Raising an assertion error for a < b is a bit of overkill, since its
not really a case of bad input. So normally you see Euclid done like
this:
def gcd(a,b): # All lowercase for a function is a bit more
conventional.
if a < b:
a, b = b, a # Ensures a >= b by swapping a and b if nessecary
while b != 0: # Note parentheses are unnessecary here in python
a, b = b, a % b
return a
A bit more concise and no less readable (IMO).
If you really want to check for actual bad input, youre better off
testing, for example, than a and b are both greater than 0....
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Well, this article
> http://pythonjournal.cognizor.com/pyj1/AMKuchling_algorithms-V1.html
> was the first hit on google for '"euclid's algorithm" python'.
>
> It contains this function:
> def GCD(a,b):
> assert a >= b # a must be the larger number
> while (b != 0):
> remainder = a % b
> a, b = b, remainder
> return a
>
> Jeff
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