It simply means that you are not sure about what number of rows or columns you can give and you are asking numpy to suggest a number of column or rows to get reshaped in.

numpy provides the last example for -1 https://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/generated/numpy.reshape.html

check below code and its output to better understand about (-1):

CODE:-

import numpy
a = numpy.matrix([[1, 2, 3, 4], [5, 6, 7, 8]])
print("Without reshaping  -> ")
print(a)
b = numpy.reshape(a, -1)
print("HERE We don't know about what number we should give to row/col")
print("Reshaping as (a,-1)")
print(b)
c = numpy.reshape(a, (-1,2))
print("HERE We just know about number of columns")
print("Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))")
print(c)
d = numpy.reshape(a, (2,-1))
print("HERE We just know about number of rows")
print("Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))")
print(d)

OUTPUT:-

Without reshaping  -> 
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]
HERE We don`t know about what number we should give to row/col
Reshaping as (a,-1)
[[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of columns
Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))
[[1 2]
 [3 4]
 [5 6]
 [7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of rows
Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]

It simply means that you are not sure about what number of rows or columns you can give and you are asking numpy to suggest number of column or rows to get reshaped in.

numpy provides last example for -1 https://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/generated/numpy.reshape.html

check below code and its output to better understand about (-1):

CODE:-

import numpy
a = numpy.matrix([[1, 2, 3, 4], [5, 6, 7, 8]])
print("Without reshaping  -> ")
print(a)
b = numpy.reshape(a, -1)
print("HERE We don't know about what number we should give to row/col")
print("Reshaping as (a,-1)")
print(b)
c = numpy.reshape(a, (-1,2))
print("HERE We just know about number of columns")
print("Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))")
print(c)
d = numpy.reshape(a, (2,-1))
print("HERE We just know about number of rows")
print("Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))")
print(d)

OUTPUT  :-

Without reshaping  -> 
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]
HERE We don't know about what number we should give to row/col
Reshaping as (a,-1)
[[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of columns
Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))
[[1 2]
 [3 4]
 [5 6]
 [7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of rows
Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]

It simply means that you are not sure about what number of rows or columns you can give and you are asking numpy to suggest number of column or rows to get reshaped in.

numpy provides last example for -1 https://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/generated/numpy.reshape.html

check below code and its output to better understand about (-1):

CODE:-

import numpy
a = numpy.matrix([[1, 2, 3, 4], [5, 6, 7, 8]])
print("Without reshaping  -> ")
print(a)
b = numpy.reshape(a, -1)
print("HERE We don't know about what number we should give to row/col")
print("Reshaping as (a,-1)")
print(b)
c = numpy.reshape(a, (-1,2))
print("HERE We just know about number of columns")
print("Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))")
print(c)
d = numpy.reshape(a, (2,-1))
print("HERE We just know about number of rows")
print("Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))")
print(d)

OUTPUT  :-

Without reshaping  -> 
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]
HERE We don't know about what number we should give to row/col
Reshaping as (a,-1)
[[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of columns
Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))
[[1 2]
 [3 4]
 [5 6]
 [7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of rows
Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]

It simply means that you are not sure about what number of rows or columns you can give and you are asking numpy to suggest a number of column or rows to get reshaped in.

numpy provides the last example for -1 https://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/generated/numpy.reshape.html

check below code and its output to better understand about (-1):

CODE:-

import numpy
a = numpy.matrix([[1, 2, 3, 4], [5, 6, 7, 8]])
print("Without reshaping  -> ")
print(a)
b = numpy.reshape(a, -1)
print("HERE We don't know about what number we should give to row/col")
print("Reshaping as (a,-1)")
print(b)
c = numpy.reshape(a, (-1,2))
print("HERE We just know about number of columns")
print("Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))")
print(c)
d = numpy.reshape(a, (2,-1))
print("HERE We just know about number of rows")
print("Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))")
print(d)

OUTPUT:-

Without reshaping  -> 
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]
HERE We don`t know about what number we should give to row/col
Reshaping as (a,-1)
[[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of columns
Reshaping as (a,(-1,2))
[[1 2]
 [3 4]
 [5 6]
 [7 8]]
HERE We just know about number of rows
Reshaping as (a,(2,-1))
[[1 2 3 4]
 [5 6 7 8]]