How can I get the first two digits of a number?

Question

I want to check the first two digits of a number in Python. Something like this:

for i in range(1000):

    if(first two digits of i == 15):
        print(\"         


        

Answer 1

Comparing the O(n) time solution with the "constant time" O(1) solution provided in other answers goes to show that if the O(n) algorithm is fast enough, n may have to get very large before it is slower than a slow O(1).

The strings version is approx. 60% faster than the "maths" version for numbers of 20 or fewer digits. They become closer only when then number of digits approaches 200 digits

# the "maths" version
import math

def first_n_digits1(num, n):
    return num // 10 ** (int(math.log(num, 10)) - n + 1)

%timeit first_n_digits1(34523452452, 2)
1.21 µs ± 75 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

%timeit first_n_digits1(34523452452, 8)
1.24 µs ± 47.5 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

# 22 digits
%timeit first_n_digits1(3423234239472523452452, 2)
1.33 µs ± 59.4 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

%timeit first_n_digits1(3423234239472523452452, 15)
1.23 µs ± 61.2 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

# 196 digits
%timeit first_n_digits1(3423234239472523409283475908723908723409872390871243908172340987123409871234012089172340987734507612340981344509873123401234670350981234098123140987314509812734091823509871345109871234098172340987125988123452452, 39)
1.86 µs ± 21.8 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 100000 loops each)

# The "string" verions
def first_n_digits2(num, n):
    return int(str(num)[:n])

%timeit first_n_digits2(34523452452, 2)
744 ns ± 28.1 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

%timeit first_n_digits2(34523452452, 8)
768 ns ± 42.7 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

# 22 digits
%timeit first_n_digits2(3423234239472523452452, 2)
767 ns ± 33.6 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

%timeit first_n_digits2(3423234239472523452452, 15)
830 ns ± 55.1 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 1000000 loops each)

# 196 digits
%timeit first_n_digits2(3423234239472523409283475908723908723409872390871243908098712340987123401208917234098773450761234098134450987312340123467035098123409812314098734091823509871345109871234098172340987125988123452452, 39)
1.87 µs ± 140 ns per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 100000 loops each)