In this tutorial, I will explain how to find the sum of an array in Python. As a data scientist working on a project for a US-based company, I encountered a scenario where I needed to calculate the total sum of values stored in an array. I will explain various methods to achieve this, along with examples and screenshots of executed example code.
Create an Array in Python
Python array is a collection of elements of the same data type. Arrays are commonly used to store and manipulate numerical data. Python provides various ways to create and work with arrays.
Let’s say we have a list of sales figures for a company based in New York. We can create an array to store these values:
sales_figures = [5000, 7500, 8000, 6500, 9000]Check out How to Remove Duplicates from an Array in Python
Method 1: Use the sum() Function
Python provides a built-in sum() function to calculate the sum of all elements in an array. It is the most simple and efficient way to find the sum of an array. The sum() function in Python takes an iterable (such as a list or array) as an argument and returns the sum of its elements.
Example
Let’s calculate the total sales for the New York-based company using the sum() function:
sales_figures = [5000, 7500, 8000, 6500, 9000]
total_sales = sum(sales_figures)
print("Total sales:", total_sales)Output:
Total sales: 36000I have executed the example code and added the screenshot below.
Read How to Check if an Array Index Exists in Python
Method 2: Use a For Loop
Another approach to find the sum of an array is by using a for loop to iterate over each element and store their values. This method is used mainly when you need to perform additional operations or apply conditions while calculating the sum.
Example
Let’s calculate the total sales for the company, but this time we’ll use a for loop and only include sales figures above $6000:
sales_figures = [5000, 7500, 8000, 6500, 9000]
total_sales = 0
for sale in sales_figures:
if sale > 6000:
total_sales += sale
print("Total sales above $6000:", total_sales)Output:
Total sales above $6000: 31000I have executed the example code and added the screenshot below.
Check out How to Remove NaN from Array in Python
Method 3: Use List Comprehension
List comprehension is a simple way to create list based on existing lists. It allows you to combine the functionality of a for loop and conditional statements in a single line of code. We can use list comprehension to calculate the sum of an array by generating a new list with the desired elements and then applying the sum() function.
Example
Let’s calculate the total sales for the company using list comprehension, considering only sales figures below $8000:
sales_figures = [5000, 7500, 8000, 6500, 9000]
total_sales = sum([sale for sale in sales_figures if sale < 8000])
print("Total sales below $8000:", total_sales)Output:
Total sales below $8000: 19000
Read How to Check if an Array Contains a Value in Python
Handle Large Arrays in Python
When working with large arrays, it’s essential to consider the performance and memory usage of your code. Python’s built-in sum() function is optimized for efficiency and is generally the preferred choice for summing large arrays. However, if you need to perform additional operations or apply complex conditions while calculating the sum, using a for loop or list comprehension might be more suitable.
Example
Let’s say we have a large array of sales figures for multiple stores across the United States. We want to calculate the total sales for stores with sales above $10,000.
sales_figures = [12000, 8000, 15000, 9500, 20000, 7000, 18000, 11500, 6000, 14000]
total_sales = sum([sale for sale in sales_figures if sale > 10000])
print("Total sales above $10,000:", total_sales)Output:
Total sales above $10,000: 90500Check out Check if NumPy Array is Empty in Python
Conclusion
In this tutorial, I have provided an in-depth explanation of finding the sum of an array in Python I have explained how to create an Array in Python. I also discussed various ways of finding the sum of an array in Python like using sum() function is a simple way, to use a for loop to iterate over each element, using list comprehension. we have also discussed how to handle large arrays in Python.
Hope this article has helped you to understand more about finding the sum of an array in Python.
You may also like to read:
- How to Create a 2D NumPy Array in Python
- How NumPy Filter 2D Array by Condition in Python
- How to Reshape an Array in Python Using the NumPy Library
- How to Print an Array with Commas in Python
I am Bijay Kumar, a Microsoft MVP in SharePoint. Apart from SharePoint, I started working on Python, Machine learning, and artificial intelligence for the last 5 years. During this time I got expertise in various Python libraries also like Tkinter, Pandas, NumPy, Turtle, Django, Matplotlib, Tensorflow, Scipy, Scikit-Learn, etc… for various clients in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Check out my profile.
