Python pow()

# compute 3^4 
print(pow(3, 4));

# Output:  81

pow() Syntax

The syntax of pow() is:

pow(number, power, modulus [optional])

pow() Parameters

The pow() method takes three parameters:

• number- the base value that is raised to a certain power
• power - the exponent value that raises number
• modulus - (optional) divides the result of number paused to a power and finds the remainder: number^power% modulus

pow() Return Value

The pow() method returns:

• number^power - number, raised to a certain power
• number^power % modulus - with the modulus argument
• 1 - if the value of power is 0
• 0 - if the value of number is 0

Example 1: Python pow()

# returns 2^2
print(pow(2, 2))  

# returns -2^2
print(pow(-2, 2))    

# returns 1/2^2 
print(pow(2, -2))   
 
# returns -1/-2^2 
print(pow(-2, -2))
   

Output

4
4
0.25
0.25

The pow() method helps us find the value of a number raised to a certain power.

In the above example,

• pow(2,2) is 2² - results in 4
• pow(-2,2) is -2² - results in -4
• pow(2,-2) is 1/2² - results in 0.25
• pow(-2,-2) is -1/-2² - results in 0.25

Example 2: pow() with Modulus

x = 7
y = 2
z = 5

# compute  x^y % z
print(pow(x, y, z))    

Output

4

In the above example, we have raised the number 7 to the power 2 which results in 49.

Since we have used the pow() method with three arguments x, y, and z, the third argument 5 divides the result of 7² and finds the remainder.

That's why we get the output 4.

Recommended Readings:

• Python id()
• Python int()