syntax error: can't assign to operator

[liam]

Below is my code, the error was "syntax error: can't assign to operator" at line 6, " L**2 - (2*a**2*L) + (16*area**2)= 0 ". I need help in debugging this error, thanks!

def inverse_acute_heron(a, area):
    a > 0
    area > 0
    b <= a + a
    L = b**2
    L**2 - (2*a**2*L) + (16*area**2)= 0
    d = (2*a**2)**2 - 4*(16*area**2)
# a=1 b=2*a**2 c=16*area**2
    if d == 0: #only gives 1 solution
        x = (-(2*a**2) + sqrt(d)) / 2
    elif d > 0: #gives 2 solution
        x1 = (-(2*a**2) + sqrt(d)) / 2
        x2 = (-(2*a**2) - sqrt(d)) / 2
    return x1 and x2
print(inverse_acute_heron(1, 0.5))
print(inverse_acute_heron(1, heron(1, 1, 1)))

[buran]

what is following line supposed to do

L**2 - (2*a**2*L) + (16*area**2)= 0

it's not a valid syntax

---

Also note that when you resolve the above issue

a > 0
    area > 0
    b <= a + a

will have no visible effect whatsoever, i.e. it's a valid code/syntax, but it does nothing that affects the rest of the code
then the return statement

 return x1 and x2

will not give you what you [probably] expect e.g.

>>> 1 and 2
2

[liam]

Sorry, to clarify, the full question is as follows:

Heron’s formula is a method for calculating the area of triangle given the lengths of all three sides. We already know that Heron’s formula is given as:
area = sqrt(p(p-a)(p-b)(p-c))

where p is half the perimeter: p = (a+b+c)/2

Your task is to write the function inverse_acute_heron(a, area). The function accepts two numbers 'a' and 'area' corresponding to the length a and the area of triangle respectively. The function returns the length of the missing side b corresponding to an acute angle triangle.
Assumptions:
a > 0
a + a >= b
area > 0

you should rewrite the Heron’s formula into some other forms. It will be beneficial to simply let L=b^2. This will allow you to solve some form of quadratic equation, which you can simply use a modified version of solve_qe to solve.
A good starting point is:
area^2 = ((2a+b)/2) * (((2a+b)/2) - a) * (((2a+b)/2 - a)) * (((2a+b)/2 - b))

[jefsummers]

OK, some basics in programming -
= means assignment, not equality. a=b is not an assertion, rather it is a command to take the value of b and assign that to variable a.
a > 0 is meaningless. It does not tell the python interpreter to do anything - you are not giving it an assumption

So, lines 2, 3, and 4 don't actually do anything of use.
Line 5 takes the value of b, squares it, and stores that in L. However, you have not given b a value so this will give you an unassigned value error.
Line 6 would be interpreted as assigning the value of zero to some variable, but the left side of the assignment is not a variable. Therefore it cannot work.
Line 7 is your first valid syntax.

Suggest - you are given a and area. Take your starting point formula and use a little algebra to solve for b. Then program that formula in python.