seniorNumPy
How does NumPy handle advanced indexing vs basic slicing internally?
Updated May 17, 2026
Short answer
Basic slicing returns views, while advanced indexing returns copies due to non-contiguous memory access.
Deep explanation
Basic slicing modifies stride metadata, enabling zero-copy views. Advanced indexing (fancy indexing) uses arrays or boolean masks, which require gathering scattered memory locations into a new contiguous buffer. This breaks view semantics and forces allocation of new memory.
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