Python Sets: How to Use the Difference Method to Compare Data
In Python, sets are a collection of unique elements that do not follow any order. A set is defined as a group of unique elements which enclosed in curly braces {} and separated by commas. One of the most useful methods that we can apply on sets is the difference method.
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| python sets difference |
The difference method is used to find the difference between two sets. It returns all the elements that are present in the first set and not in the second set. The syntax of the python sets difference method is:
set1.difference(set2)
Consider the following example:
set1 = {1,2,3,4,5}
set2 = {4,5,6,7,8}
diff_set = set1.difference(set2)
print(diff_set)
Output:
{1, 2, 3}
In this example, we have two sets 'set1' and 'set2'. We then apply the difference method on 'set1' by passing 'set2' as an argument. The result is a set containing all the elements that are present in 'set1' but not in 'set2'. In this case, the resulting set 'diff_set' contains the elements '{1,2,3}'.
We also use the "-" operator to find the difference between two sets in Python language. The difference operation can be expressed as 'set1 - set2'. The above example using the difference operator can be rewritten as follows:
set1 = {1,2,3,4,5}
set2 = {4,5,6,7,8}
diff_set = set1 - set2
print(diff_set)
Output:
{1, 2, 3}
Both methods are the same and can be used to find the difference between two sets. The difference method can be useful in situations where we want to find out which elements are present in one set but not in another. Python sets difference is a method used to find the difference between two sets. The result is a new set that contains elements that are in one set but not in another.
The difference operator should then be applied between the two sets in the following form:
set1 - set2
The resulting set will contain all the elements that exist in set1 but not in set2. If the operation is performed in reverse order, set2 - set1, the resulting set will contain elements that exist in set2 but not in set1.
For example, consider the following two sets:
set1 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
set2 = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
To find the difference between the two sets, we can apply the following method:
set_diff = set1 - set2
print(set_diff) # Output: {1, 2, 3}
The output of the sets difference operation gives the set containing 1, 2, and 3 which are all elements that exist in set1, but do not exist in set2.
It is important to note that Python sets difference is a non-destructive operation, it means that it does not change the original sets. It simply returns a new set that contains the difference between the two sets that we are used in the operation.
Python sets difference is a useful operation in data analysis, database management, and mathematical computations. It provides an easy and efficient way to find the difference between two sets, without having to write complex algorithms on them.
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