[Tutor] Calculate 4**9 without using **

[Sri Kavi]

Wow, this works like a charm!
def power(base, exponent):
    """ Returns base**exponent. """
    result = 1
    for _ in range(abs(exponent)):
        result *= base
    if exponent < 0:
        return 1 / result
    return result




On Mon, Mar 6, 2017 at 11:53 PM, Alex Kleider <akleider at sonic.net> wrote:

> On 2017-03-05 23:52, Sri Kavi wrote:
>
>
>
> This version deals with both negative and non-negative exponents in a
>> single loop. I like this.
>> def power(base, exponent):
>>     """ Returns base**exponent. """
>>     if exponent == 0:
>>         return 1
>>     else:
>>         result = 1
>>         for _ in range(abs(exponent)):
>>             result *= base
>>         if exponent < 0:
>>             return 1 / result
>>         else:
>>             return result
>>
>> I'm learning a lot. Thank you for being so helpful.
>>
>
> I have enjoyed this little exercise, so thank you for drawing attention to
> it and continuing to work at it.
> Note that you don't need the 1st if/else- and even if you did, you
> wouldn't need the 'else': just 'de-iondent' everything that is in its code
> block.
> I believe the following (your code with some deletions) will work:
>
> def power(base, exponent):
>     """ Returns base**exponent. """
>     result = 1
>     for _ in range(abs(exponent)):
>         result *= base
>     if exponent < 0:
>         return 1 / result
>     else:
>         return result
>
> An alternative way to deal with the negative exponent possibility is to
> test for it at the beginning and if True, set base to its reciprocal and
> exponent to its absolute value (no need for an else component.)
>