The int Type in Python

In Python, integers (int) are positive or negative whole numbers, with no predefined size limit (only the limitations of system memory).

In Python, integers can be declared in the following ways:

numero_entero = 42

numero_negativo = -10

Operations with integers

Python supports basic mathematical operations with integers, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division:

# Addition
suma = 10 + 5
print(suma)  # Output: 15

# Subtraction
resta = 10 - 5
print(resta)  # Output: 5

# Multiplication
multiplicacion = 10 * 5
print(multiplicacion)  # Output: 50

# Division
division = 10 / 5
print(division)  # Output: 2.0 (the result is always a float in Python 3)

Integer Division and Modulo

Python also supports integer division (//) and the modulo operator (%):

# Integer Division
division_entera = 10 // 3
print(division_entera)  # Output: 3

# Modulo
modulo = 10 % 3
print(modulo)  # Output: 1 (the remainder of the division 10 / 3 is 1)

Exponentiation

Python allows calculating powers using the ** operator:

# Power
potencia = 2 ** 3
print(potencia)  # Output: 8 (2 raised to the power of 3)

Integer Overflow

Unlike other languages, Python automatically handles integer overflow by dynamically adjusting the size of the internal representation.

import sys

numero_grande = sys.maxsize + 1
print(numero_grande)  # Output: 9223372036854775808 (very large integer)

This allows handling very large integers without worrying about capacity overflow.

Floating Point Operations

When performing a division, the result is always a float in Python 3, even if the result is an integer.

resultado = 10 / 5
print(resultado)  # Output: 2.0 (float)

Binary, Octal, and Hexadecimal Representation

Integers in Python can be represented in different numeric bases:

# Binary
binario = 0b1010  # Represents the number 10 in binary
print(binario)  # Output: 10

# Octal
octal = 0o52  # Represents the number 42 in octal
print(octal)  # Output: 42

# Hexadecimal
hexadecimal = 0x2A  # Represents the number 42 in hexadecimal
print(hexadecimal)  # Output: 42

Conversion Between Types

It is possible to convert other data types to integers using functions like int():

texto = "42"
numero = int(texto)  # Converts the text "42" to an integer 42
print(numero)  # Output: 42

Useful Functions and Methods

Python offers useful built-in functions for working with integers:

# Example of using built-in functions
valor_absoluto = abs(-10)
print(valor_absoluto)  # Output: 10