What is the "kernel" in a Jupyter notebook?
In Jupyter Notebook, a kernel is the computational engine that executes the code you write in the notebook's cells. Each notebook is connected to a specific kernel, which determines the programming language you can use.
For example, the most common kernel is the IPython kernel, which runs Python code, but there are kernels available for many other languages, such as R, Julia, and JavaScript.
Key Functions of a Kernel:
- Execution: It runs the code in each cell and returns the output.
- State Management: It maintains the state of variables, functions, and imports, allowing you to run cells out of order while preserving the environment.
- Communication: It communicates with the notebook's user interface to display output, error messages, and visualizations.
- Interactivity: It supports interactive computing, allowing you to visualize data using libraries like Matplotlib and Plotly.
Common Kernel Actions:
- Restart: Clears all variables and resets the environment, effectively starting from scratch.
- Interrupt: Stops a running cell (useful if the code is stuck in an infinite loop).
- Change Kernel: You can switch to another language or version if different kernels are installed.
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