Rename Columns

Problem Description

You are given a DataFrame students with the following columns: id, first, last, and age. Your task is to rename the columns as follows:

• id to student_id
• first to first_name
• last to last_name
• age to age_in_years

The result should be a DataFrame with the renamed columns.

Key Insights

• Understanding how to manipulate DataFrame column names is crucial for data preprocessing.
• Renaming columns is a common operation in data analysis and database management.
• Familiarity with DataFrame operations can enhance your ability to work with large datasets.

Space and Time Complexity

Time Complexity: O(n), where n is the number of rows in the DataFrame, as each row needs to be traversed to create the new DataFrame. Space Complexity: O(1) if we ignore the output DataFrame space, as we are only renaming the columns in place.

Solution

To solve this problem, we will use a DataFrame manipulation approach. The primary data structure is a DataFrame, which allows for easy access and modification of column names. The algorithm involves creating a mapping of the old column names to the new column names and then applying this mapping to rename the columns.

1. Create a dictionary that maps old column names to new column names.
2. Use the DataFrame's rename method to apply this mapping.
3. Return the modified DataFrame.

Code Solutions