How do lists and sets compare in Python performance?

How do lists and sets compare in Python performance?

Lists are ordered and allow duplicates, while sets are unordered and do not allow duplicates. In terms of performance, sets generally have faster membership tests (O(1) average time complexity) compared to lists (O(n)).

Can you give me an example of when to use a set instead of a list?

Sure! Use a set when you need to store unique items, like a collection of user IDs, and you want to quickly check if an ID exists.

What about the memory usage between lists and sets?

Sets typically use more memory than lists because they store additional information to maintain uniqueness and allow for fast lookups.

Are there any performance benchmarks available for this comparison?

Yes, you can find benchmarks in Python's official documentation or various performance testing libraries that compare operations on lists and sets.