Mastering Comparison Operators in Python

Understanding comparison operators is fundamental to writing logical conditions in Python. Whether you're checking if values are equal, comparing numbers, or combining multiple comparisons into a single expression, these tools help control the flow of your program with precision.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

• Basic comparison operators (==, !=, >, <, >=, <=)

• Chained comparison operators

• Logical operators: and, or

• Real Python examples and breakdowns

Basic Comparison Operators

These operators allow you to compare two values and return a Boolean result — True or False. If you’ve done basic math before, you’ll feel right at home.

Let’s assume:

a = 3
b = 4

Operator	Description	Example	Output
==	Equal to	a == b	False
!=	Not equal to	a != b	True
>	Greater than	a > b	False
<	Less than	a < b	True
>=	Greater than or equal to	a >= b	False
<=	Less than or equal to	a <= b	True

Examples of Basic Comparison Operators

Equal (==)

2 == 2  # True
1 == 0  # False

== compares values. Do not confuse it with = which assigns a value.

Not Equal (!=)

2 != 1  # True
2 != 2  # False

Greater Than (>)

2 > 1  # True
2 > 4  # False

Less Than (<)

2 < 4  # True
2 < 1  # False

Greater Than or Equal To (>=)

2 >= 2  # True
2 >= 1  # True

Less Than or Equal To (<=)

2 <= 2  # True
2 <= 4  # True

Chained Comparison Operators in Python

Python allows chained comparisons, which make expressions cleaner and more readable than using multiple and statements.

Example 1: Simple Chain

1 < 2 < 3  # True

This checks if 1 < 2 and 2 < 3. You could write:

1 < 2 and 2 < 3

Example 2: More Complex Chain

1 > 6 < 9 > 3  # False

Which is the same as:

1 > 6 and 6 < 9 and 9 > 3
# False     True      True → Overall: False

Example 3: Chain with Mixed Operators

1 < 3 > 2  # True

Which evaluates as:

1 < 3 and 3 > 2

Using and & or in Comparisons

Python also supports combining logical conditions using the and and or keywords.

and Operator

Both conditions must be True for the entire expression to be True.

1 < 2 and 2 < 3  # True
1 > 5 and 2 < 3  # False

or Operator

Only one of the conditions needs to be True.

1 == 2 or 2 < 3  # True
1 == 1 or 100 == 1  # True

Practice and Breakdown

Let’s analyze a few expressions:

Example 1:

1 < 6 and 6 < 9 or 9 < 3
# → True and True or False
# → True or False
# → True

Example 2:

1 < 6 or 6 < 9 and 9 < 3
# → True or True and False
# → True or False
# → True

Example 3:

1 > 6 and 6 < 9 or 9 < 3
# → False and True or False
# → False or False
# → False

Final Thoughts

You’ve now learned:

• How to use comparison operators in Python

• How chaining comparisons makes code cleaner

• The importance of and and or in logical expressions

Take time to practice these concepts, as they’re foundational to conditions, loops, and control flow in Python.