Python – How to sum the first value in each tuple in a list of tuples in Python

listpythontuples

I have a list of tuples (always pairs) like this:

[(0, 1), (2, 3), (5, 7), (2, 1)]

I'd like to find the sum of the first items in each pair, i.e.:

0 + 2 + 5 + 2

How can I do this in Python? At the moment I'm iterating through the list:

sum = 0
for pair in list_of_pairs:
   sum += pair[0]

I have a feeling there must be a more Pythonic way.

Best Solution

In modern versions of Python I'd suggest what SilentGhost posted (repeating here for clarity):

sum(i for i, j in list_of_pairs)

In an earlier version of this answer I had suggested this, which was necessary because SilentGhost's version didn't work in the version of Python (2.3) that was current at the time:

sum([pair[0] for pair in list_of_pairs])

Now that version of Python is beyond obsolete, and SilentGhost's code works in all currently-maintained versions of Python, so there's no longer any reason to recommend the version I had originally posted.