Symmetric Difference

🅟 Feb 17, 2026

  🅤 Mar 16, 2026

DEF-SYD. Symmetric Difference.

The symmetric difference between $X$ and $Y$ is

\[X\symd Y = (X\smallsetminus Y)\cup(Y\smallsetminus X).\]

PROP-SYD-EMP.

  1. For any $X$,

    \[X\symd\varnothing = X.\]
  2. For any $X$ and $Y$,

    \[X\symd Y = \varnothing \enspace\lrimp\enspace X = Y.\]

PROP-SYD-COM. Commutativity.

For any $X$ and $Y$,

\[X\symd Y=Y\symd X.\]

PROP-SYD-ASS. Associativity.

For any $X$, $Y$ and $Z$,

\[(X\symd Y)\symd Z=X\symd(Y\symd Z).\]

As a result:

PROP-SYD-GRP.

For any $X$, $(\powerset(X),\symd)$ is an abelian group with neutral element $\varnothing$.


PROP-SYD-D.

For any $X$ and $Y$,

\[X\symd Y = (X\cup Y)\smallsetminus (X\cap Y).\]