Python Program to Find the Largest of Three Numbers

Introduction

Finding the largest of three numbers is a common problem in programming. This tutorial will guide you through creating a Python program that compares three numbers and identifies the largest one.

Problem Statement

Create a Python program that:

• Takes three numbers as input.
• Compares the numbers to find the largest one.
• Displays the largest number.

Example:

• Input: a = 10, b = 25, c = 20
• Output: The largest number is 25

Solution Steps

1. Take Input for Three Numbers: Use the input() function to get three numbers from the user.
2. Convert Input to Numeric Values: Convert the input strings to integers or floats using int() or float().
3. Compare the Numbers: Use conditional statements to compare the three numbers.
4. Display the Result: Use the print() function to display the largest number.

Python Program

# Python Program to Find the Largest of Three Numbers
# Author: https://www.javaguides.net/

# Step 1: Take input for three numbers
a = float(input("Enter the first number: "))
b = float(input("Enter the second number: "))
c = float(input("Enter the third number: "))

# Step 2: Compare the numbers to find the largest
if a >= b and a >= c:
    largest = a
elif b >= a and b >= c:
    largest = b
else:
    largest = c

# Step 3: Display the result
print(f"The largest number is {largest}")

Explanation

Step 1: Take Input for Three Numbers

• The input() function prompts the user to enter three numbers. Since input() returns a string, we convert it to a float using float() to handle decimal numbers.

Step 2: Compare the Numbers to Find the Largest

• The program uses conditional statements (if, elif, else) to compare the three numbers. It checks whether a is greater than or equal to both b and c. If true, a is the largest. If not, it checks if b is greater than or equal to both a and c. If true, b is the largest. Otherwise, c is the largest.

Step 3: Display the Result

• The print() function is used to display the largest number. The f-string format is used to include the variable value directly within the string.

Output Example

Example:

Enter the first number: 10
Enter the second number: 25
Enter the third number: 20
The largest number is 25

Example:

Enter the first number: 7.5
Enter the second number: 3.2
Enter the third number: 9.8
The largest number is 9.8

Conclusion

This Python program demonstrates how to compare three numbers and determine the largest one using conditional statements. It’s a straightforward example that helps beginners understand basic comparison operations and decision-making in Python.