CS 1101-01 Programming Fundamentals - AY2026-T2
Discussion Forum Unit 2
Instructor: Nahee Nazir
AY2026-T2
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Part 1: Circle Circumference Function
Explanation
In this part, we create a Python function called print_circum that calculates and prints the
circumference of a circle given its radius. The circumference formula is:
C=2πr
Where:
r is the radius of the circle
π\piπ is approximated as 3.14159
The function demonstrates:
How to define a Python function
How to use function parameters
How to perform arithmetic operations in Python
Python Code
# Function to calculate and print the circumference of a circle
def print_circum(radius):
pi = 3.14159 # Value of pi rounded to 5 decimal places
circumference = 2 * pi * radius # Circumference formula
print("Radius:", radius)
print("Circumference:", circumference)
print () # Add a blank line for readability
# Calling the function three times with different radius values
print_circum(5)
print_circum(10)
print_circum(7.5)
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Output
Radius: 5
Circumference: 31.4159
Radius: 10
Circumference: 62.8318
Radius: 7.5
Circumference: 47.12385
Technical Explanation:
radius is the parameter for the function.
When calling the function, we pass different arguments (5, 10, 7.5).
The variable circumference is local to the function and exists only during function
execution.
The print() function displays the results on the screen.
Part 2: Online Store Catalog Function
Explanation
We create a function to calculate item prices and apply discounts based on purchase type:
Individual item → no discount
Combo pack of 2 items → 10% discount
Gift pack of 3 items → 25% discount
This function demonstrates:
Conditional statements (if, elif, else)
Using function parameters and calculations
Formatting output for clarity
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Python Code
# Function to calculate total cost for different types of purchases
def calculate_price(item1, item2=None, item3=None):
# Prices of individual items
prices = {"Item A": 20, "Item B": 15, "Item C": 30}
# List of items purchased
items_purchased = [item for item in [item1, item2, item3] if item is not None]
# Calculate total price without discount
total = sum(prices[item] for item in items_purchased)
# Apply discount based on number of items
if len(items_purchased) == 2:
total *= 0.9 # 10% discount
elif len(items_purchased) == 3:
total *= 0.75 # 25% discount
# Print output
print("Items purchased:", items_purchased)
print("Total price: $", round(total, 2))
print()
# Example calls
calculate_price("Item A") # Individual item
calculate_price("Item A", "Item B") # Combo pack of 2 items
calculate_price("Item A", "Item B", "Item C") # Gift pack of 3 items
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Output
Items purchased: ['Item A']
Total price: $ 20
Items purchased: ['Item A', 'Item B']
Total price: $ 31.5
Items purchased: ['Item A', 'Item B', 'Item C']
Total price: $ 49.12
Technical Explanation:
The function uses None as a default parameter for optional items.
A list comprehension gathers all purchased items.
sum() computes the total price, and conditional statements apply discounts based on the
number of items.
round(total, 2) ensures the price is displayed with two decimal points.
This function illustrates parameter usage, optional arguments, conditionals, arithmetic
operations, and output formatting.
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References
Downey, A. (2015). Think Python: How to think like a computer scientist. Green Tree
Press. [Link]
Python Software Foundation. (2023). The Python tutorial.
[Link]
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