How Can I Generate Sequences with Decimal Steps in Python?

Dealing with Decimal Step Values in Python's 'range()' Function

Unable to utilize a decimal step increment for Python's 'range()' function? Concerns arise when you wish to iterate between 0 and 1 with a step size of 0.1, as the step argument is not allowed to be zero.

Employing Alternative Approaches

To overcome this limitation, avoid employing decimal steps directly. Instead, express the desired endpoint in terms of the number of points to be generated. This helps prevent floating-point rounding errors that could potentially yield inaccurate results.

Leveraging NumPy's 'linspace' Function

NumPy's 'linspace' function serves as a practical solution. It accepts the desired number of points and allows specifying endpoint inclusion or exclusion:

>>> np.linspace(0, 1, 11)
array([ 0.,  0.1,  0.2,  0.3,  0.4,  0.5,  0.6,  0.7,  0.8,  0.9,  1.])
>>> np.linspace(0, 1, 10, endpoint=False)
array([ 0.,  0.1,  0.2,  0.3,  0.4,  0.5,  0.6,  0.7,  0.8,  0.9])

Utilizing numpy.arange Function for Decimal Steps

In cases where a floating-point step value is essential, numpy.arange can be used:

>>> import numpy as np
>>> np.arange(0.0, 1.0, 0.1)
array([ 0.,  0.1,  0.2,  0.3,  0.4,  0.5,  0.6,  0.7,  0.8,  0.9])

However, it's crucial to be mindful of potential floating-point rounding errors, which can lead to incorrect results, as illustrated below:

>>> numpy.arange(1, 1.3, 0.1)
array([1. , 1.1, 1.2, 1.3])

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