How to sum two integers without using arithmetic operators in C/C++ Program?

In this tutorial, we will be discussing a program to understand how to sum two integers without using arithmetic operators in C/C++.

For adding two integers without using arithmetic operators, we can do this with either using pointers or using bitwise operators.

Example

Using pointers

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int sum(int a, int b){
   int *p = &a;
   return (int)&p[b];
}
int main() {
   int add = sum(2,3);
   cout << add << endl;
   return 0;
}

Output

5

Example

 Live Demo

Using bitwise operators

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int sum(int a, int b){
   int s = a ^ b;
   int carry = a & b;
   if (carry == 0)
      return s;
   else
      return sum(s, carry << 1);
}
int main() {
   int add = sum(2,3);
   cout << add << endl;
   return 0;
}

Output

5