What is the difference between integer and float division in Python?

Integer and Float Division in Python

In Python, there are two main types of division: integer division and float division. The key difference between them lies in the way they handle the result of the division operation.

Integer Division

Integer division, also known as "floor division," is performed using the // operator. This type of division always returns an integer result, discarding any fractional part. For example, when you divide 10 // 3, the result is 3, as the fractional part 0.3333... is discarded.

print(10 // 3)  # Output: 3
print(-10 // 3)  # Output: -4

The reason for this behavior is that integer division is designed to work with whole numbers and provide a result that is also a whole number. This can be particularly useful when you need to perform calculations that involve only whole numbers, such as in the context of counting or indexing.

Float Division

Float division, on the other hand, is performed using the / operator. This type of division always returns a floating-point number, preserving the fractional part of the result. For example, when you divide 10 / 3, the result is 3.3333333333333335.

print(10 / 3)  # Output: 3.3333333333333335
print(-10 / 3)  # Output: -3.3333333333333335

Float division is useful when you need to work with numbers that have a fractional component, such as in scientific calculations or financial applications.

Here's a Mermaid diagram to visualize the difference between integer and float division:

In summary, the key difference between integer and float division in Python is that integer division always returns an integer result, while float division returns a floating-point number. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your application and the type of calculations you need to perform.