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Asked: 2024-09-25T13:26:17+05:30 In:

What is the reason that the ceil and floor functions from Python’s math module return float values instead of integers?

I’ve been diving into Python lately, and I’ve encountered something that I just can’t wrap my head around. You know how we often use the ceil and floor functions from the math module? They’re super handy for rounding numbers, but here’s the thing that’s bugging me: why on earth do they return float values instead of integers?

I mean, think about it. When you’re using the ceil function to round a number up, like going from 3.2 to 4, you’d expect to get an integer back, right? It seems logical! But instead, you get 4.0, which is a float. And the same goes for the floor function—if you’re flooring something like 3.7, you’d think you should get 3, not 3.0.

At first, I figured maybe it’s just a Python quirk, but then I started wondering if there’s some deeper reasoning behind it. Is it related to how Python handles data types? Maybe they chose floats to keep consistency, especially since working with decimals is such a common practice in programming. After all, math calculations often involve floats.

But here’s what really confuses me: this seems a bit counterintuitive for people who are just starting out. If you’re trying to teach someone about rounding, the last thing you want to do is confuse them with types. Wouldn’t it be more straightforward if ceil and floor returned integers? It just seems like that would clear up a lot of confusion.

I do get that having them return floats allows for interoperability with other functions that might also return floats, but it still feels a bit odd. Has anyone else found this strange? Or is there an explanation I’m missing? Maybe because of the precision involved when dealing with larger numbers? I’d love to hear your thoughts or insights on this! Why do you think they made this design choice?

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    2 Answers


    1. The reason the ceil and floor functions in Python return floats instead of integers primarily revolves around type consistency and flexibility in mathematical operations. In many programming contexts, the result of arithmetic operations is often a float, especially when division or complex calculations are involved. Returning floats allows the ceil and floor functions to integrate seamlessly with other mathematical operations that may yield non-integer results. This design choice aligns with Python’s philosophy of being explicit and straightforward, as it consistently signals that the result may not be an integer, thereby avoiding confusion later in more complex calculations.

      Furthermore, the decision to return a float ensures that there are no unexpected type errors when further manipulating the results. For instance, if you use the result of ceil or floor in a computation that expects a float (like averaging multiple values), the workflow remains smooth and predictable. While it may seem counterintuitive to beginners, this behavior reflects a broader principle in programming where functions favor returning the most broadly useful type. This choice ultimately promotes robust code that can handle a variety of scenarios, albeit at the cost of immediate clarity for novice programmers who expect integer outputs.



    2. So, I’ve been diving into Python and I stumbled upon something that just doesn’t sit right with me. You know the ceil and floor functions from the math module? They’re super useful for rounding numbers, but here’s the kicker: they return float values instead of integers.

      Like, when I use ceil to round up 3.2 to 4, I expect to get 4, you know? But instead, I get 4.0, which is a float! And with floor, it’s the same thing. I’m flooring 3.7 and getting 3.0 instead of just 3. It feels kind of weird, right?

      At first, I thought it was just a quirky Python thing, but then I started to wonder if there’s a good reason for it. Maybe it’s to keep things consistent? Like, in programming, we often deal with floats, so having ceil and floor return floats makes sense in that context. It’s just that when you’re learning about rounding, seeing float outputs can be confusing.

      I get that it kind of helps with other functions returning floats and makes everything play nicely together, but it still seems odd, especially for someone who’s just getting the hang of programming. I can’t help but think that if ceil and floor returned integers, it might clear up a lot of confusion for newbies.

      And maybe there’s something to do with precision, especially with bigger numbers? It really makes me wonder what the design choices were behind these functions. Has anyone else found this strange? What’s the deal? 🤔


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