Swap three variables without using temporary variable
Last Updated :
23 Jul, 2025
Given three variables, a, b and c, swap them without temporary variable.
Example :
Input : a = 10, b = 20 and c = 30
Output : a = 30, b = 10 and c = 20
Method 1 (Using Arithmetic Operators)
The idea is to get sum in one of the two given numbers. The numbers can then be swapped using the sum and subtraction from sum.
We have already discussed swapping two variables here. We can extend the same approaches
C++
// C++ program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
// Assign c's value to a, a's value to b and
// b's value to c.
void swapThree(int &a, int &b, int &c)
{
// Store sum of all in a
a = a + b + c; // (a = 60)
// After this, b has value of a
b = a - (b+c); // (b = 60 – (20+30) =10)
// After this, c has value of b
c = a - (b+c); // (c = 60 – (10 + 30) = 20)
// After this, a has value of c
a = a - (b+c); //(a = 60 – (10 + 20) = 30)
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
int a = 10, b = 20, c = 30;
cout << "Before swapping a = " << a << ", b = "
<< b << ", c = " << c << endl;
swapThree(a, b, c);
cout << "After swapping a = " << a << ", b = "
<< b << ", c = " << c << endl;
return 0;
}
// Java program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable.
class GFG
{
static int a, b, c;
// Assign c's value to a, a's value
// to b and b's value to c.
static void swapThree()
{
// Store sum of all in a
// (a = 60)
a = a + b + c;
// After this, b has value of a
// (b = 60 - (20 + 30) = 10)
b = a - (b + c);
// After this, c has value of b
// (c = 60 - (10 + 30) = 20)
c = a - (b + c);
// After this, a has value of c
// (a = 60 - (10 + 20) = 30)
a = a - (b + c);
}
// Driver Code
public static void main(String []args)
{
a = 10; b = 20; c = 30;
System.out.println("Before swapping a = " +
a + ", b = " + b +
", c = " + c);
// Calling Function
swapThree();
System.out.println("After swapping a = " +
a + ", b = " + b +
", c = " + c);
}
}
// This code is contributed by PrinciRaj1992
# python 3 program to swap three variables
# without using temporary variable.
# Assign c's value to a, a's value to b and
# b's value to c.
def swapThree(a, b, c):
# Store sum of all in a
a = a + b + c # (a = 60)
# After this, b has value of a
b = a - (b+c) # (b = 60 – (20+30) =10)
# After this, c has value of b
c = a - (b+c) # (c = 60 – (10 + 30) = 20)
# After this, a has value of c
a = a - (b+c) #(a = 60 – (10 + 20) = 30)
print("After swapping a =",a,", b =",b,", c =",c)
# Driver code
if __name__ == '__main__':
a = 10
b = 20
c = 30
print("Before swapping a =",a,", b =",b,", c =",c)
swapThree(a, b, c)
# This code is contributed by
# Surendra_Gangwar
// C# program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable.
using System;
class GFG
{
// Assign c's value to a, a's value
// to b and b's value to c.
static void swapThree(ref int a,
ref int b,
ref int c)
{
// Store sum of all in a
// (a = 60)
a = a + b + c;
// After this, b has value of a
// (b = 60 – (20 + 30) = 10)
b = a - (b + c);
// After this, c has value of b
// (c = 60 – (10 + 30) = 20)
c = a - (b + c);
// After this, a has value of c
// (a = 60 – (10 + 20) = 30)
a = a - (b + c);
}
// Driver Code
static void Main(String []args)
{
int a = 10, b = 20, c = 30;
Console.WriteLine("Before swapping a = " +
a + ", b = " + b +
", c = " + c);
// Calling Function
swapThree(ref a, ref b,ref c);
Console.Write("After swapping a = " +
a + ", b = " + b +
", c = " + c);
}
}
// This code is contributed by Sam007.
<?php
// PHP program to swap three
// variables without using
// temporary variable.
// Assign c's value to a,
// a's value to b and
// b's value to c.
function swapThree(&$a, &$b, &$c)
{
// Store sum of all in a
$a = $a + $b + $c; // (a = 60)
// After this, b has value of a
// (b = 60 – (20+30) =10)
$b = $a - ($b + $c);
// After this, c has value of b
// (c = 60 – (10 + 30) = 20)
$c = $a - ($b + $c);
// After this, a has value of c
//(a = 60 – (10 + 20) = 30)
$a = $a - ($b + $c);
}
// Driver Code
$a = 10; $b = 20; $c = 30;
echo "Before swapping a = " , $a ,
", b = ", $b , ", c = " ,
$c ,"\n";
swapThree($a, $b, $c);
echo "After swapping a = ",$a ,
", b = ", $b ,
", c = ", $c , "\n";
// This code is contributed by ajit
?>
<script>
// javascript program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable.
let a, b, c;
// Assign c's value to a, a's value
// to b and b's value to c.
function swapThree()
{
// Store sum of all in a
// (a = 60)
a = a + b + c;
// After this, b has value of a
// (b = 60 - (20 + 30) = 10)
b = a - (b + c);
// After this, c has value of b
// (c = 60 - (10 + 30) = 20)
c = a - (b + c);
// After this, a has value of c
// (a = 60 - (10 + 20) = 30)
a = a - (b + c);
}
// Driver Code
a = 10; b = 20; c = 30;
document.write("Before swapping a = " +
a + ", b = " + b +
", c = " + c);
// Calling Function
swapThree();
document.write("<br>After swapping a = " +
a + ", b = " + b +
", c = " + c);
// This code contributed by Princi Singh
</script>
Output :
Before swapping a = 10, b = 20, c = 30
After swapping a = 30, b = 10, c = 20
Time Complexity: O(1)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)
Thanks to Mazhar MIK for suggesting this method.
Method 2 (Using Bitwise XOR)
The bitwise XOR operator can be used to swap three variables. The idea is similar to method 1. We first store XOR of all numbers in 'a'. Then we get individual numbers by doing XOR of this with other two numbers.
C++
// C++ program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
// Assign c's value to a, a's value to b and
// b's value to c.
void swapThree(int &a, int &b, int &c)
{
// Store XOR of all in a
a = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, b has value of a
b = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, c has value of b
c = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, a has value of c
a = a ^ b ^ c;
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
int a = 10, b = 20, c = 30;
cout << "Before swapping a = " << a << ", b = "
<< b << ", c = " << c << endl;
swapThree(a, b, c);
cout << "After swapping a = " << a << ", b = "
<< b << ", c = " << c << endl;
return 0;
}
// Java program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable.
class GFG
{
static int a, b, c;
// Assign c's value to a, a's value
// to b and b's value to c.
static void swapThree()
{
// Store XOR of all in a
a = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, b has value of a
b = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, c has value of b
c = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, a has value of c
a = a ^ b ^ c;
}
// Driver Code
public static void main(String[] args)
{
a = 10;
b = 20;
c = 30;
System.out.println("Before swapping a = " + a +
", b = " + b + ",c = " + c);
// Calling Function
swapThree();
System.out.println("After swapping a = " + a +
", b = " + b + ", c = " + c);
}
}
// This code is contributed by Rajput-Ji
# Python program to swap three variables
# without using temporary variable
# Assign c's value to a, a's value to b and
# b's value to c.
def swapThree(a, b, c) :
# Store XOR of all in a
a[0] = a[0] ^ b[0] ^ c[0]
# After this, b has value of a[0]
b[0] = a[0] ^ b[0] ^ c[0]
# After this, c has value of b
c[0] = a[0] ^ b[0] ^ c[0]
# After this, a[0] has value of c
a[0] = a[0] ^ b[0] ^ c[0]
# Driver code
a, b, c = [10], [20], [30]
print("Before swapping a = ", a[0],
", b = ", b[0], ", c = ", c[0])
swapThree(a, b, c)
print("After swapping a = ", a[0],
", b = ", b[0], ", c = ", c[0])
# This code is contributed by SHUBHAMSINGH10
// C# program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable.
using System;
class GFG
{
// Assign c's value to a, a's value
// to b and b's value to c.
static void swapThree(ref int a,
ref int b,
ref int c)
{
// Store XOR of all in a
a = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, b has value of a
b = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, c has value of b
c = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, a has value of c
a = a ^ b ^ c;
}
// Driver Code
static void Main(String []args)
{
int a = 10, b = 20, c = 30;
Console.WriteLine( "Before swapping a = " +
a +", b = " + b +
",c = " + c);
// Calling Function
swapThree(ref a, ref b,ref c);
Console.Write("After swapping a = " +
a +", b = " + b +
", c = " + c);
}
}
// This code is contributed by Sam007.
<?php
//PHP program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable
// Assign c's value to a, a's value to b and
// b's value to c.
function swapThree(&$a, &$b, &$c)
{
// Store XOR of all in a
$a = $a ^ $b ^ $c;
// After this, b has value of a
$b = $a ^ $b ^ $c;
// After this, c has value of b
$c = $a ^ $b ^ $c;
// After this, a has value of c
$a = $a ^ $b ^ $c;
}
// Driver code
$a = 10; $b = 20; $c = 30;
echo "Before swapping a = " , $a , ", b = ",
$b , ", c = " , $c ,"\n";
swapThree($a, $b, $c);
echo "After swapping a = ", $a , ", b = ",
$b , ", c = " , $c ,"\n";
#This code is contributed by ajit
?>
<script>
// javascript program to swap three variables
// without using temporary variable.
var a, b, c;
// Assign c's value to a, a's value
// to b and b's value to c.
function swapThree()
{
// Store XOR of all in a
a = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, b has value of a
b = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, c has value of b
c = a ^ b ^ c;
// After this, a has value of c
a = a ^ b ^ c;
}
// Driver Code
a = 10;
b = 20;
c = 30;
document.write("Before swapping a = " + a +
", b = " + b + ", c = " + c);
// Calling Function
swapThree();
document.write("<br>")
document.write("After swapping a = " + a +
", b = " + b + ", c = " + c);
// This code contributed by Princi Singh
</script>
Output:
Before swapping a = 10, b = 20, c = 30
After swapping a = 30, b = 10, c = 20
Time Complexity: O(1)
Auxiliary Space: O(1)
The method 1 causes overflow for large values of a, b and c, while method 2 doesn't.
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