Sum the digits of a number in Python

Sum the digits of a number in Python #

To sum the digits of a number:

1. Use the str() class to convert the number to a string.
2. Use a generator expression to iterate over the string.
3. On each iteration, convert the digit to a number with the int() class.
4. Pass the generator object to the sum() function.

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num = 135

result_1 = sum(int(digit) for digit in str(num))
print(result_1)  # 👉️ 9

# --------------------------------------------------

result_2 = sum(map(int, str(num)))
print(result_2)  # 👉️ 9

# ---------------------------------------------------

# ✅ sum the digits of a number without converting to string

result_3 = 0

while num:
    result_3 += num % 10
    print(result_3)
    num = num // 10

print(result_3)  # 👉️ 9

The first example uses the str() class and a generator expression to sum the digits in a number.

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num = 135

result_1 = sum(int(digit) for digit in str(num))
print(result_1)  # 👉️ 9

Strings are iterable and integers are not, so we have to convert the integer to a string.

On each iteration, we convert the digit that is wrapped in a string to an integer and return the result.

The last step is to pass the generator object to the sum() function.

The sum function takes an iterable, sums its items from left to right and returns the total.

The second example uses the map() function instead of a generator expression for the conversion.

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num = 135


result_2 = sum(map(int, str(num)))
print(result_2)  # 👉️ 9

The map() function takes a function and an iterable as arguments and calls the function with each item of the iterable.

Alternatively, you can use a while loop.

To sum the digits of a number:

1. Initialize a variable for the sum and set it to 0.
2. Use a while loop to iterate while the number variable is truthy.
3. Get the rightmost digit of the number with num % 10 and add it to the sum variable.
4. Remove the rightmost digit by floor-dividing by 10.

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num = 135

result = 0

while num:
    result += num % 10
    num = num // 10

print(result)  # 👉️ 9

We used a while loop to iterate while the num variable stores a truthy value.

We used the modulo % operator to get the rightmost digit of the number.

The modulo (%) operator returns the remainder from the division of the first value by the second.

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print(135 % 10) # 👉️ 5

print(13 % 10) # 👉️ 3

Once we reassign the result variable to its current value plus the rightmost digit of the number, we have to remove the rightmost digit.

We can remove the rightmost digit of a number by using floor division // with 10.

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print(135 // 10) # 👉️ 13

print(13 // 10) # 👉️ 1

Division / of integers yields a float, while floor division // of integers result in an integer.

The result of using the floor division operator is that of a mathematical division with the floor() function applied to the result.

Eventually 1 gets floor-divided by 10, which returns 0, and the while loop stops iterating.

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num = 135

result = 0

while num:
    result += num % 10

    num = num // 10

print(result)  # 👉️  9

print(num)  # 👉️  0

If you need to keep the variable around, make sure to make a copy.

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num = 135

# 👇️ make copy of num
num_copy = num

result = 0

while num_copy:
    result += num_copy % 10

    num_copy = num_copy // 10


print(result)  # 👉️ 9

print(num_copy)  # 👉️ 0

print(num)  # 👉️ 135