Python: Compute the digit distance between two integers

Last update on May 24 2025 10:46:30 (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

Digit Distance Calculator

Write a Python program to compute the digit distance between two integers.
The digit distance between two numbers is the absolute value of the difference of those numbers.
For example, the distance between 3 and −3 on the number line given by the |3 – (−3) | = |3 + 3 | = 6 units
Digit distance of 123 and 256 is
Since |1 - 2| + |2 - 5| + |3 - 6| = 1 + 3 + 3 = 7

Sample Solution:

Python Code:

# Define a function named digit_distance_nums that calculates the sum of digit distances between two numbers.
def digit_distance_nums(num1: int, num2: int) -> int:
    # Use the zip function to pair corresponding digits from the two numbers.
    # Use map(int, str(num)) to convert each number into a list of its digits.
    # Calculate the absolute difference between corresponding digits and sum them up.
    return sum(abs(i - j) for i, j in zip(map(int, str(num1)), map(int, str(num2))))
	
# Test the function with different pairs of numbers and print the results.

# Test case 1
print(digit_distance_nums(509, 510))

# Test case 2
print(digit_distance_nums(123, 256))

# Test case 3
print(digit_distance_nums(23, 56))

# Test case 4
print(digit_distance_nums(1, 2))

# Test case 5
print(digit_distance_nums(24232, 45645)) 

Sample Output:

10
7
6
1
11

Explanation:

Here is a breakdown of the above Python code:

• Function definition:
• The code defines a function named "digit_distance_nums()" that calculates the sum of digit distances between two numbers.
• Digit pairing:
• The zip function is used to pair corresponding digits from the two numbers.
• map(int, str(num)) is used to convert each number into a list of its digits.
• Digit distance calculation:
• The absolute difference between the corresponding digits is calculated using abs(i - j).
• Summation:
• The sum of absolute differences is calculated using sum(...).
• Test cases:
• The function is tested with different pairs of numbers, and the results are printed using print(digit_distance_nums(...)).

Flowchart:

For more Practice: Solve these Related Problems:

• Write a Python program to compute the digit distance between two numbers by summing the absolute differences of their corresponding digits.
• Write a Python program to calculate the digit distance after aligning two numbers by their least significant digits.
• Write a Python program to determine the digit distance between two integers by zero-padding the shorter number.
• Write a Python program to compare two numbers digit by digit and sum the absolute differences to find their digit distance.

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Python Code Editor:

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