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How to Get the First Digit of a Number in Python
If I give you the number 54321, what’s the first digit? Obviously, it’s 5. But what if I give you -0.00789? The first digit is actually 7. Here’s what’s wild – this simple concept can catch criminals, verify scientific research, and spot fake tax returns.
When people make up numbers, they don’t follow the same patterns that occur naturally. Real data has specific fingerprints. Fake data looks different. Learning to extract first digits lets you detect these differences.
I’ll show you four different ways to get that first digit in Python. Each method solves different problems. By the end, you’ll know which one to use when.









