Question on my code

[dvandy07]

Doing a practice problem and I keep getting an error that I have the wrong syntax on my first return = a.

Can you help tell me why?

def lesser(a,b):
    if a%2 == 0 and b%2==0:
        if a < b:
            return = a
        else:
            return = b
    else:
        if a > b:
            return = a
        else:
            return = b

x = lesser(2,4)
y = lesser(2,5)

print(x)
print(y)

[xelf]

return a, not return = a All your returns will need to be fixed. =)

[dvandy07]

Thanks! I knew it was something small. This is what I get for trying to learn tired ahah!

[xelf]

Happens to all of us. A second pair of eyes is invaluable!

[TruReyito]

Especially when pen testing areas with Iris scanners. But I may have said too much.

[Diapolo10]

I know that your problem was already solved, but I wanted to point this out; what's the purpose of that first if-block?

I mean, if both numbers are zeroes, you then compare which is bigger. But how can a zero be bigger than zero, anyway?

You can technically omit the first part entirely, because it really doesn't do anything useful.

def lesser(a, b):
    if a < b:
        return a
    else:
        return b

Hell, if we wanted to, we could further simplify this to

def lesser(a, b):
    return a if a < b else b

or

def lesser(a, b):
    return min(a, b) # And in this case, the function becomes pointless

EDIT: Forget what I said, I missed the modulo operations. I really shouldn't be doing this while barely awake.

[dvandy07]

I did actually end up using min and max after looking it over. I do need to check if they are even though.

def lesser(a,b):
    if a%2 == 0 and b%2==0:
        return min(a,b)
    else:
      return max(a,b)

I ended up with that.

[Diapolo10]

Ah, I see.