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What is a palindrome?

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Quick answer

A palindrome is a word, phrase, or number that reads the same forwards and backwards, like 'racecar,' 'level,' or 'madam. ' The symmetry makes them a favorite puzzle in language, mathematics, and computer science. It reads identically left-to-right and right-to-left.

Key things to understand

  1. It reads identically left-to-right and right-to-left.
  2. Examples: 'racecar,' 'noon,' and the number 12321.
  3. Whole sentences can be palindromes if you ignore spaces and punctuation.
  4. They appear in DNA, where certain sequences read the same on both strands.
  5. Detecting them is a classic beginner programming exercise.

People also ask

What is an example of a palindrome?
'Racecar' and 'level' are word palindromes; 'A man, a plan, a canal: Panama' is a famous sentence one.
Are there number palindromes?
Yes — numbers like 121 or 12321 read the same both ways, and they're studied in recreational mathematics.
Do palindromes appear in DNA?
Yes — some DNA sequences read the same on both strands, and these palindromic sites are important for enzymes that cut DNA.