Why Does Python 3's `/` Operator Produce a Float Instead of an Integer?

Integer Division Yielding a Float in Modern Python

In Python 2, integer division (i.e., /) resulted in an integer value. However, this behavior changed in Python 3. Consider:

>>> 2 / 2
1.0

Why does this division now yield a float instead of an integer?

The Evolution of Division in Python

The shift in division behavior is documented in PEP-238:

The // operator will be available to request floor division unambiguously.

This implies that integer division (/) now defaults to returning a float unless a // operator is explicitly used for floor division.

Resolving the Issue

To obtain an integer result from division, you have two options:

1. Use Floor Division (//): The // operator performs integer division and returns an integer value. For example:

>>> 2 // 2
1

2. Cast the Result to Integer: You can cast the result of / division to an integer using the int() function:

>>> int(2 / 2)
1

Conclusion

In Python 3, integer division (/) returns a float by default. To obtain an integer result, you can either use the // operator for floor division or cast the result of / division to an integer.

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