Python sets are unordered collection of unique items unlike lists or tuples. Python sets are defined by values separated by comma inside curly braces {}. The sets are mutable so we can add or remove elements to/from it. However, elements in a set are not ordered.
How to change a set in Python?
print(s)
# add an element
s.add(2)
print(s)
# add multiple elements
s.update([2,3,4])
print(s)
# add list and set
s.update([4,5], {1,6,8})
print(s)
How to remove elements from a set?
s.discard(4)
print(s)
s.discard(2)
print(s)
Python Set Operations:
print(A.union(B)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(B.union(A)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
# initialize A and B
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A & B) # use & operator. # Output: {4, 5}
# use intersection function on A
print(A.intersection(B)) # Output : {4, 5}
# Or use intersection function on B
print(B.intersection(A)) # Output: {4, 5}
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A - B) # use - operator on A # Output: {1, 2, 3}
# use difference function on A
print(A.difference(B)) # Output: {1, 2, 3}
# use - operator on B
print(B - A ) # Output: {8, 6, 7}
# use difference function on B
print(B.difference(A)) # Output: {8, 6, 7}
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A ^ B) # use ^ operator. # Output: {1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8}
# use symmetric_difference function on A
print(A.symmetric_difference(B)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8}
# use symmetric_difference function on B
print(B.symmetric_difference(A)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8}
Different Python Set Methods:
Other Set Operations:
print('a' in s) # Output: True
print('p' not in s) # Output: False
print(x)
Built-in Functions with Set:
Python Frozenset:
A = frozenset([1, 2, 3, 4])
B = frozenset([3, 4, 5, 6])
print(A.isdisjoint(B)) # Output: False
print(A.difference(B)) # Output: frozenset({1, 2})
print(A | B) # Output: frozenset({1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6})
Example:
a = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
print(a) #### Output a = {5,2,3,1,4}
print(type(a)) #### Output will be <class 'set’>
a = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
print(a) #### Output a = {5,2,3,1,4}
print(type(a)) #### Output will be <class 'set’>
Python sets eliminate the duplicates as shown in below example.
a = {1,2,2,3,3,3}
print(a) ### Output will be {1, 2, 3}
print(a) ### Output will be {1, 2, 3}
Slicing operator [] does not work on set since they are unordered in nature.
Sets can be used to perform mathematical set operations like union, intersection, symmetric difference. A set can have any number of items and they may be of different types (integer, float, tuple, string etc).
Sets can be used to perform mathematical set operations like union, intersection, symmetric difference. A set can have any number of items and they may be of different types (integer, float, tuple, string etc).
But a set cannot have a mutable element, like list, set or dictionary, as its element.
# set of integers
s = {1, 2, 3}
print(s)
# set of mixed datatypes
s = {1.0, "Hello", (1, 2, 3)}
print(s)
s = set([1,2,3,2])
print(s)
# set of integers
s = {1, 2, 3}
print(s)
# set of mixed datatypes
s = {1.0, "Hello", (1, 2, 3)}
print(s)
s = set([1,2,3,2])
print(s)
- Sets are mutable. But since they are unordered, indexing does not work with sets.
- We cannot access/change an element of set using indexing or slicing. Set does not support it.
- We can add single element using the add() method and multiple elements using the update() method.
- The update() method can take tuples, lists, strings or other sets as its argument as in examples below. However, in all cases duplicates are avoided.
print(s)
# add an element
s.add(2)
print(s)
# add multiple elements
s.update([2,3,4])
print(s)
# add list and set
s.update([4,5], {1,6,8})
print(s)
- A particular item can be removed from set using methods like discard() and remove().
- The only difference between the two methods is that, while using discard() if the item does not exist in the set, it remains unchanged.
- But remove() will raise an error in such condition.
s.discard(4)
print(s)
s.remove(6)
print(s)
print(s)
s.discard(2)
print(s)
- Similarly, we can remove and return an item using the pop() method.
- Be careful with pop(). Set being unordered, there is no way of determining which item will be popped. It is completely arbitrary.
- We can also remove all items from a set using clear().
- Sets can be used to carry out mathematical set operations like union, intersection, difference and symmetric difference.
- We can do these operations using operators or methods.
- Set Union
- Set Intersection
- Set Difference
- Set Symmetric Difference
- Set Union:

- Union of set A and set B is a set of all elements from both sets.
- Union is performed using ' | ' operator.
- Same can be accomplished using the method union().
- Example:
# initialize set A and set B
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A | B) # use of | operator
# Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A | B) # use of | operator
# Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
OR
print(A.union(B)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
# or other way, use union function on B
print(B.union(A)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
- Set Intersection:
- Intersection of set A and set B is a set of elements that are common in both sets.
- Intersection is performed using '&' operator.
- Same can be accomplished using the method intersection().
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A & B) # use & operator. # Output: {4, 5}
# use intersection function on A
print(A.intersection(B)) # Output : {4, 5}
# Or use intersection function on B
print(B.intersection(A)) # Output: {4, 5}
- Difference of set A & set B is a set of elements that are only in A but not in B or vice versa.
- ex: B - A is a set of element in B but not in A
- ex A - B is a set of element in A but not in B.
- Difference is performed using '-' operator.
- Same can be accomplished using the method difference().
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A - B) # use - operator on A # Output: {1, 2, 3}
# use difference function on A
print(A.difference(B)) # Output: {1, 2, 3}
# use - operator on B
print(B - A ) # Output: {8, 6, 7}
# use difference function on B
print(B.difference(A)) # Output: {8, 6, 7}
- Set Symmetric Difference:
- Symmetric Difference of A and B is a set of elements in both A and B except those elements that are common in both.
- Symmetric difference is performed using '^' operator.
- Same can be accomplished using the method symmetric_difference().
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
print(A ^ B) # use ^ operator. # Output: {1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8}
# use symmetric_difference function on A
print(A.symmetric_difference(B)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8}
# use symmetric_difference function on B
print(B.symmetric_difference(A)) # Output: {1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8}
Different Python Set Methods:
- Set Membership Test
- We can test if an item exists in a set or not, using the keyword in.
print('a' in s) # Output: True
print('p' not in s) # Output: False
- Iterating Through a Set
print(x)
Built-in Functions with Set:
Python Frozenset:
- Frozenset is a new class that has the characteristics of a set, but its elements cannot be changed once assigned.
- While tuples are immutable lists, frozensets are immutable sets.
- Sets being mutable are unhashable, so they can't be used as dictionary keys.
- On the other hand, frozensets are hashable and can be used as keys to a dictionary.
- Frozenset supports methods like copy(), difference(), intersection(), isdisjoint(), issubset(), issuperset(), symmetric_difference() and union().
- Being immutable it does not have method that add or remove elements.
- Frozensets can be created using the frozenset() function.
A = frozenset([1, 2, 3, 4])
B = frozenset([3, 4, 5, 6])
print(A.isdisjoint(B)) # Output: False
print(A.difference(B)) # Output: frozenset({1, 2})
print(A | B) # Output: frozenset({1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6})
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