In [1]: import numpy as np
In [2]: a = np.array([[2,0],[3,0],[3,1],[5,0],[5,1],[5,2]])
In [3]: b = np.zeros((6,3), dtype='int32')
In [4]: b[a[:,0], a[:,1]] = 10
In [5]: b
Out[5]:
array([[ 0, 0, 0],
[ 0, 0, 0],
[10, 0, 0],
[10, 10, 0],
[ 0, 0, 0],
[10, 10, 10]])
Why it works:
If you index b with two numpy arrays in an assignment,
b[x, y] = z
then think of NumPy as moving simultaneously over each element of x and each element of y and each element of z (let's call them xval, yval and zval), and assigning to b[xval, yval] the value zval. When z is a constant, "moving over z just returns the same value each time.
That's what we want, with x being the first column of a and y being the second column of a. Thus, choose x = a[:, 0], and y = a[:, 1].
b[a[:,0], a[:,1]] = 10
Why b[a] = 10 does not work
When you write b[a], think of NumPy as creating a new array by moving over each element of a, (let's call each one idx) and placing in the new array the value of b[idx] at the location of idx in a.
idx is a value in a. So it is an int32. b is of shape (6,3), so b[idx] is a row of b of shape (3,). For example, when idx is
In [37]: a[1,1]
Out[37]: 0
b[a[1,1]] is
In [38]: b[a[1,1]]
Out[38]: array([0, 0, 0])
So
In [33]: b[a].shape
Out[33]: (6, 2, 3)
So let's repeat: NumPy is creating a new array by moving over each element of a and placing in the new array the value of b[idx] at the location of idx in a. As idx moves over a, an array of shape (6,2) would be created. But since b[idx] is itself of shape (3,), at each location in the (6,2)-shaped array, a (3,)-shaped value is being placed. The result is an array of shape (6,2,3).
Now, when you make an assignment like
b[a] = 10
a temporary array of shape (6,2,3) with values b[a] is created, then the assignment is performed. Since 10 is a constant, this assignment places the value 10 at each location in the (6,2,3)-shaped array.
Then the values from the temporary array are reassigned back to b.
See reference to docs. Thus the values in the (6,2,3)-shaped array are copied back to the (6,3)-shaped b array. Values overwrite each other. But the main point is you do not obtain the assignments you desire.
In [1]: import numpy as np
In [2]: a = np.array([[2,0],[3,0],[3,1],[5,0],[5,1],[5,2]])
In [3]: b = np.zeros((6,3), dtype='int32')
In [4]: b[a[:,0], a[:,1]] = 10
In [5]: b
Out[5]:
array([[ 0, 0, 0],
[ 0, 0, 0],
[10, 0, 0],
[10, 10, 0],
[ 0, 0, 0],
[10, 10, 10]])
Why it works:
If you index b with two numpy arrays in an assignment,
b[x, y] = z
then think of NumPy as moving simultaneously over each element of x and each element of y and each element of z (let's call them xval, yval and zval), and assigning to b[xval, yval] the value zval. When z is a constant, "moving over z just returns the same value each time.
That's what we want, with x being the first column of a and y being the second column of a. Thus, choose x = a[:, 0], and y = a[:, 1].
b[a[:,0], a[:,1]] = 10
Why b[a] = 10 does not work
When you write b[a], think of NumPy as creating a new array by moving over each element of a, (let's call each one idx) and placing in the new array the value of b[idx] at the location of idx in a.
idx is a value in a. So it is an int32. b is of shape (6,3), so b[idx] is a row of b of shape (3,). For example, when idx is
In [37]: a[1,1]
Out[37]: 0
b[a[1,1]] is
In [38]: b[a[1,1]]
Out[38]: array([0, 0, 0])
So
In [33]: b[a].shape
Out[33]: (6, 2, 3)
So let's repeat: NumPy is creating a new array by moving over each element of a and placing in the new array the value of b[idx] at the location of idx in a. As idx moves over a, an array of shape (6,2) would be created. But since b[idx] is itself of shape (3,), at each location in the (6,2)-shaped array, a (3,)-shaped value is being placed. The result is an array of shape (6,2,3).
Now, when you make an assignment like
b[a] = 10
a temporary array of shape (6,2,3) with values b[a] is created, then the assignment is performed. Since 10 is a constant, this assignment places the value 10 at each location in the (6,2,3)-shaped array.
Then the values from the temporary array are reassigned back to b.
See reference to docs. Thus the values in the (6,2,3)-shaped array are copied back to the (6,3)-shaped b array. Values overwrite each other. But the main point is you do not obtain the assignments you desire.
TL;DR: Use advanced indexing: b[*a.T] = 10
You can also transpose the index array a, convert the result into a tuple and index the array b and assign a value. Converting the index array into a tuple (or unpacking it inside a []) ensures that multidimensional indexing works as expected. This is assignment by advanced indexing.
a = np.array([[2, 0], [3, 0], [3, 1], [5, 0], [5, 1], [5, 2]])
b = np.zeros((6,3), dtype ='int32')
b[*a.T] = 10
# or
b[tuple(a.T)] = 10
# or
b[(*a.T,)] = 10
# or
b[(*a.T.tolist(),)] = 10
All of them produce the expected output of
array([[ 0, 0, 0],
[ 0, 0, 0],
[10, 0, 0],
[10, 10, 0],
[ 0, 0, 0],
[10, 10, 10]])