Suppose we want to interpolate the 2-D function

>>> import numpy as np
>>> def func(x, y):
...     return x*(1-x)*np.cos(4*np.pi*x) * np.sin(4*np.pi*y**2)**2

on a grid in [0, 1]x[0, 1]

>>> grid_x, grid_y = np.meshgrid(np.linspace(0, 1, 100),
...                              np.linspace(0, 1, 200), indexing='ij')

but we only know its values at 1000 data points:

>>> rng = np.random.default_rng()
>>> points = rng.random((1000, 2))
>>> values = func(points[:,0], points[:,1])

This can be done with `griddata` -- below, we try out all of the
interpolation methods:

>>> from scipy.interpolate import griddata
>>> grid_z0 = griddata(points, values, (grid_x, grid_y), method='nearest')
>>> grid_z1 = griddata(points, values, (grid_x, grid_y), method='linear')
>>> grid_z2 = griddata(points, values, (grid_x, grid_y), method='cubic')

One can see that the exact result is reproduced by all of the
methods to some degree, but for this smooth function the piecewise
cubic interpolant gives the best results (black dots show the data being
interpolated):

>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
>>> plt.subplot(221)
>>> plt.imshow(func(grid_x, grid_y).T, extent=(0, 1, 0, 1), origin='lower')
>>> plt.plot(points[:, 0], points[:, 1], 'k.', ms=1)   # data
>>> plt.title('Original')
>>> plt.subplot(222)
>>> plt.imshow(grid_z0.T, extent=(0, 1, 0, 1), origin='lower')
>>> plt.title('Nearest')
>>> plt.subplot(223)
>>> plt.imshow(grid_z1.T, extent=(0, 1, 0, 1), origin='lower')
>>> plt.title('Linear')
>>> plt.subplot(224)
>>> plt.imshow(grid_z2.T, extent=(0, 1, 0, 1), origin='lower')
>>> plt.title('Cubic')
>>> plt.gcf().set_size_inches(6, 6)
>>> plt.show()

`griddata` is based on triangulation, hence is appropriate for unstructured,
scattered data. If your data is on a full grid,  the `griddata` function ---
despite its name --- is not the right tool. Use `RegularGridInterpolator`
instead.

If the input data is such that input dimensions have incommensurate
units and differ by many orders of magnitude, the interpolant may have
numerical artifacts. Consider rescaling the data before interpolating
or use the ``rescale=True`` keyword argument to `griddata`.

>>> import numpy as np
>>> from scipy.interpolate import RBFInterpolator, InterpolatedUnivariateSpline
>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

>>> # setup data
>>> x = np.linspace(0, 10, 9).reshape(-1, 1)
>>> y = np.sin(x)
>>> xi = np.linspace(0, 10, 101).reshape(-1, 1)

>>> # use fitpack2 method
>>> ius = InterpolatedUnivariateSpline(x, y)
>>> yi = ius(xi)

>>> fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(2, 1)
>>> ax1.plot(x, y, 'bo')
>>> ax1.plot(xi, yi, 'g')
>>> ax1.plot(xi, np.sin(xi), 'r')
>>> ax1.set_title('Interpolation using univariate spline')

>>> # use RBF method
>>> rbf = RBFInterpolator(x, y)
>>> fi = rbf(xi)

>>> ax2.plot(x, y, 'bo')
>>> ax2.plot(xi, fi, 'g')
>>> ax2.plot(xi, np.sin(xi), 'r')
>>> ax2.set_title('Interpolation using RBF - multiquadrics')
>>> plt.tight_layout()
>>> plt.show()

>>> import numpy as np
>>> from scipy.interpolate import RBFInterpolator
>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

>>> # 2-d tests - setup scattered data
>>> rng = np.random.default_rng()
>>> xy = rng.random((100, 2))*4.0-2.0
>>> z = xy[:, 0]*np.exp(-xy[:, 0]**2-xy[:, 1]**2)
>>> edges = np.linspace(-2.0, 2.0, 101)
>>> centers = edges[:-1] + np.diff(edges[:2])[0] / 2.
>>> x_i, y_i = np.meshgrid(centers, centers)
>>> x_i = x_i.reshape(-1, 1)
>>> y_i = y_i.reshape(-1, 1)
>>> xy_i = np.concatenate([x_i, y_i], axis=1)

>>> # use RBF
>>> rbf = RBFInterpolator(xy, z, epsilon=2)
>>> z_i = rbf(xy_i)

>>> # plot the result
>>> fig, ax = plt.subplots()
>>> X_edges, Y_edges = np.meshgrid(edges, edges)
>>> lims = dict(cmap='RdBu_r', vmin=-0.4, vmax=0.4)
>>> mapping = ax.pcolormesh(
...     X_edges, Y_edges, z_i.reshape(100, 100),
...     shading='flat', **lims
... )
>>> ax.scatter(xy[:, 0], xy[:, 1], 100, z, edgecolor='w', lw=0.1, **lims)
>>> ax.set(
...     title='RBF interpolation - multiquadrics',
...     xlim=(-2, 2),
...     ylim=(-2, 2),
... )
>>> fig.colorbar(mapping)