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5 votes
The following code causes an infinite loop. Can you figure out what’s missing and how to fix it?

def count_numbers(first, last):
# Loop through the numbers from first to last
x = first
while x <= last:
print(x)


count_numbers(2, 6)
# Should print:
# 2
# 3
# 4
# 5
# 6

User Jskinner
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer and explanation:

The infinite loop is being caused by the lack of an increment statement for the variable `x` inside the while loop. To fix the code, you need to increment the value of `x` by 1 during each iteration of the loop.

Here's the corrected code:

```python

pythondef count_numbers(first, last):

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last:

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x)

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6)

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6) # Should print:

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6) # Should print:# 2

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6) # Should print:# 2# 3

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6) # Should print:# 2# 3# 4

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6) # Should print:# 2# 3# 4 # 5

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6) # Should print:# 2# 3# 4 # 5# 6

pythondef count_numbers(first, last): # Loop through the numbers from first to last x = first while x <= last: print(x) x += 1count_numbers(2, 6) # Should print:# 2# 3# 4 # 5# 6```

Adding `x += 1` inside the while loop will ensure that the value of `x` increases by 1 during each iteration, preventing the infinite loop and making the code work as intended.

User Hayden Braxton
by
8.4k points