Empty Sets in Python

Today's discussion centers around a vital component in Python programming: creating an empty set.

Before we dive into the details, let's establish what an empty set represents. An empty set, sometimes referred to as a null set, is essentially a set devoid of any elements. Mathematicians typically represent an empty set using either the symbol Ø or { }. A classic example of an empty set would be the set of numbers divisible by zero - this is inherently an empty set since no number is divisible by zero.

Creating an empty set in Python can be accomplished using the set() function.

The trick here is not to pass any elements in between the square brackets.

>>> A = set([ ])

Or equivalently:

>>> A = set()

An alternative approach is to use a pair of curly braces without inserting any elements, assigning this to a variable:

>>> A={ }

All these methods instruct Python to generate an empty 'set' variable.