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Thread: Need help understand this while loop.

  1. #1
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    Default Need help understand this while loop.

    Hello everyone,

    I was reading a book and came across this while loop.

    public class Powers {
    public static void main (String [] args){
    	int e;
    	int result;
    	for(int i = 0; i < 10; i++){
    		result = 1;
    		e = i;
    	while(e > 0){
    		result *= 2;
    		e--;
    	}
    	System.out.println("2 to the " + i + " power is " + result);
    		}
    	}
    }

    This loop presents the following (I'm sure it's not necessary):

    2 to the 0 power is 1
    2 to the 1 power is 2
    2 to the 2 power is 4
    2 to the 3 power is 8
    2 to the 4 power is 16
    2 to the 5 power is 32
    2 to the 6 power is 64
    2 to the 7 power is 128
    2 to the 8 power is 256
    2 to the 9 power is 512

    I am just having a difficult time understand and grasping this concept. My main issue is result *=2; this is making it very difficult to understand. How is result being replace if it only equals to 1.
    Last edited by xXBurnt; July 6th, 2014 at 03:38 PM.


  2. #2
    Super Moderator Norm's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need help understand this while loop.

    I don't understand what the problem is. Could you be more specific? Are there some statements that you don't understand.
    For example: e--; // Decrements the value in e by 1

    Please edit your post and wrap your code with code tags:
    [code=java]
    YOUR CODE GOES HERE
    [/code]
    to get highlighting and preserve formatting.
    If you don't understand my answer, don't ignore it, ask a question.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Need help understand this while loop.

    Never mind I managed to figure it out.

    Since result is set to 1, when the while loop is called the result of one is being constantly multiplied by 2 until the loop has reached the value of 9.

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