Adjusting subplot size: Use figsize to control the overall size of the figure and gridspec_kw to
adjust the relative sizes of the subplots.
Plots and Data Visualization
• Removing subplots: Use fig.delaxes(ax) to remove unwanted subplots.
• Spacing and titles: The plt.tight_layout helps to automatically adjust subplot parameters to give
specified padding, and fig.suptitle adds a main title to the figure.

Adding Text Annotations

Text annotations are useful for enhancing the readability and interpretability of your plots. Use
plt.annotate() to add annotations to your plot to label specific data points, highlight important
features, or explain certain aspects of the plot, such as labeling maximum points.
plt.annotate('Here', xy=(3, 6), xytext=(3.5, 7),
arrowprops=dict(facecolor='black', arrowstyle='->'))

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Rotating text:
plt.annotate('Here', xy=(3, 6), xytext=(3.5, 7),
arrowprops=dict(facecolor='black', arrowstyle='->'), rotation = 45)

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Her
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Adding Legends to Plots

• Adding a legend to a plot
plt.plot(x1, y1, label='legend 1')
plt.plot(x2, y2, label='legend 2')
plt.legend()

legend 1
legend 2

• Customizing legend location and appearance

plt.legend(loc='upper right')
Plots and Data Visualization
Using Color Maps for Plots
• Choosing the right color map for your data
plt.scatter(x, y, c=z, cmap='viridis')
plt.colorbar()

3D Plotting
# Generate random data
np.random.seed(42)
x = np.random.normal(size=300)
y = np.random.normal(size=300)
z = np.random.normal(size=300)
# Create a 3D scatter plot
fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_subplot(111, projection='3d')
# Scatter plot
scatter = ax.scatter(x, y, z, c=z, cmap='viridis')

Saving Plots
• Saving plots as image files (PNG, JPEG, etc.)
plt.savefig('plot.png')

• Saving plots as PDF files

plt.savefig('plot.pdf')

Best Practices
• Choosing the right plot type for your data
◦ Consider the nature of your data and the message you want to convey.
• Using descriptive labels and titles
◦ Clearly label your axes and provide a descriptive title for your plot.
• Avoiding cluttered and confusing plots
◦ Use appropriate plot types and avoid overcrowding your plots with data points.
• Using color effectively in plots
◦ Use color to highlight important information and make your plots more visually appealing.
Plots and Data Visualization

Performance Tips
When working with Matplotlib, follow these tips for better performance:

• Use plt.show() sparingly: Only call plt.show() when you need to

display the plot. If creating multiple plots, consider using plt.savefig() to
save them to a file instead of displaying them.
• Use the object-oriented interface: For more control and efficiency,
use the object-oriented interface (fig, ax = plt.subplots()) instead of
the state machine interface (plt.plot()).
• Avoid unnecessary calculations: Avoid redundant calculations by
pre-calculating data outside plotting functions.
• Use NumPy arrays: Use NumPy arrays instead of lists for data storage and
manipulation for faster operations.
• Limit the number of data points: For large datasets, use downsampling or
aggregation to limit the number of data points plotted.
• Use vectorized operations: Use vectorized operations wherever possible,
as they are generally faster than looping over individual data points.
• Avoid unnecessary plot elements: Remove plot elements such as grid
lines, legends, and annotations if they are not essential for understanding
the plot.
• Use tight_layout(): Use plt.tight_layout() to automatically adjust
subplot parameters to fit the plot figure nicely.
• Profile your code: Use tools like cProfile to identify and optimize
performance bottlenecks.