List replication using * operator in Python

The * operator can be applied between a list and an integer, to duplicate the list the specified number of times.

Syntax

list * no_of_times_to_replicate

>>> numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> numbers_twice = numbers * 2
>>> numbers_thrice = numbers * 3
>>> 
>>> numbers
[1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> 
>>> numbers_twice
[1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> 
>>> numbers_thrice
[1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4]

Above snippet demonstrates the use of the * operator for list replication.

 

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4]

This line creates a list named numbers containing the elements 1, 2, 3, and 4.

 

numbers_twice = numbers * 2

This line replicates the numbers list two times. The * operator, when used with a list and an integer, creates a new list by repeating the original list the number of times specified by the integer. Here, numbers * 2 results in [1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4]. The list numbers is repeated twice, and this new list is assigned to the variable numbers_twice.

 

numbers_thrice = numbers * 3

Similarly, this line replicates the numbers list three times. The expression numbers * 3 produces [1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4]. The original list is repeated three times, and this new concatenated list is stored in the variable numbers_thrice.

 

In summary, the * operator is used to create larger lists by repeating the contents of an existing list a specified number of times. This snippet demonstrates creating two new lists, one with the elements of the original list repeated twice and the other repeated thrice.

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