How to input matrix (2D list) in Python 3.4?

Question

I am new to Python 3.4 and I usually use MATLAB/ GNU Octave for matrix calculation. I know we can perform matrix calculation using numpy in Python 2.x, but numpy does not work for Python 3.4.

I tried to create this code to input an m by n matrix. I intended to input [[1,2,3],[4,5,6]] but the code yields [[4,5,6],[4,5,6]. Same things happen when I input other m by n matrix, the code yields an m by n matrix whose rows are identical.

Perhaps you can help me to find what is wrong with my code.

m = int(input('number of rows, m = '))
n = int(input('number of columns, n = '))
matrix = []; columns = []
# initialize the number of rows
for i in range(0,m):
  matrix += [0]
# initialize the number of columns
for j in range (0,n):
  columns += [0]
# initialize the matrix
for i in range (0,m):
  matrix[i] = columns
for i in range (0,m):
  for j in range (0,n):
    print ('entry in row: ',i+1,' column: ',j+1)
    matrix[i][j] = int(input())
print (matrix)

Answer 1

Creating matrix with prepopulated numbers can be done with list comprehension. It may be hard to read but it gets job done:

rows = int(input('Number of rows: '))
cols = int(input('Number of columns: '))
matrix = [[i + cols * j for i in range(1, cols + 1)] for j in range(rows)]

with 2 rows and 3 columns matrix will be [[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]], with 3 rows and 2 columns matrix will be [[1, 2], [3, 4], [5, 6]] etc.

Answer 2

The problem is on the initialization step.

for i in range (0,m):
  matrix[i] = columns

This code actually makes every row of your matrix refer to the same columns object. If any item in any column changes - every other column will change:

>>> for i in range (0,m):
...     matrix[i] = columns
... 
>>> matrix
[[0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 0]]
>>> matrix[1][1] = 2
>>> matrix
[[0, 2, 0], [0, 2, 0]]

You can initialize your matrix in a nested loop, like this:

matrix = []
for i in range(0,m):
    matrix.append([])
    for j in range(0,n):
        matrix[i].append(0)

or, in a one-liner by using list comprehension:

matrix = [[0 for j in range(n)] for i in range(m)]

or:

matrix = [x[:] for x in [[0]*n]*m]

See also:

• How to initialize a two-dimensional array in Python?

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

you can accept a 2D list in python this way ...

simply

arr2d = [[j for j in input().strip()] for i in range(n)] 
# n is no of rows

for characters

n = int(input().strip())
m = int(input().strip())
a = [[0]*n for _ in range(m)]
for i in range(n):
    a[i] = list(input().strip())
print(a)

or

n = int(input().strip())
n = int(input().strip())
a = []
for i in range(n):
    a[i].append(list(input().strip()))
print(a)

for numbers

n = int(input().strip())
m = int(input().strip())
a = [[0]*n for _ in range(m)]
for i in range(n):
    a[i] = [int(j) for j in input().strip().split(" ")]
print(a)

where n is no of elements in columns while m is no of elements in a row.

In pythonic way, this will create a list of list

Answer 4

Apart from the accepted answer, you can also initialise your rows in the following manner - matrix[i] = [0]*n

Therefore, the following piece of code will work -

m = int(input('number of rows, m = '))
n = int(input('number of columns, n = '))
matrix = []
# initialize the number of rows
for i in range(0,m):
    matrix += [0]
# initialize the matrix
for i in range (0,m):
    matrix[i] = [0]*n
for i in range (0,m):
    for j in range (0,n):
        print ('entry in row: ',i+1,' column: ',j+1)
        matrix[i][j] = int(input())
print (matrix)

Answer 5

a = []
b = []

m=input("enter no of rows: ")
n=input("enter no of coloumns: ")

for i in range(n):
     a = []
     for j in range(m):
         a.append(input())
     b.append(a)

Input : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Output : [ ['1', '2', '3'], ['4', '5', '6'], ['7', '8', '9'] ]

Answer 6

m,n=map(int,input().split()) # m - number of rows; n - number of columns;

matrix = [[int(j) for j in input().split()[:n]] for i in range(m)]

for i in matrix:print(i)