Truncating Floating-Point Numbers in Python

Code Explanation

import math

float1 = 123.356
float2 = -2434.545

print(math.trunc(float1))
print(math.trunc(float2))

Overview

The provided code snippet is written in Python and performs the following steps:

1. Importing the Math Module: It imports the math module, which includes various mathematical functions.
2. Variable Assignment: It assigns two floating-point numbers (float1 and float2) to variables.
3. Truncating Floats: It uses the math.trunc() function to truncate (i.e., remove the decimal part) these floating-point numbers and prints the results.

Detailed Breakdown

1. Importing the Math Module

import math

• Purpose: Makes the mathematical functions defined in the math module available for use in this script. Specifically, the script utilizes the math.trunc() function.

2. Variable Assignment

float1 = 123.356
float2 = -2434.545

• Purpose: Defines two floating-point variables.
  • float1 has a value of 123.356.
  • float2 has a value of -2434.545.

3. Truncating Floats

print(math.trunc(float1))
print(math.trunc(float2))

• Purpose: Uses the math.trunc() function to truncate the floating-point numbers and print the results.
  • math.trunc(float1): This function call removes the decimal part of float1 (which is 123.356), resulting in 123.
  • math.trunc(float2): Similarly, this function call removes the decimal part of float2 (which is -2434.545), resulting in -2434.

Summary of math.trunc()

• Function: math.trunc(x)
• Purpose: Truncates the decimal part of x and returns the integer part only.
• Behavior:
  • Positive floats are truncated down towards zero. Example: math.trunc(123.356) results in 123.
  • Negative floats also truncate towards zero. Example: math.trunc(-2434.545) results in -2434.

Complete Code with Output

Below is the complete code along with the expected output:

import math

float1 = 123.356
float2 = -2434.545

print(math.trunc(float1))  # Output: 123
print(math.trunc(float2))  # Output: -2434

Additional Examples

To further illustrate the concept, consider the following variations:

import math

float3 = 56.789
float4 = -98.765

print(math.trunc(float3))  # Output: 56
print(math.trunc(float4))  # Output: -98

Key Concepts

• Truncation: The process of discarding the fractional part of a number without rounding. The math.trunc() function performs this operation.
• Math Module: A standard Python library used for mathematical operations.

Learning Path

For a deeper understanding, consider exploring the following topics on the Enterprise DNA Platform:

• Introduction to Python Programming
• Working with the Math Module in Python
• Understanding Floating-Point Arithmetic in Python