Arithmetic, comparison and logical operators combine values.
Arithmetic (+ - * / %), comparison (== != < >), logical (and, or, not) and bitwise operators build expressions. Operator precedence and associativity decide evaluation order; parentheses make intent explicit. Integer division and floating-point rounding differ across languages.
7 // 2 is 3 and 7 % 2 is 1 in Python.
Operators and expressions combine values to make decisions and calculations, so mistakes here change the logic of the whole program.
Arithmetic, comparison and logical operators combine values.
Operators and expressions combine values to make decisions and calculations, so mistakes here change the logic of the whole program.
The rule that decides the order in which operators are applied, such as multiplication before addition, and parentheses override it.
Floating-point values have rounding errors, so comparing for exact equality often fails, and a tolerance is usually better.
Typical applications include computing a total price with arithmetic operators, checking that a value is within a range with comparison operators and combining two conditions for an access rule with logical operators.
Study "Variables and data types" first (topic 3 of 104 in Software & Computing). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Short-circuit evaluation. Modulo for cyclic behaviour. Beware = vs ==.
7 // 2 is 3 and 7 % 2 is 1 in Python.
The next topic is "Control flow", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Beginner in Software & Computing (topic 4 of 104). It is an entry-level topic. It relies only on basic school mathematics and the ideas introduced earlier in this discipline.
Want to practise? Open the interactive course for quick checks, quizzes, simulations and progress tracking.