Sets in Python
Introduction
In Python, a set is a data structure that stores unordered items. The set items are also unindexed. Like a list, a set allows the addition and removal of elements. However, there are a few unique characteristics that define a set and separate it from other data structures:
- A set does not hold duplicate items.
- The elements of the set are immutable, that is, they cannot be changed, but the set itself is mutable, that is, it can be changed.
- Since set items are not indexed, sets don’t support any slicing or indexing operations.
In this article, we will be discussing the various operations that can be performed on sets in Python.
How to Create a Set
There are two ways through which we can create sets in Python.
We can create a set by passing all the set elements inside curly braces {} and separate the elements using commas (,). A set can hold any number of items and the items can be of different types, for example, integers, strings, tuples, etc. However, a set does not accept an element that is mutable, for example, a list, dictionary, etc.
Here is an example of how