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Python Arithmetic Data Types

Python provides several built-in data types that can be used to represent numbers and perform arithmetic operations.

1. Integers (int)

An integer is a whole number without decimals. It can be positive, negative, or zero.

Examples:

x = 10
y = -5
z = 0

print(type(x))  # <class 'int'>

Python can handle very large integers without any special syntax.

Integer Operations

a = 10
b = 3

print(a + b)   # 13
print(a - b)   # 7
print(a * b)   # 30
print(a // b)  # 3 (floor division)
print(a % b)   # 1 (modulus)
print(a ** b)  # 1000 (exponentiation)

2. Floating Point Numbers (float)

A float represents real numbers with a decimal point.

Examples:

pi = 3.14159
temperature = -7.5
value = 2.0

print(type(pi))  # <class 'float'>

Float Operations

x = 5.5
y = 2.0

print(x + y)   # 7.5
print(x - y)   # 3.5
print(x * y)   # 11.0
print(x / y)   # 2.75

Floats are useful when precision with decimals is required.

3. Complex Numbers (complex)

A complex number has a real part and an imaginary part, written as a + bj.

Examples:

c1 = 2 + 3j
c2 = 4 - 5j

print(type(c1))  # <class 'complex'>

Complex Number Operations

c1 = 2 + 3j
c2 = 1 - 1j

print(c1 + c2)  # (3+2j)
print(c1 - c2)  # (1+4j)
print(c1 * c2)  # (5+1j)
print(c1 / c2)  # (-0.5+2.5j)

Python has built-in support for complex arithmetic.

4. Type Conversion Between Number Types

You can convert between integers, floats, and complex numbers using built-in functions:

print(int(3.9))       # 3 (decimal truncated)
print(float(7))       # 7.0
print(complex(5))     # (5+0j)
print(complex(2, 3))  # (2+3j)

Summary

  • Integers (int): Whole numbers, positive or negative.
  • Floats (float): Numbers with decimals, for precision.
  • Complex (complex): Numbers with real and imaginary parts.
  • Python allows arithmetic operations across all numeric types and provides automatic type promotion when needed.

These arithmetic data types form the foundation of numerical programming in Python!