Python - Set Operations

Set Operations
	Chapter 16. Sets

Set Operations

There are a large number of set operations, including union (|), intersection (&), difference (-), symmetric difference (^). These are unusual operations, so we'll look at them in some detail. In addition to this operator notation, there are method functions which do the same things. We'll look at the method function versions below.

We'll use the following two sets to show these operators.

>>> 
fib=set( (1,1,2,3,5,8,13) )

>>> 
prime=set( (2,3,5,7,11,13) )

Union, |

The resulting set has elements from both source sets. An element is in the result if it is one set or the other.

>>> 
fib | prime

set([1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13])

Figure 16.1. Set Union, S1|S2

Intersection, &

The resulting set has elements that are common to both source sets. An element is in the result if it is in one set and the other.

>>> 
fib & prime

set([2, 3, 5, 13])

Figure 16.2. Set Intersection, S1&S2

Difference, -

The resulting set has elements of the left-hand set with all elements from the right-hand set removed. An element will be in the result if it is in the left-hand set and not in the right-hand set.

>>> fib - prime
set([8, 1])
>>> prime - fib
set([11, 7])

Figure 16.3. Set Difference, S1-S2

Symmetric Difference, ^

The resulting set has elements which are unique to each set. An element will be in the result set if either it is in the left-hand set and not in the right-hand set or it is in the right-hand set and not in the left-hand set. Whew!

>>> 
fib ^ prime

set([8, 1, 11, 7])

Figure 16.4. Set Symmetric Difference, S2^S2


Set Literal Values		Set Comparison Operators