Programming in Python
Functions
Functions in Python
• A function is a block of code(that performs a specific task) which
runs only when it is called.
Benefits :
• Reusability: Code written within a function can be called as and
when needed. Hence, the same code can be reused thereby
reducing the overall number of lines of code.
• Modular Approach: Writing a function implicitly follows a modular
approach. We can break down the entire problem that we are
trying to solve into smaller chunks, and each chunk, in turn, is
implemented via a function.
• Built-in functions: such as print to print on the standard output
device, type to check data type of an object, etc. These are the
functions that Python provides to accomplish common tasks.
• User-Defined functions: As the name suggests these are custom
functions to help/resolve/achieve a particular task.
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 2
Functions in Python
• Built-in functions:
• In addition to print function, We have learned the following built-in
functions until now in the previous sections.
• type(object) is used to check the data type of an object.
• float([value]) returns a floating point number constructed from a
number or string value.
• int([value]) returns an integer object constructed from a float or
string value, or return 0 if no arguments are given.
• round(number[, ndigits]) is used to round a float number up to
digits specified by ndigits.
• abs(value) returns the absolute value of a value provided as an
argument.
• input() to read data from the keyboard, return string value
• bool([value]) return a Boolean value, i.e. one of True or False.
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 3
Functions in Python
• User defined functions: Functions are defined using the def
keyword, followed by an identifier name along with the
parentheses, and by the final colon (:) that ends the line.
• Syntax:
def function_name(list of args):
statement 1
statement 2
statement --n
To use the function call the function with its name followed by
list of parameters
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 4
Functions in Python
• examples #to find factorial of a number
def display(): def factorial(n):
print(“RVRJC”) fact=1
print(“Guntur”) for i in range(1,n+1):
print(“Calling function”) fact=fact*i
display() print(‘facorial of ‘,n, ‘is :’ ,fact )
print(‘enter number to find factorial’)
Calling function
a=int(input())
RVRJC factorial(a)
Guntur enter number to find factorial
o/p 5
facorial of 5 is :120
o/p
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 5
Functions in Python
• examples a=10
Global and local variables b=20
def add(a,b):
a=5
b=10
print("local variable: ",a+b)
add(a,b)
print("global variable: ",a+b)
local variable: 15
globall variable: 30
o/p
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 6
Functions in Python
• Function return value
#to find factorial of a number # Arithmetic operations
def factorial(n): def add(a,b):
fact=1 return (a+b)
for i in range(1,n+1): def mult(a,b):
return a*b
fact=fact*i print(‘enter two numbers’)
return fact a=int(input())
print(‘enter number to find factorial’) b=int(input())
a=int(input()) print(“Sum is :", add(a,b))
print("factorial of ",a,"is :" ,factorial(a)) print(“product is :", mult(a,b))
enter number to find factorial
enter two numbers
5
5
facorial of 5 is :120
6
Sum is :11 o/p
o/p
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC
product is :30 7
Functions in Python
• In python a Function can return multiple values
# return multiple values
def arith(a,b):
s=a+b
p=a*b
d=a/b enter two numbers
return s,p,d 15
print('enter two numbers') 3
Sum is :18
a=int(input()) product is :45
b=int(input()) division is : 5.0
sum,prod,div=arith(a,b)
o/p
print("Sum is :", sum)
print("product is :", prod)
print("division is :", div)
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 8
Functions in Python
• Functions with default arguments : we would like to have
some parameters with default values that will be used when
they are not specified in the function call.
• To define a function with a default argument value, we need
to assign a value to the parameter of interest while defining a
function.
# default values
def power(n, pow=2):
return n**pow
print(power(5)) # n=5, pow=2
print(power(2,3)) # n=2, pow=3
25
8
o/p Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 9
Functions in Python
• Functions with default arguments : assign default values for
formal parameters from left to right
• We can have any number of default value parameters in a
function. Note however that they must follow non-default
value parameters in the definition. Otherwise, Python will
throw an error as shown below:
SyntaxError: non-default argument follows default argument
# default values def abc(a, b=3,c=4): (valid)
def power(pow=2, number): def abc(a, b, c=4): (valid)
return number**pow def abc(a=5, b=3,c=4): (valid)
print(power(5)) def abc(a=5, b,c): (in valid)
print(power(2,3)) def abc(a=5, b,c=4): (in valid)
SyntaxError: non-default argument follows default argument
o/p Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 10
Functions in Python
• Functions with default arguments : Keyword Parameters
• A keyword argument is specified by explicitly assigning an
actual parameter to a formal parameter by name.
# default values Keyword Parameters
def add(a=10, b=20, c=30): x=add(c=5) # a=10,b=20,c=5
return(a+b+c) x value is 35
Calling:
x=add() # a=10,b=20,c=30
x value is 60
x=add(5) # a=5,b=20,c=30
x value is 55
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 11
Functions in Python
If you type a function definition in interactive mode, the interpreter prints
dots (...) to let you know that the definition isn’t complete:
>>> def print_message():
... print(“Hai ! Welcome ")
... print(" This is python group.")
...
To end the function, you have to enter an empty line.
Defining a function creates a function object, which has type function:
>>> print(print_message)
<function print_message at 0xb7e99e9c>
>>> type(print_message)
<class 'function'>
calling the new function in interactive mode :
>>> print_message()
Hai ! Welcome
This is python group.
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 12
Functions in Python
• Variables and Parameters Are Local: When you create a
variable inside a function, it is local, which means that it only
exists inside the function
• For eample: def add(n1,n2):
sum= n1+n2
def display(value): display(sum)
print(value)
variable sum is local to add
Parameters value is Parameters n1,n2 are local to add
local to display
a=10
b=20
add(a,b)
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 13
Math Functions
• Python has a math module that provides most of the familiar
mathematical functions.
• A module is a file that contains a collection of related
functions.
• Before we can use the functions in a module, we have to
import it with an import statement:
>>> math.pi >>> print(math)
Traceback (most recent call last): <module 'math' (built-in)>
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> >>> math
NameError: name 'math' is not <module 'math' (built-in)>
defined >>> type(math)
>>> import math <class 'module'>
>>> math.pi >>>
3.141592653589793
>>> Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 14
Math Functions
• math functions.
math.sqrt( x ):Return the square root of x
math.ceil(x): Return the ceiling of x, the smallest integer greater
than or equal to x.
math.floor(x): Return the floor of x, the greatest integer smaller
than or equal to x.
math.factorial(x) :Return x factorial as an integer. Raises ValueError
if x is not integer or is negative
math.exp(x): Return e raised to the power x, where e = 2.718281… is
the base of natural logarithms
math.log10(x):Return the base-10 logarithm of x.
math.pow(x, y): Return x raised to the power y
math.sin(x)Return the sine of x radians.
math.cos (x)Return the cos of x radians.
math.tan(x),math.cosh(x),math.sinh(x),math.tanh(x)
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 15
Recursive functions
• It is legal for one function to call another; it is also legal for a
function to call itself.
• Recursive: A function that calls itself is recursive; the process
of executing it is called recursion.
#a function that prints a string n
def countdown(n): times:
if n <= 0: def print_n(s, n):
print(n) if n <= 0:
else: return
print(n) print(s)
countdown(n-1) print_n(s, n-1)
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 16
Recursive functions
• Examples
#to find factorial of a number(recursive) #to find sum of n numbers(recursive)
def factorial(n): def sumn(n):
if n==0 or n==1: if n==1:
return 1 return 1
else: else:
return n*factorial (n-1) return n+sumn(n-1)
print("enter number to find fact") print("enter number to find sum")
a=int(input()) a=int(input())
fact=factorial (a) s=sumn(a)
print(“factorial of ",a,"is :" ,fact) print("sum of ",a,"numbers is :" ,s)
factn.py sumno.py
Dr.B.Hemantha Kumar-RVRJC 17
