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So, we got a practise problem to find the number of zeroes behind the factorial of a number. I thought of 2 approaches please tell which would you grade higher.
So, now to the problem, the first one is not answering from 13 and onwards and is displaying the same negative number for every number after 13, here is the code:
C++
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int fact(int n){
    float f=1;
    while(n){
        f=f*n;
        n--;
    }
    return f;
}
int main(){
    float temp;
    int ans, zero=0, num;
    cout<<"enter a number :";
    cin>>num;
    ans=fact(num);
    cout<<"factorial of "<<num<<" is "<<ans;
    temp=ans;
    for( ; ; ){
        ans=ans/10;
        temp=temp/10;
        if(ans==temp){
            zero++;
            continue;
        }
        else{
            break;   
        }
    }
    cout<<"number of zero's :"<<zero;
}

The second code is displaying nothing after taking the input:
C++
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;
int fact(int n){
    float f=1;
    while(n){
        f=f*n;
        n--;
    }
    return f;
}
int main(){
    int two=0, ten=0, fiv=0, ft=0 ,num;
    float fac;
    cout<<"enter a number";   
    cin>>num;
    fac=fact(num);
    cout<<"factorial of "<<num<<" is "<<fac;
    while(num){
        if(num%10==0){
            ten++;   
        }
        else if(num%2==0){
            two++;
        }
        else if(num%5==0){
            fiv++;   
        }
        else{
            continue;   
        }
        num--;
    }
    while(two!=0||fiv!=0){
        ft++;
        fiv--;
        two--;
    }
    cout<<"number of zeroes behind the number is "<<ft+ten;
}

(i'm a beginner, and if both work which one should i submit?)

What I have tried:

changed int to float, and this has to be atleast 30 char so,.. yeah
Posted
Updated 17-Mar-18 20:17pm

1 solution

Quote:
changed int to float, and this has to be atleast 30 char so,.. yeah

Don't use floats, factorials are integers, so use BigInts instead.
Quote:
So, we got a practise problem to find the number of zeroes behind the factorial of a number.

As I understand, you want to know the number of zeros on right of a factorial.
A factorial is a multiplication of integers. Which numbers alone or multiplied together give zeroes on right?

With a little analyze, you will find that you don't need to calc the factorial itself.
Quote:
The second code is displaying nothing after taking the input:

Your code do not behave the way you expect, and you don't understand why !

There is an almost universal solution: Run your code on debugger step by step, inspect variables.
The debugger is here to show you what your code is doing and your task is to compare with what it should do.
There is no magic in the debugger, it don't know what your is supposed to do, it don't find bugs, it just help you to by showing you what is going on. When the code don't do what is expected, you are close to a bug.
To see what your code is doing: Just set a breakpoint and see your code performing, the debugger allow you to execute lines 1 by 1 and to inspect variables as it execute.
Debugger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[^]

Mastering Debugging in Visual Studio 2010 - A Beginner's Guide[^]
Basic Debugging with Visual Studio 2010 - YouTube[^]
The debugger is here to only show you what your code is doing and your task is to compare with what it should do.
 
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