Python Set difference() Method

Python Set difference() Method

The set.difference() method in Python returns the set difference of two sets(A-B).

Syntax

set.difference(set1)

Parameter

set- This argument represents a set (minuend)

set1- This arguments represents a set(subtrahend)

Return

This method returns the difference of the two specified sets i.e. the returned set will contain the items that exist only in the first set, and not in both sets.

Example 1

# Python program explaining 
# the set.difference() method
#initializing a set with numbers from 1 to 10
Numbers = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}
print("Numbers:",Numbers) 
# initializing set2 with even numbers
even = {2,4,6,8}
print("Even numbers: ",even)
# Equivalent to A-B 
# Numbers- even=  Odd
print("After subtracting even numbers from Natural numbers... ")
print("Odd numbers: ",Numbers.difference(even)) 

Output

Numbers: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
Even numbers:  {8, 2, 4, 6}
After subtracting even numbers from Natural numbers... 
Odd numbers:  {1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10} 

Example 2

# Python program explaining
# the set.difference() method
#initializing a set with alphabets A to Z
Alphabets = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd','e',
    'f','g','h','i',
    'j','k','l','m', 
    'n','o','p','u',
    'v','w','x','y','z'}
print("Alphabets:",Alphabets)
 # initializing set2 with vowels 
vowels = {'a', 'e', 'i','o','u'}
print("vowels: ",vowels)
# Equivalent to A-B 
# Alphabets- vowels= Consonants
print("After subracting vowels from Alphabets... ")
print("Consonants: ",Alphabets.difference(vowels)) 

Output

Alphabets: {'o', 'v', 'h', 'p', 'n', 'w', 'b', 'l', 'g', 'z', 'x', 'c', 'e', 'j', 'k', 'f', 'i', 'a', 'm', 'y', 'd', 'u'}
vowels:  {'a', 'u', 'o', 'i', 'e'}
After subracting vowels from Alphabets... 
Consonants:  {'k', 'y', 'v', 'f', 'g', 'z', 'd', 'x', 'h', 'p', 'n', 'w', 'b', 'c', 'l', 'm', 'j'}