Comparison Operators

Python’s comparison operators are fundamental tools for evaluating relationships between values. Understanding how these operators work is important for writing effective and efficient Python code. This guide provides a clear explanation of each operator with illustrative examples.

The Six Main Comparison Operators

Python offers six primary comparison operators, each designed to test a specific relationship:

Operator	Meaning	Example	Result
==	Equal to	5 == 5	True
!=	Not equal to	5 != 10	True
>	Greater than	10 > 5	True
<	Less than	5 < 10	True
>=	Greater than or equal to	10 >= 10	True
<=	Less than or equal to	5 <= 10	True

Let’s look at each with code examples:

1. == (Equal to)

This operator checks if two values are equal. Note that it performs a value comparison, not an identity comparison (we’ll discuss that later).

x = 5
y = 5
print(x == y)  # Output: True

a = [1, 2, 3]
b = [1, 2, 3]
print(a == b)  # Output: True (value comparison)

c = a
print(a == c) # Output: True (same object in memory)

2. != (Not equal to)

This operator returns True if two values are not equal.

x = 5
y = 10
print(x != y)  # Output: True

a = [1, 2, 3]
b = [3, 2, 1]
print(a != b)  # Output: True

3. > (Greater than) and < (Less than)

These operators compare the magnitude of numerical values.

x = 10
y = 5
print(x > y)  # Output: True
print(y < x)  # Output: True

a = "apple"
b = "banana"
print(a < b) # Output: True

4. >= (Greater than or equal to) and <= (Less than or equal to)

These operators check if a value is greater than or equal to, or less than or equal to, another value.

x = 10
y = 10
print(x >= y)  # Output: True
print(x <= y)  # Output: True

x = 15
y = 10
print(x >= y) # Output: True
print(y <= x) # Output: True

Chaining Comparison Operators

Python allows for elegant chaining of comparison operators:

x = 5
print(1 < x < 10)  # Output: True (equivalent to 1 < x and x < 10)
print(10 > x > 1) #Output: True (equivalent to 10 > x and x > 1)

Boolean Comparisons

Comparison operators also work with boolean values:

a = True
b = False
print(a == b) # Output: False
print(a != b) # Output: True
print(a > b)  # Output: True (True is considered "greater" than False)