NumPy degrees() – Convert Radians to Degrees

NumPy degrees()

The numpy.degrees() function converts angles from radians to degrees. This is useful in trigonometric calculations where degrees are preferred over radians.

Syntax

numpy.degrees(x, /, out=None, *, where=True, casting='same_kind', order='K', dtype=None, subok=True)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
x	array_like	Input array containing angles in radians.
out	ndarray, None, or tuple of ndarray and None, optional	Optional output array to store the result. If not provided, a new array is created.
where	array_like, optional	Boolean mask that selects elements for conversion. Elements where where=False retain their original value.
casting	str, optional	Defines the casting behavior when performing the conversion.
order	str, optional	Memory layout order of the output array.
dtype	data-type, optional	Defines the data type of the output array.
subok	bool, optional	Determines if subclasses of ndarray are preserved in the output.

Return Value

Returns an array with angles converted from radians to degrees. If the input is a scalar, a scalar is returned.

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Examples

1. Converting a Single Radian Value to Degrees

Convert a single angle from radians to degrees.

import numpy as np

# Define an angle in radians
angle_rad = np.pi  # π radians (180 degrees)

# Convert radians to degrees
angle_deg = np.degrees(angle_rad)

# Print the result
print("Degrees:", angle_deg)

Output:

Degrees: 180.0

2. Converting an Array of Radians to Degrees

Convert multiple radian values to degrees using an array.

import numpy as np

# Define an array of angles in radians
angles_rad = np.array([0, np.pi/6, np.pi/4, np.pi/3, np.pi/2])  # [0, 30, 45, 60, 90] degrees in radians

# Convert radians to degrees
angles_deg = np.degrees(angles_rad)

# Print the results
print("Radians:", angles_rad)
print("Degrees:", angles_deg)

Output:

Radians: [0.         0.52359878 0.78539816 1.04719755 1.57079633]
Degrees: [ 0. 30. 45. 60. 90.]

3. Using the out Parameter

Using an output array to store results instead of creating a new array.

import numpy as np

# Define an array of angles in radians
angles_rad = np.array([0, np.pi/2, np.pi, 2*np.pi])  # [0, 90, 180, 360] degrees in radians

# Create an output array with the same shape
output_array = np.empty_like(angles_rad)

# Convert radians to degrees and store result in output_array
np.degrees(angles_rad, out=output_array)

# Print the results
print("Converted degrees:", output_array)

Output:

Converted degrees: [  0.  90. 180. 360.]

4. Using the where Parameter

Using a condition to convert only specific elements.

import numpy as np

# Define an array of angles in radians
angles_rad = np.array([0, np.pi/4, np.pi/2, np.pi])

# Define a mask (convert only where mask is True)
mask = np.array([True, False, True, False])

# Convert radians to degrees only for selected elements
angles_deg = np.degrees(angles_rad, where=mask)

# Print the results
print("Converted degrees with mask:", angles_deg)

Output:

Converted degrees with mask: [ 0.  0. 90.  0.]

The conversion is performed only where mask=True.