Python Floating Points

Python Floating Point Numbers

Some general information about floating point numbers and how they work in Python, can be found here.

Nearly all implementations of Python follow the IEEE 754 specification: Standard for Binary Floating-Point Arithmetic. More information found on the IEEE site.

Float objects can be created using using floating point literals:

>>> 3.14
3.14
>>> 314\.    # Trailing zero(s) not required.
314.0
>>> .314    # Leading zero(s) not required.
0.314
>>> 3e0
3.0
>>> 3E0     # 'e' or 'E' can be used.
3.0
>>> 3e1     # Positive value after e moves the decimal to the right.
30.0
>>> 3e-1    # Negative value after e moves the decimal to the left.
0.3
>>> 3.14e+2 # '+' not required but can be used for exponent part.
314.0

Numeric literals do not contain a sign, however creating negative float objects is possible by prefixing with a unary - (minus) operator with no space before the literal

>>> -3.141592653589793
-3.141592653589793
>>> type(-3.141592653589793)
<class 'float'>

Likewise, positive float objects can be prefixed with a unary + (plus) operator with no space before the literal. Usually + is omitted:

>>> +3.141592653589793
3.141592653589793

Note that leading and trailing zero(s) are valid for floating point literals

>>> 0.0
0.0
>>> 00.00
0.0
>>> 00100.00100
100.001
>>> 001e0010      # Same as 1e10
10000000000.0

The float constructor is another way to create float objects.

Creating float objects with floating point literals is preferred when possible:

>>> a = 3.14         # Prefer floating point literal when possible.
>>> type(a)
<class 'float'>
>>> b = int(3.14)    # Works but unnecessary.
>>> type(b)
<class 'float'>

However, the float constructor allows for creating float objects from other number types:

>>> a = 4
>>> type(a)
<class 'int'>
>>> print(a)
4
>>> b = float(4)
>>> type(b)
<class 'float'>
>>> print(b)
4.0
>>> float(400000000000000000000000000000000)
4e+32
>>> float(.00000000000000000000000000000004)
4e-32
>>> float(True)
1.0
>>> float(False)
0.0

The float constructor will also make float objects from strings that represent number literals:

>>> float('1')
1.0
>>> float('.1')
0.1
>>> float('3.')
3.0
>>> float('1e-3')
0.001
>>> float('3.14')
3.14
>>> float('-.15e-2')
-0.0015

The float constructor can also be used to make numeric representation of NaN (Not a Number), negative infinity and infinity (note strings for these are case insensitive):

>>> float('nan')
nan
>>> float('inf')
inf
>>> float('-inf')
-inf
>>> float('infinity')
inf
>>> float('-infinity')
-inf

Previous