code: def set_initial_conditions(self, initial_distribution=None,
                                 samples_file=None):
          
          self.set_p0(samples_file=samples_file, prior=initial_distribution)
          # if a samples file was provided, use it to set the state of the
          # sampler
          if samples_file is not None:
              self.set_state_from_file(samples_file)
docs: Sets the initial starting point for the MCMC.
  
          If a starting samples file is provided, will also load the random
          state from it.