# `int`

Python's fundamental integral primitive; it is signed, and is of arbitrary precision (all `int` values are what other languages might call a "BigInt" or "Long"). When used as a function `int()` can convert appropriately formatted strings to `int` values.

See [matrix][matrix] for an example of this type-casting behavior.

TODO: ADD MORE DETAIL

See the Python documentation entries on the [integral number type][docs-int-type], one of several [numerical types][docs-numerical-types].

[matrix]: ../../exercise-concepts/matrix.md
[docs-int-type]: https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int
[docs-numerical-types]: https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#typesnumeric
