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Operations and Usage of Sets - Python

  • Set is a built in data-type(data-structure) in python.
  • It only stores unique elements.
  • It do not contains duplicate elements.
  • We can iterate over sets.

What is set ? 

In mathematics, a set is a well-defined collection of distinct objects, considered as a single object in its own right.

    How to create a set in python?

    # case1: empty set with built-in keyword
    s = set()
    print(s)
    # Output: set([])
    print(type(s))
    # Output: set
    # case2: set with initial data
    s = {1, 'a', '@', 'batta', 2.22}
    print(s)
    # Output: set([2.22, 'batta', 1, 'a', '@'])
    print(type(s))
    # Output: set

    How to add an element to a set in python ?

    s = {1,2,3,4,5,6,'a'}
    print(s)
    # Output: set(['a', 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6])
    s.add(100)
    print(s)
    # Output: set(['a', 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 100])

    How to remove an element from set in python ?

    s = {1,2,3,4,5,6,'a'}
    r = s.remove(5)
    print(s)
    # Output: set(['a', 1, 2, 3, 4, 6])
    print(r)
    # Output: None
    s = {1,2,3,4,5,6,'a'}
    r = s.discard(5)
    print(s)
    # Output: set(['a', 1, 2, 3, 4, 6])
    print(r)
    # Output: None

    How to remove and get last element from set in python ?

    s = {1,2,3,4,5,6,'a'}
    r = s.pop()
    print(s)
    # Output: set([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6])
    print(r)
    # Output: 'a'

    How to clear or empty the set in python?

    s = {'a', 1,2,3,4,5,6}
    s.clear()
    print(s)
    # Output: set([])

    How to copy set1 to set2 ?

    s1 = {1,2,3,4, 'a', 'hello', 1.255}
    # id - it is a built-in function it returns the memory location of python object.
    s2 = s1.copy()
    print(id(s1))
    # Output: 139864877446360
    print(id(s2))
    # Output: 139864877446128
    # if we do not use 'copy'
    s3 = {1,2,3,4}
    s4 = s3
    print(id(s3))
    # Output: 139864878456528
    print(id(s4))
    # Output: 139864878456528

    How to find difference of two sets in python ?

    s1 = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}
    s2 = {4,5,6,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14}
    difference = s1.difference(s2)
    print(difference)
    # Output: set([8, 1, 2, 3, 7])
    # shortcut method
    difference = s1 - s2
    print(difference)
    # Output: set([8, 1, 2, 3, 7])
    # It do not modify the initial data in s1, s2
    print(s1)
    # Output: set([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8])
    print(s2)
    # Output: set([4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14])

    How to update the difference of set1, set2 into set1 ?

    s1 = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8}
    s2 = {4,5,6,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14}
    difference = s1.difference_update(s2)
    print(difference)
    # Output: None
    print(s1)
    # Output: set([1, 2, 3, 7, 8])
    print(s2)
    # Output: set([4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14])

    How to find the common elements in set1, set2 in python?

    s1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11}
    s2 = {4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14}
    intersection = s1.intersection(s2)
    print(intersection)
    # Output: set([4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11])

    How to check whether set1 and set2 contains common elements or not ?

    # find if sets disjoint or not
    set1 = set([1, 2.55, 3, "a"])
    set2 = set(["hello", "world", "batta"])
    is_disjoint = set1.isdisjoint(set2)
    print(is_disjoint)
    # Output: True
    # Because there are no common elements
    set1 = set([1, 2.55, 3, "a"])
    set2 = set(["hello", 1, "a"])
    is_disjoint = set1.isdisjoint(set2)
    print(is_disjoint)
    # Output: False
    # common elements are 1, "a"

    How to check if given set s1 is subset of other set s2 or not ? 

    # case1
    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, "abcd", 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} # superset
    set2 = {1, 3, 5} # subset
    result = set2.issubset(set1)
    print(result)
    # Output: True
    # case2
    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, "abcd", 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} # superset
    set2 = {1, 3, 5} # subset
    result = set1.issubset(set2)
    print(result)
    # Output: False
    # case3
    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, "abcd", 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
    set2 = {1, 3, 5, "extra element"}
    result = set2.issubset(set1)
    print(result)
    # Output: False

    How to check if given set s1 is superset of other set s2 or not ? 

    # case1
    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, "abcd", 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} # superset
    set2 = {1, 3, 5} # subset
    result = set1.issuperset(set2)
    print(result)
    # Output: True
    # case2
    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, "abcd", 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} # superset
    set2 = {1, 3, 5} # subset
    result = set2.issuperset(set1)
    print(result)
    # Output: False
    # case3
    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, "abcd", 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
    set2 = {1, 3, 5, "extra element"}
    result = set1.issuperset(set2)
    print(result)
    # Output: False

    How to combine(union) set1 and set2 ?

    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd'}
    set2 = {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}
    result = set1.union(set2) # it will not modify the original sets & returns union of two sets.
    print(result)
    # Output: {0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd', 'extra element'}
    # check if original sets changed or not
    print(set1)
    # Output: {0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd'}
    prnt(set2)
    # Output: {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}

    How to update set1 with other set set2 ? 

    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd'}
    set2 = {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}
    result = set1.update(set2) # it will update the operating set & returns None.
    print(result)
    # Output: None
    print(set1)
    # Output: {'abcd', 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'extra element', 0}
    print(set2)
    # Output: {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}

    How to find symmetric difference of two sets ? 

    symmetric difference is known as the disjunctive union, of two sets is the set of elements which are in either of the sets and not in their intersection.
    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd'}
    set2 = {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}
    result = set1.symmetric_difference(set2) # It will not change the original sets.
    # it removes common elements in both sets and returns the union of remaining elements.
    print(result)
    # Output: {0, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd', 'extra element'}
    # print original sets
    print(set1)
    # Output: {0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd'}
    print(set2)
    # Output: {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}

    How to find symmetric difference of two sets and update the result in same set?

    set1 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd'}
    set2 = {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}
    result = set1.symmetric_difference_update(set2)
    # it removes common elements in both sets and updates set1 with union of remaining elements.
    print(result)
    # Output: None
    # print original sets
    print(set1)
    # Output: {0, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 'abcd', 'extra element'}
    print(set2)
    # Output: {1, 3, 5, 'extra element'}
    Note: You can pass any iterable data to set methods.

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