Part of the series

Several example codes

~1 min read • Updated Oct 5, 2025

Program Overview

This Python program reads two numbers x and n from the user, and calculates the sum of the following expression:
x¹ + x² + x³ + ... + xⁿ
This type of calculation is common in mathematics, algorithm design, and numerical analysis.


Python Code:


# Read x and n from user
x = int(input("Enter value for x: "))
n = int(input("Enter value for n: "))

total = 0

# Calculate the sum of powers
for i in range(1, n + 1):
    total += x ** i

print("Sum of powers from x¹ to xⁿ:", total)

Sample Output:


Enter value for x: 2  
Enter value for n: 4  
Sum of powers from x¹ to xⁿ: 30

Step-by-Step Explanation:

- x is the base, and n is the number of terms
- A loop runs from 1 to n, calculating x ** i at each step
- Each result is added to the total
- The final output is the sum of all powers from x¹ to xⁿ


Written & researched by Dr. Shahin Siami