• from: SciPy Scientific Tools for Python - About SciPy

From Travis Oliphant's SciPy Tutorial :


SciPy is a collection of mathematical algorithms and convenience functions built on the Numeric extension for Python. It adds significant power to the interactive Python session by exposing the user to high-level commands and classes for the manipulation and visualization of data. With SciPy, an interactive Python session becomes a data-processing and system-prototyping environment rivaling sytems such as Matlab, IDL, Octave, R-Lab, and SciLab.


The additional power of using SciPy within Python, however, is that a powerful programming language is also available for use in developing sophisticated programs and specialized applications. Scientific applications written in SciPy benefit from the development of additional modules in numerous niches of the software landscape by developers across the world. Everything from parallel programming to web and database subroutines and classes have been made available to the Python programmer. All of this power is available in addition to the mathematical libraries in SciPy.