Python Operators

Definition: Operators are the symbols that perform actions on values — maths, comparisons, and logic.

Arithmetic operators

Do maths (covered in the Numbers lesson): + - * / // % **

Example 1 — comparison operators

Compare two values; the result is a boolean:

print(5 == 5)   # True
print(5 != 3)   # True
print(7 >= 7)   # True
print(2 < 1)    # False

Example 2 — logical operators

and, or, and not combine conditions:

age = 25
print(age > 18 and age < 65)   # True (both true)
print(age < 13 or age > 100)   # False (neither true)
print(not age == 25)           # False (flips True)

Example 3 — assignment shortcuts

These update a variable in place:

x = 10
x += 5    # x = x + 5  -> 15
x -= 3    # -> 12
x *= 2    # -> 24
print(x)

Example 4 — the "in" operator

in checks whether something is inside a collection or string:

print("a" in "cat")
print(3 in [1, 2, 3])

💡 Tip: += and friends appear constantly in real code — especially for counters and running totals.