Operators in Python: Arithmetic, Comparison, and Logical Operations

If you want your program to perform calculations, compare values, or make decisions, you’ll need to understand operators. These are special symbols or keywords that tell Python what to do with the data.

In this article, we’ll cover the three most important types of operators in Python:

• Arithmetic operators (like +, -, *)
• Comparison operators (like ==, !=, >)
• Logical operators (like and, or, not)

Let’s break it all down step by step ??

?? 1. Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators are used for basic math operations. They work with numeric types like int and float.

a = 10
b = 3

print(a + b)   # addition → 13
print(a - b)   # subtraction → 7
print(a * b)   # multiplication → 30
print(a / b)   # division → 3.333...        

?? Division using / always returns a float, even if the result is a whole number.

Python also offers more advanced math operators:

print(a // b)  # floor division → 3
print(a % b)   # modulus (remainder) → 1
print(a ** b)  # exponentiation → 1000        

When to use these?

• % is great for checking if a number is even or odd
• // helps when you need an integer result (rounded down)
• ** is used for powers, like calculating squares or cubes

?? 2. Comparison Operators

Comparison (or relational) operators are used to compare two values. The result is always either True or False.

x = 10
y = 5

print(x == y)   # is x equal to y? → False  
print(x != y)   # is x not equal to y? → True  
print(x > y)    # is x greater than y? → True  
print(x < y)    # is x less than y? → False  
print(x >= y)   # is x greater or equal to y? → True  
print(x <= y)   # is x less or equal to y? → False          

Real-world use:You’ll often use comparison operators when making decisions in your code. For example:

age = 20
print(age >= 18)  # True → the user is an adult        

?? Don’t confuse == (equality check) with = (assignment operator).

?? 3. Logical Operators

Logical operators are used to combine multiple expressions or conditions. The result is again either True or False.

a = 5
b = 10        

• and: returns True only if both expressions are true

print(a > 0 and b > 0)  # True → both are positive        

• or: returns True if at least one expression is true

print(a > 0 or b < 0)   # True → the first is true, second is false        

• not: negates the expression (flips the boolean value)

print(not a > 0)        # False → because a > 0 is True, and `not` flips it        

Why use logical operators?

They allow you to create more complex logic like:

“Is the user over 18 and has a valid ticket?” or

“Is it the weekend or does the user have a vacation day?”

?? Key Takeaways

? Use +, -, *, /, //, %, ** for math operations

? Use ==, !=, >, <, >=, <= to compare values

? Use and, or, not to combine or invert conditions

? The result of comparisons and logic is always True or False

? Operators are the foundation for control flow, conditions, and functions