The set.symmetric_difference(other) method in Python is used to return a new set containing elements that are in either of the sets but not in both. In other words, it finds the symmetric difference between two sets, which consists of elements that are unique to each set.

Syntax

set.symmetric_difference(other)

• other: This parameter is the set (or any iterable) with which you want to compute the symmetric difference.

Return Value

• The method returns a new set containing all elements that are in either the original set or the specified set, but not in both.

Example

Here are some examples to illustrate how set.symmetric_difference() works:

1. Basic Example with Two Sets

# Creating two sets
set1 = {1, 2, 3}
set2 = {3, 4, 5}

# Performing symmetric difference
result_set = set1.symmetric_difference(set2)

print(result_set)  # Output: {1, 2, 4, 5}

In this example, the elements 3 are common to both sets, so they are excluded from the result, while 1, 2, 4, and 5 are included.

2. Using the ^ Operator

You can also use the ^ operator as a shorthand for performing a symmetric difference:

set1 = {1, 2, 3}
set2 = {3, 4, 5}

# Performing symmetric difference using the ^ operator
result_set = set1 ^ set2

print(result_set)  # Output: {1, 2, 4, 5}

3. Symmetric Difference with an Iterable

You can use an iterable, such as a list or tuple, to compute the symmetric difference as well:

# Creating a set and a list
set1 = {1, 2, 3, 4}
list1 = [3, 4, 5, 6]

# Performing symmetric difference with a list
result_set = set1.symmetric_difference(list1)

print(result_set)  # Output: {1, 2, 5, 6}

Use Cases

• Identifying Unique Elements: Useful for finding elements that are unique to each set when you want to exclude shared elements.
• Data Analysis: Commonly employed in data processing to analyze differences between two datasets.
• Set Operations: A fundamental operation in set theory, often used in various algorithms and computations.

Summary

The set.symmetric_difference(other) method is a valuable tool in Python for computing the symmetric difference between two sets or between a set and another iterable. It provides a straightforward way to identify unique elements in each set while excluding those that are common. This method is useful in various applications, including data analysis and mathematical operations involving sets. You can also achieve the same result using the ^ operator for a more concise syntax.