from decimal import Decimal, getcontext from random import randint # Return 3 decimal places getcontext().prec = 3 # Function "get_input" verifies the input. As "raw_input" does not accept an int # as input (which is what we need), the function converts the input into a str # and checks whether the str is a digit. If so it converts the str to an int and # returns it. If not the user is prompted again for an input. A float is not a # valid input ("isdigit" would not be True). You can convert an int to a str but # not a float to a str. The return value is used to define the number of trials. def get_input(prompt): ''' (str) --> int Ask the user for input, convert it into a str, check for a digit and convert into an int. Prompt as long as the user provides a valid input. ''' trials = raw_input(prompt) trials = str(trials) while not trials.isdigit(): print "You have to provide an integer for the number of flips!" trials = raw_input(prompt) return int(trials) heads = 0 tail = 0 i = 0 print "\n" flip = get_input("How often shall I flip a coin? ") print "\nFlipping the coin ..." while i < int(flip): coin = randint(1,2) if coin == 1: heads += 1 else: tail += 1 i += 1 relfreq_heads = Decimal(heads) / Decimal(int(flip)) relfreq_tail = Decimal(tail) / Decimal(int(flip)) print "\nFlipping a coin", flip, "times yields:\n" print "Outcome\t\tFrequency\tRelative Frequency" print "=======\t\t=========\t==================" print "Heads\t\t", heads, "\t\t", relfreq_heads print "Tail\t\t", tail, "\t\t", relfreq_tail