Attempting to see whether using 196 as a respectively in my program will have a result or not, I made a simple function to test it. Now the 196-Algorithm requires this:

• Take any positive, two-digit integer, a

• Take a and reverse it (for example 23 becomes 32)

• Now add the new number to a

• Repeat the process until the a is a palindrome (when reversed, a palindrome's value should still be the same)

This is my function:

def one_nine_six_algorithm(a):
b = a
if a > 9:
    while str(b)[::-1] != str(b):
        c = str(b)[::-1]
        b += int(c)
    return b

In this program, I literally did how do the algorithm. The integer, a, is taken in and checked that it is a positive, two-digit number. Then, the algorithm is run in the while loop, where b is the new/current value of a and c is basically b reversed but as a string in able to use [::-1]. Then c as an integer (int(c)) is added to b and is continued until b is a palindrome (checked in the while line). Then it returns b, which is used for whatever reason I need it for.

Now for complicated integers, this might go through a lot of loops and take a lot of time to finish. Is there a more efficient way to improve my program in terms of speed and readability?