inheriting a large python code base

[Roy Smith]

In article <mailman.7028.1392505094.18130.python-list at python.org>,
 Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au> wrote:

> On 15Feb2014 12:10, Rita <rmorgan466 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > i just inherited a large python code base and I would like to optimize the
> > code (run faster). The application is a scientific application so I really
> > don't understand the internal logic.
> [...]
> 
> One thing I would keep in mind is that scientific applications
> generally involve floating point math. That is subject to loss of
> precision if done the wrong way.

Another thing to keep in mind is that scientific applications are often 
written by {physicists, chemists, astronomers, etc} who have no clue 
about how floating point math, or indeed much of anything about 
computers, works :-)