Performing Integer Division on a Pandas Series by a Python List

πŸ’‘ Problem Formulation: Suppose you have a Pandas Series and you want to divide its elements by the corresponding elements of a Python list, but you desire the quotient in integer form, discarding the remainder. For example, if you have a Series [8, 9, 10] and you wish to divide it by a list [2, 2, 2], the desired output is an integer division Series [4, 4, 5].

Method 1: Using Series and List with // Operator

This method involves directly applying the integer division operator // on the Pandas Series and the Python list. It is efficient and straightforward, and the operation is performed element-wise. To avoid any potential issues, the length of the Series and the list should match.

Here’s an example:

import pandas as pd

# Create a Pandas Series and a Python list
series = pd.Series([8, 9, 10])
divisor_list = [2, 2, 2]

# Perform integer division
result_series = series // divisor_list
print(result_series)

The output will be:

0    4
1    4
2    5
dtype: int64

The code snippet creates a Pandas Series and a Python list representing the dividend and the divisor respectively. Utilizing the integer division operator //, we perform the operation on a pair-wise basis to obtain a Series of quotients.

Method 2: Using the Series.div() method with floor()

The Series.div() method allows for division of Series elements by another series, list, or scalar. By chaining the floor() function, we can simulate integer division since floor() will truncate the result to the nearest lower integer.

Here’s an example:

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np

series = pd.Series([8, 9, 10])
divisor_list = [2, 2, 2]

# Perform division and then floor
result_series = series.div(divisor_list).apply(np.floor)
print(result_series)

The output will be:

0    4.0
1    4.0
2    5.0
dtype: float64

After dividing the Series by the list, we apply the NumPy floor() function through the Pandas apply() method. This method has the advantage of using built-in Pandas functions, which ensures compatibility and reliability.

Method 3: Using List Comprehension and the zip() Function

List comprehension combined with the zip() function allows us to iterate over paired elements of the Series and the list, performing integer division for each pair. This approach is more manual but offers great flexibility and control over the division process.

Here’s an example:

import pandas as pd

series = pd.Series([8, 9, 10])
divisor_list = [2, 2, 2]

# Using  list comprehension  and zip
result_series = pd.Series([int(x // y) for x, y in zip(series, divisor_list)])
print(result_series)

The output will be:

0    4
1    4
2    5
dtype: int64

By zipping the Series and the list, we can iterate over them in tandem. The list comprehension performs the integer division and ensures the result is an integer. Then, we create a new Pandas Series with the resulting list.

Method 4: Using map() and a Lambda Function

The map() function in conjunction with a lambda function allows us to apply a custom operation, in this case, integer division, to each element of the original Series. The divisor list is iterated over via an external counter.

Here’s an example:

import pandas as pd

series = pd.Series([8, 9, 10])
divisor_list = [2, 2, 2]
counter = 0

# Define a lambda function for integer division
int_divide = lambda x: x // divisor_list[counter]

# Apply the lambda function using map
result_series = series.map(int_divide)
print(result_series)

The output will be:

0    4
1    4
2    5
dtype: int64

In this code snippet, we have defined a lambda function for integer division which captures an external counter to index the divisor list. While powerful, this method requires careful synchronization of the counter and is not as straightforward as other methods.

Bonus One-Liner Method 5: Using Floor Division with enumerate()

This concise method leverages Python’s enumerate() within a list comprehension for simultaneous iteration and indexing, allowing for a one-liner solution to perform pair-wise integer division between a Series and a list.

Here’s an example:

import pandas as pd

series = pd.Series([8, 9, 10])
divisor_list = [2, 2, 2]

# One-liner integer division using enumerate
result_series = pd.Series([val // divisor_list[i] for i, val in enumerate(series)])
print(result_series)

The output will be:

0    4
1    4
2    5
dtype: int64

This compact approach uses the enumerate function to get both index and value, allowing us to apply integer division in a single expression. It’s both elegant and efficient but may be less readable for new programmers.

Summary/Discussion

Method 1: Direct Floor Division Operator. Strengths: Intuitive and straightforward. Weaknesses: Less flexible for complex operations.
Method 2: Series.div() with floor(). Strengths: Relies on Pandas and NumPy inherent methods. Weaknesses: Might be less efficient due to two-step process.
Method 3: List Comprehension with zip(). Strengths: Grants more control to the programmer. Weaknesses: Verbosity can be an issue for larger operations.
Method 4: Using map() and Lambda Function. Strengths: Highly customizable. Weaknesses: Potentially complex and can introduce synchronization issues.
Method 5: Bonus One-Liner with enumerate(). Strengths: Compact and Pythonic. Weaknesses: Might sacrifice readability for brevity.