Integers

Integers, data type int, are interpreted as numbers, enabling you to perform standard mathematical operations efficiently. Integers represent whole numbers, crucial for various mathematical and computational tasks.

Declaring integers in Python is a breeze, following the same straightforward syntax used for all variables. You assign a value to a variable name using the assignment operator (=). For instance, you can declare integers like this:

Declaring Integer Variables
rank = 10
eggs = 12
people = 3

Tip

Exercise caution when combining an int with a string. To ensure correct output, you must cast the int as a string within the context of the print() statement. For example, when working with the variable my_age = 12, a standard concatenated print statement would need to cast the variable like this: print("My age is " + str(my_age)). This casting operation ensures that the int value of my_age is correctly interpreted as part of the string. Python can also handle this automatically through the use of "F-strings".

The primary use of an int in Python is mathematical operations. Whether you’re calculating the area of geometric shapes, managing quantities, or working on numerical algorithms, using an int is almost always necessary. You can efficiently perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and even exponentiation. Here is a basic example:

Python Math
length = 10
width = 5
height = 3
base = 10
side = 6
rectangle_area = length * width # a value of 30 would now be assigned to the variable area
triangle_area = (0.5 * base * height) # one half base multiplied by height
square_area = side**2 # exponents
print("The area of a the rectangle is " + str(rectangle_area))
print(f"The area of the triangle is {triangle_area}") # using F-strings
print(f"The area of the square is {square_area}")

Results in:

The area of a the rectangle is 50
The area of the triangle is 15.0
The area of the square is 36