Python Sets
A set is a collection of unique data, meaning that elements within a set cannot be duplicated.
For instance, if we need to store information about student IDs, a set is suitable since student
IDs cannot have duplicates.
Create a Set in Python
In Python, we create sets by placing all the elements inside curly braces {}, separated by
commas.
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 mutable elements like lists, sets or dictionaries as its
elements.
# create a set of integer type
student_id = {112, 114, 116, 118, 115}
print('Student ID:', student_id)
# create a set of string type
vowel_letters = {'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'}
print('Vowel Letters:', vowel_letters)
# create a set of mixed data types
mixed_set = {'Hello', 101, -2, 'Bye'}
print('Set of mixed data types:', mixed_set)
Output
Student ID: {112, 114, 115, 116, 118}
Vowel Letters: {'u', 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o'}
Set of mixed data types: {'Hello', 'Bye', 101, -2}
Note: When you run this code, you might get output in a different order. This is because the
set has no particular order.
Create an Empty Set in Python
Creating an empty set is a bit tricky. Empty curly braces {} will make an empty dictionary in
Python.
To make a set without any elements, we use the set() function without any argument.
# create an empty set
empty_set = set()
# create an empty dictionary
empty_dictionary = { }
# check data type of empty_set
print('Data type of empty_set:', type(empty_set))
# check data type of dictionary_set
print('Data type of empty_dictionary:', type(empty_dictionary))
Output
Data type of empty_set: <class 'set'>
Data type of empty_dictionary: <class 'dict'>
Duplicate Items in a Set
numbers = {2, 4, 6, 6, 2, 8}
print(numbers) # {8, 2, 4, 6}
Here, we can see there are no duplicate items in the set as a set cannot contain duplicates.
Add and Update Set Items in Python
Sets are mutable. However, since they are unordered, indexing has no meaning.
We cannot access or change an element of a set using indexing or slicing. The set data type does
not support it.
In Python, we use the add() method to add an item to a set.
numbers = {21, 34, 54, 12}
print('Initial Set:',numbers)
# using add() method
numbers.add(32)
print('Updated Set:', numbers)
Output
Initial Set: {34, 12, 21, 54}
Updated Set: {32, 34, 12, 21, 54}
Update Python Set
The update() method is used to update the set with items other collection types (lists, tuples,
sets, etc).
companies = {'Lacoste', 'Ralph Lauren'}
tech_companies = ['apple', 'google', 'apple']
# using update() method
companies.update(tech_companies)
print(companies)
# Output: {'google', 'apple', 'Lacoste', 'Ralph Lauren'}
Remove an Element from a Set
We use the discard() method to remove the specified element from a set
languages = {'Swift', 'Java', 'Python'}
print('Initial Set:',languages)
# remove 'Java' from a set
removedValue = languages.discard('Java')
print('Set after remove():', languages)
Output
Initial Set: {'Python', 'Swift', 'Java'}
Set after remove(): {'Python', 'Swift'}
Iterate Over a Set in Python
fruits = {"Apple", "Peach", "Mango"}
# for loop to access each fruits
for fruit in fruits:
print(fruit)
We can use the len() method to find the number of elements present in a Set.
even_numbers = {2,4,6,8}
print('Set:',even_numbers)
# find number of elements
print('Total Elements:', len(even_numbers))
Output
Set: {8, 2, 4, 6} Total Elements: 4
Python Set Operations
Union of Two Sets
The union of two sets A and B includes all the elements of sets A and B.
We use the | operator or the union() method to perform the set union operation
# first set
A = {1, 3, 5}
# second set
B = {0, 2, 4}
# perform union operation using |
print('Union using |:', A | B)
# perform union operation using union()
print('Union using union():', A.union(B))
Output
Union using |: {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
Union using union(): {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
Python Set Operations
Set Intersection
The intersection of two sets A and B include the common elements between set A and B.
In Python, we use the & operator or the intersection() method to perform the set intersection
operation
# first set
A = {1, 3, 5}
# second set
B = {1, 2, 3}
# perform intersection operation using &
print('Intersection using &:', A & B)
# perform intersection operation using intersection()
print('Intersection using intersection():', A.intersection(B))
Output
Intersection using &: {1, 3}
Intersection using intersection(): {1, 3}
Python Set Operations
Difference between Two Sets
The difference between two sets A and B include elements of set A that are not present on
set B.
We use the - operator or the difference() method to perform the difference between two sets.
# first set
A = {2, 3, 5}
# second set
B = {1, 2, 6}
# perform difference operation using &
print('Difference using &:', A - B)
# perform difference operation using difference()
print('Difference using difference():', A.difference(B))
Output
Difference using &: {3, 5}
Difference using difference(): {3, 5}
Python Set Operations
Set Symmetric Difference
The symmetric difference between two sets A and B includes all elements of A and B without
the common elements.
In Python, we use the ^ operator or the symmetric_difference() method to perform symmetric
differences between two sets.
# first set
A = {2, 3, 5}
# second set
B = {1, 2, 6}
# perform difference operation using &
print('using ^:', A ^ B)
# using symmetric_difference()
print('using symmetric_difference():', A.symmetric_difference(B))
Output
using ^: {1, 3, 5, 6}
using symmetric_difference(): {1, 3, 5, 6}
