What is the difference between ** and ^ in python

Question

In python if you want to sqaure an int you have to put ** but in java you put ^; But python didn't give me an error when I did ^ in my code

It just gave me something with no pattern can anyone explain what happens when you use ^ in python? enter image description here

^ means bitwise or in C/python. Hence python chose ** for exponent. — Bobby Ocean, Aug 23 '20 at 03:56
There _are_ languages where `^` means exponentiation. **Java is not one of them**. — Kevin Anderson, Aug 23 '20 at 04:10
'In Java you put ^': no you don't. There is no exponentiation operator in Java. `^` is XOR in both Python and Java. — user207421, Aug 23 '20 at 04:16

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Aug 23 '20 at 04:03

In python, ** is the exponentiation operator, and ^ is the XOR operator (python operators)

XOR is the bitwise XOR of the two numbers. In other words, write each number in binary, then take XOR of the two numbers one place at a time (A XOR B is true if A and B are different, and false if they're the same. 0 is false, 1 is true).

Here's an example computing 5 XOR 3:

5 ^ 3

101 = 5
011 = 3

from left to right:

1 ^ 0 -> 1
0 ^ 1 -> 1
1 ^ 1 -> 0
0 ^ 0 -> 0

  101
^ 011
-------
  110

so 5^3=6

What is the difference between ** and ^ in python

1 Answers1