Python Function Code Error

Question

I am trying to build a code that spits out y given f(x). Apparently, mine isn't working. Can you please help?

def f(n):
 '''The Function'''
 return -5(n**5)+69.0(n**2)-47
print f(2)

Thank you!

• New to Coding: By the way, the error shown is: Line 3: TypeError: 'int' object is not callable

Answer 1

Use this:

return (-5*(n**5))+(69.0*(n**2))-47

The algebraic notation you are using i.e. omitting the '*' sign causes python to think that you are trying to make a function call:

69.0(n**2) # python thinks 69.0 is a function name and n**2 is the parameter of this call

That is why the '*' operator is necessary, between two operands.

• Simon McKenzie: Good answer, but you can make it a lot better if you update it to explain why you made the changes you did.

Answer 2

I think the problem is that you're using algebraic notation where (I presume) you want to multiply. For instance, instead of:

-5(n**5)

you want

-5 * (n ** 5)

A single asterisk ("*") is multiplication in Python (and many other programming languages).

If you just put parentheses directly after something, Python is interpreting that as you attempting to call that thing. It might be more obvious with named variables:

a = 5
a(n ** 5)

Is line 2 a function call, or multiplication? In Python, it's unambiguously the latter, but you can't call integers, so you get an exception like TypeError: 'int' object is not callable