Logical operators help your program make smarter decisions by combining or inverting conditions. You can check for multiple things at once, require all to be true, or flip results with a single keyword.

• and → All conditions must be true
• or → At least one condition must be true
• not → Flips a condition (True becomes False, and vice versa)

Use parentheses to group conditions clearly. It’s not just good style — it also avoids bugs from misunderstood order of operations.

Combining Conditions

Let’s say we want to check if someone can enter a concert. They need to be at least 18 with ID, or be with a parent:

age = 20
has_id = True
with_parent = False

if (age >= 18 and has_id) or with_parent:
    print("Access granted.")
else:
    print("Access denied.")

Because of the parentheses, Python first checks if the person is 18+ and has ID. If not, it checks if they’re with a parent.

Readable Boolean Logic

It’s tempting to cram everything into one line, but clear logic wins every time — especially when things get more complex. Try breaking it into parts like this:

is_student = True
has_discount_code = False
cart_total = 39.50

qualifies_by_role = is_student or has_discount_code
qualifies_by_cart = cart_total >= 50
eligible = qualifies_by_role or qualifies_by_cart

print("Eligible for discount:", eligible)

This version is easier to read and debug later — especially if more rules are added.

Interactive Exercise: Discount Eligibility

Now let’s put it all together. Test different combinations of values to see who qualifies for a discount. Then, try adding a special VIP flag that overrides all rules.

Logical operators are the heart of decision-making in Python. Mastering them will make your programs more flexible, accurate, and easier to reason about — no matter how complex the rules get.