use len(str(x)) to find the length of a number

gistfile1.txt

"""Compares two differing methods of determining a number's length."""


import math


def using_log(number):
    """Using math.log to figure out the length of a number."""

    return math.floor(math.log(number, 10)) + 1


def using_len(number):
    """Converts the number to a string and determines length through len()."""

    return len(str(number))


def find_weird_maths():
    """Finds where the levee breaks."""

    digit = 9
    number = digit
    for i in range(1, 500):
        if using_log(number) != using_len(number):
            print "9's x %d differs logrithmic v string." % using_len(number)
        number = int(str(digit) * i)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    find_weird_maths()