Python Set symmetric_difference Examples

Below are some examples of how we can implement symmetric_difference on sets, iterable and even use ‘^’ operator to find the symmetric difference between two sets.

Python Set | symmetric_difference()

In the example, the symmetric_difference() method returns a new set containing elements {1, 2, 4, 5}. These elements are present in either set1 or set2, but not in both.

Python3

set1 = {1, 2, 3}
set2 = {3, 4, 5}
 
result = set1.symmetric_difference(set2)
print(result)

Output

{1, 2, 4, 5}

`symmetric_difference() on a Set and List`

In this example, we are using to symmetric_difference() to find the symmetric_difference where we are given a set and a list.

Python3

#symmetric_difference() on a set and a list
A = {3,5,9,8}
B = [4,5,2,1]
# finding symmetric difference 
result = A.symmetric_difference(B)
# displaying the result
print(result)

Output

{1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9}

Symmetric Difference Using ^ Operator in Python

We can also find symmetric differences between two sets using the ‘^’ operator in Python.

Python3

set_A = {"ram", "rahim", "ajay", "rishav", "aakash"}
set_B = {"aakash", "ajay", "shyam", "ram", "ravi"}
print(set_A ^ set_B)

Output

{'ravi', 'rishav', 'rahim', 'shyam'}

Python Set symmetric_difference() with multiple Sets

In the first section, A.symmetric_difference(B) and B.symmetric_difference(A) are called. These operations compute the symmetric difference between sets A and B, resulting in sets that contain elements present in either A or B, but not in both. The second section involves A.symmetric_difference(C) and B.symmetric_difference(C). Here, the symmetric difference between set A and an empty set C is evaluated, as well as the symmetric difference between set B and C. The former returns a set that includes all elements of A since C is empty, while the latter simply returns B itself because all its elements are absent in C.

Python

A = {'p', 'a', 'w', 'a', 'n'}
B = {'r', 'a', 'o', 'n', 'e'}
C = {}
 
print(A.symmetric_difference(B))
print(B.symmetric_difference(A))
 
print(A.symmetric_difference(C))
print(B.symmetric_difference(C))

Output

set(['e', 'o', 'p', 'r', 'w'])
set(['e', 'o', 'p', 'r', 'w'])
set(['a', 'p', 'w', 'n'])
set(['a', 'r', 'e', 'o', 'n'])