Python for AI ML - Day 6: Tuples in Python

Python for AI & ML

Welcome to Day 6 of your 180-day AI and Machine Learning journey! Today, we’ll explore tuples, which are similar to lists but immutable. Tuples are useful for storing data that should not change, such as coordinates or configurations. By the end of this article, you’ll understand how to create, access, and use tuples effectively.

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What Are Tuples?

A tuple is an ordered collection of items, similar to a list. However, tuples are:

• Immutable: Once created, their content cannot be changed.

• Ordered: Items have a defined order, and you can access them using their index.

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Creating a Tuple

You can create a tuple by enclosing items in parentheses (), separated by commas.

Example:

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fruits = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")
numbers = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
mixed_tuple = (1, "apple", 3.14, True)

If you create a tuple with a single item, you must include a comma:

single_item_tuple = ("apple",)

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Accessing Tuple Items

You can access items in a tuple using their index, just like with lists.

Example:

fruits = ("apple", "banana", "cherry")
print(fruits[0])  # Output: apple
print(fruits[-1])  # Output: cherry (last item)

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Tuple Operations

Since tuples are immutable, you cannot modify their content. However, you can perform operations like slicing and concatenation.

1. Slicing Tuples

You can extract a portion of a tuple using slicing.

Example:

numbers = (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
print(numbers[2:5])  # Output: (2, 3, 4)
print(numbers[:5])  # Output: (0, 1, 2, 3, 4)
print(numbers[5:])  # Output: (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

2. Concatenating Tuples

You can combine tuples using the + operator.

Example:

tuple1 = (1, 2, 3)
tuple2 = (4, 5, 6)
combined_tuple = tuple1 + tuple2
print(combined_tuple)  # Output: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

3. Other Useful Methods

• len(): Returns the number of items in the tuple.

• index(): Returns the index of the first occurrence of a specific item.

• count(): Returns the number of times a specific item appears.

Example:

numbers = (1, 2, 3, 2, 4, 2)
print(len(numbers))  # Output: 6
print(numbers.index(3))  # Output: 2
print(numbers.count(2))  # Output: 3

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When to Use Tuples

• Use tuples when you want to ensure the data cannot be changed (e.g., constants, configurations).

• Use tuples for heterogeneous data (e.g., storing a person’s name, age, and city).

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Practice Exercise

1. Create a tuple of your favorite colors and print the third item.

2. Create a new tuple by combining two existing tuples.

3. Find the index of a specific item in the tuple.

Solution:

colors = ("red", "green", "blue")
print(colors[2])  # Output: blue

more_colors = ("yellow", "purple")
all_colors = colors + more_colors
print(all_colors)  # Output: ('red', 'green', 'blue', 'yellow', 'purple')

print(all_colors.index("blue"))  # Output: 2

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Key Takeaways

• Tuples are ordered, immutable collections of items.

• Use indexing and slicing to access tuple items.

• Use tuples for data that should not change.

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What’s Next?

Tomorrow, we’ll explore sets, which are unordered collections of unique items. Sets are useful for tasks like removing duplicates and performing mathematical operations.

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Congratulations on completing Day 6! Keep practicing, and see you tomorrow! 🚀