What are Integers in Python?
int is a built-in data type that stores whole numbers (positive, negative, or zero).
They have unlimited size, limited only by available memory on your system.
Python automatically infers integers when you assign whole numbers without quotes (e.g., x = 10).
Operations on Integers:
Arithmetic: Addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/) (returns a float if the result is not an integer), integer division (//) (rounds down to the nearest whole number), modulo (%) (remainder after division).
Comparison: Equal (==), not equal (!=), greater than (>), less than (<), greater than or equal to (>=), less than or equal to (<=).
Logical: and, or, not.
Bitwise: & (bitwise AND), | (bitwise OR), ^ (bitwise XOR), ~ (bitwise NOT), << (left shift), >> (right shift).
Key Points to Remember:
Division using / results in a float if the result is not an integer. Use // for integer division.
Modulo (%) gives the remainder after division.
Bitwise operations operate on individual bits of the integers, useful for low-level operations.
Python automatically converts between integers and floats when necessary.
Working with Large Integers:
For integers beyond Python's default size, use the BigInteger class from the decimal module:
Python int example - basic example with negative values and get datatype name
x = 1
y = 35656222554887711
z = -3255522
print(type(x))
print(type(y))
print(type(z))
Output
<class 'int'>
<class 'int'>
<class 'int'>
Python int example - basic example for int datatype
x = 0
print(x)
x=10
print(x)
x= -10
print(x)
x=1234567890
print(x)
x=1234567890123456789012345678901234567890print(x)
Output
0
10
-10
1234567890
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890
Best Practices for Using Integers:
Consider using floats for calculations involving decimals.
Be mindful of integer size limitations in older Python versions.
Use descriptive variable names to represent the meaning of integers.
Leverage appropriate mathematical and bitwise operations for efficient calculations.
Beyond the Basics:
Explore advanced integer handling using the math module for functions like factorial, gcd, lcm.
Understand how integers are stored in memory for low-level programming optimization.
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