I can't seem to make random prime numbers using this code, please can someone help me?
def RandomPrime():
prime = False
while prime == False:
n = random.randint(10000, 100000)
if n % 2 != 0:
for x in range(3, int(n**0.5), 2):
if n % x ==0:
prime = False
else:
prime = True
return n
Imagine what happens if the last number in range(3, int(n**0.5), 2)
is not an integer divisor of n
:
if n % x ==0:
prime = False # not this
else:
prime = True # this
So even if all previous checks evaluated False
, you call n
a prime. The minimal change to your code to fix this is:
prime = prime and True # or 'prime &= True'
So if prime
is already False
, it remains False
.
However, bear in mind that, for primality, if any of those checks is False
n
is not prime. You can use this and Python's and
and all
(which are evaluated lazily, i.e. don't keep checking once finding a False
) to implement much more efficiently:
def rand_prime():
while True:
p = randint(10000, 100000)
if (r % 2 != 0 and
all(p % n != 0 for n in range(3, int(((p ** 0.5) + 1), 2))):
return p
For even better performance, note that randrange
incorporates a step
argument, just like range
, so you can skip all of the even numbers (which definitely aren't prime!):
def rand_prime():
while True:
p = randrange(10001, 100000, 2)
if all(p % n != 0 for n in range(3, int((p ** 0.5) + 1), 2)):
return p
Note: sqrt(n)
(from math
) is, in my opinion, a little clearer to other, less-technical readers than n ** 0.5
(although it may or may not be more efficient).
Take a look to the tabs: The else should refer to the whole for loop, not to the iF
def RandomPrime():
prime = False
while prime == False:
n = random.randint(10000, 100000)
if n % 2 != 0:
for x in range(3, int(n**0.5), 2):
if n % x ==0:
break
else:
prime = True
return n
There're errors in your code:
- Incorrect "else:"; you can't declare number being prime if a remainder is not 0;
All the remaiders should be non-zeros
- int(n*0.5) should be int(n*0.5 + 1) to prevent round-up errors
The possible solution is
def RandomPrime():
while True:
n = random.randint(10000, 100000)
if n % 2 == 0:
continue;
prime = True;
for x in range(3, int(n**0.5 + 1), 2):
if n % x == 0:
prime = False;
break;
if prime:
return n
Correct logic, you are setting True
when n % x
! = 0
for first time:
for x in range(3, int(n**0.5), 2):
if n % x ==0:
prime = False
else:
prime = True
should be:
prime = False
for x in range(3, int(n**0.5), 2):
if n % x ==0:
break
else:
prime = True
Read break and continue Statements, and else Clauses on Loops.
The shorter way of writing equivalent code will be (from @Steve Jesso):
prime = all(n % x != 0 for x in range(3, int(n**0.5), 2)