Mathematical Operations & The Math Module

Basic Arithmetic

Python handles math beautifully. Here are the tools you'll use every day:

• Addition & Subtraction: + and -
• Multiplication & Division: * and / (Division always returns a Float!)
• Floor Division (//): Divides and chops off the decimal, returning a whole integer.
• Modulus (%): Returns the remainder of a division. Super useful for finding even/odd numbers (e.g., x % 2 == 0).
• Exponentiation (**): To the power of. 2 ** 3 is 8.

The Math Module

When you need more than basic arithmetic, Python has a built-in module full of mathematical goodies. You just have to import it.

import math

# Find the square root
result = math.sqrt(144)  # 12.0

# Get the value of Pi
pi_value = math.pi

# Round a number UP to the nearest integer
ceil_val = math.ceil(4.2)  # 5