TheAlgorithms/Python · error · ValueError

maclaurin_sin() requires a positive int for accuracy

Error message

maclaurin_sin() requires a positive int for accuracy

What it means

Raised by maclaurin_sin() in maths/maclaurin_series.py when the accuracy argument is not an int or is <= 0. accuracy controls how many terms of the Maclaurin series are summed (range(accuracy)), so it must be a positive Python int. Floats like 30.5 and numeric strings are rejected even if they 'look' numeric.

Source

Thrown at maths/maclaurin_series.py:50

    >>> maclaurin_sin(10, -30)
    Traceback (most recent call last):
        ...
    ValueError: maclaurin_sin() requires a positive int for accuracy
    >>> maclaurin_sin(10, 30.5)
    Traceback (most recent call last):
        ...
    ValueError: maclaurin_sin() requires a positive int for accuracy
    >>> maclaurin_sin(10, "30")
    Traceback (most recent call last):
        ...
    ValueError: maclaurin_sin() requires a positive int for accuracy
    """

    if not isinstance(theta, (int, float)):
        raise ValueError("maclaurin_sin() requires either an int or float for theta")

    if not isinstance(accuracy, int) or accuracy <= 0:
        raise ValueError("maclaurin_sin() requires a positive int for accuracy")

    theta = float(theta)
    div = theta // (2 * pi)
    theta -= 2 * div * pi
    return sum(
        (-1) ** r * theta ** (2 * r + 1) / factorial(2 * r + 1) for r in range(accuracy)
    )


def maclaurin_cos(theta: float, accuracy: int = 30) -> float:
    """
    Finds the maclaurin approximation of cos

    :param theta: the angle to which cos is found
    :param accuracy: the degree of accuracy wanted
    :return: the value of cosine in radians

View on GitHub (pinned to f5988cc097)

Solutions

1. Pass a literal positive int: maclaurin_sin(theta, 30).
2. Coerce explicitly: maclaurin_sin(theta, int(accuracy)) when accuracy arrives as a float or numeric string.
3. With argparse, declare the option with type=int so you never receive a string.

Example fix

# before
maclaurin_sin(1.2, accuracy='30')

# after
maclaurin_sin(1.2, accuracy=30)

if not isinstance(accuracy, int) or isinstance(accuracy, bool) or accuracy <= 0:
    accuracy = 30  # or raise your own error with context

def is_valid_accuracy(a) -> bool:
    return isinstance(a, int) and not isinstance(a, bool) and a > 0

When it happens

Trigger: maclaurin_sin(10, 30.5), maclaurin_sin(10, '30'), maclaurin_sin(10, 0), or maclaurin_sin(10, -3). Note maclaurin_sin(10, True) passes because bool is a subclass of int and True == 1.

Common situations: Reading accuracy from CLI args (always strings with argparse unless type=int is set), from JSON floats, or dividing/computing the term count and passing a float result.

Related errors

• maclaurin_cos() requires a positive int for accuracy
• maclaurin_sin() requires either an int or float for theta
• maclaurin_cos() requires either an int or float for theta
• The order must be greater than or equal to 1.
• The final value of x must be greater than the initial values

AI-assisted analysis of TheAlgorithms/Python@f5988cc097 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/466d44743c320d40. Report an issue: GitHub.