diff --git a/examples/nat.py b/examples/nat.py
index f8fb0b12908d588ee679128742061361e2df20e9..dada3638f05c82bfd40388ed966038342ca9b1a2 100755
--- a/examples/nat.py
+++ b/examples/nat.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def fixNetworkManager( root, intf ):
     cfile = '/etc/network/interfaces'
     line = '\niface %s inet manual\n' % intf
     config = open( cfile ).read()
-    if ( line ) not in config:
+    if line not in config:
         print '*** Adding', line.strip(), 'to', cfile
         with open( cfile, 'a' ) as f:
             f.write( line )
diff --git a/mininet/net.py b/mininet/net.py
index 55bb1c89cba59626f7adf40a912df698047367ee..91e354256e3e6e52dacebe6ef9114632df974b9e 100755
--- a/mininet/net.py
+++ b/mininet/net.py
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ def build( self ):
         "Build mininet."
         if self.topo:
             self.buildFromTopo( self.topo )
-        if ( self.inNamespace ):
+        if self.inNamespace:
             self.configureControlNetwork()
         info( '*** Configuring hosts\n' )
         self.configHosts()
@@ -463,13 +463,13 @@ def _parsePing( pingOutput ):
         "Parse ping output and return packets sent, received."
         # Check for downed link
         if 'connect: Network is unreachable' in pingOutput:
-            return (1, 0)
+            return 1, 0
         r = r'(\d+) packets transmitted, (\d+) received'
         m = re.search( r, pingOutput )
         if m is None:
             error( '*** Error: could not parse ping output: %s\n' %
                    pingOutput )
-            return (1, 0)
+            return 1, 0
         sent, received = int( m.group( 1 ) ), int( m.group( 2 ) )
         return sent, received
 
diff --git a/mininet/topo.py b/mininet/topo.py
index 2ab455cd5cbf6395e1a454b3053f656a13dc8d94..f9c421fbc8f57dc72e0850ae72ebd9cab99ee41c 100644
--- a/mininet/topo.py
+++ b/mininet/topo.py
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ def port(self, src, dst):
         '''
         if src in self.ports and dst in self.ports[src]:
             assert dst in self.ports and src in self.ports[dst]
-            return (self.ports[src][dst], self.ports[dst][src])
+            return self.ports[src][dst], self.ports[dst][src]
 
     def linkInfo( self, src, dst ):
         "Return link metadata"