Discover challenging Python brain teasers that test your skills and stretch your thinking. Gain insights into advanced concepts and enhance your understanding of this versatile language.

Forget Scrabble, Boggle, or Wordle. Tease your mind and test your skills with these fun brain teasers designed to stretch your thinking and expand your understanding of one of the most widely used languages out there. 

Python is simple. These puzzles are not. Good luck!

Python Brain Teasers

## Try it yourself
Try executing the code below to verify the results:

a = eval('a = 7') 
val = eval('a * 3') 
print(val)

## Explanation
The built-in eval function reads a Python expression as a string and returns its value.

We tend to split the code into two categories:

1. **Expressions** are things that have a value (like`5 / 7`, or `1 < 3`).
2. **Statements** are operations that do not have a value, generally with side effects (like `a = 3`, or `import csv`).

Some languages only have expressions, in which case `a = 3` will have some value (usually `3`). In Python, we have both expressions and statements.

The built-in `eval` function only works with expressions, and the parameter we’re passing (`a = 3`) is a statement.

If we want to evaluate statements, we’ll need to use the built-in `exec` function. However, the `exec` function returns `None`. So, how can we get the new variable from `exec`? The code below demonstrates the answer, which is that it’ll just show up:





# Try it yourself
Try executing the code below to verify the results:

# Explanation
The built-in eval function reads a Python expression as a string and returns its value.

We tend to split the code into two categories:

1. **Expressions** are things that have a value (like`5 / 7`, or `1 < 3`).
2. **Statements** are operations that do not have a value, generally with side effects (like `a = 3`, or `import csv`).

Some languages only have expressions, in which case `a = 3` will have some value (usually `3`). In Python, we have both expressions and statements.

The built-in `eval` function only works with expressions, and the parameter we’re passing (`a = 3`) is a statement.

If we want to evaluate statements, we’ll need to use the built-in `exec` function. However, the `exec` function returns `None`. So, how can we get the new variable from `exec`? The code below demonstrates the answer, which is that it’ll just show up:





Let’s find out how to use Python’s built-in eval and exec functions.

Before We Begin

Python Puzzles

Wrapping Up

Puzzle 30: Explanation

Try it yourself

Explanation