& Bitwise AND / set intersection
Last updated: 2026-09-22
& Bitwise AND / set intersection
& is bitwise AND; on sets it's intersection.
| Category | Operators |
|---|---|
| Kind | Operator |
| Python Version | all |
📝 Syntax
a & b▶ Example
Edit the code, press Run, and see the result in the output panel:
Output：
8
{2, 3}💡 Related Cases
More case studies coming soon — check back later.
❓ FAQ
QWhat is the difference between & and and?
A`&` is bitwise AND: it does bit-by-bit operations on integers and returns an int, or set intersection on sets. `and` is boolean logic: it short-circuits and returns an operand. `1 & 2` is `0`, while `1 and 2` is `2`.
QIs the precedence of & easy to trip over?
AEasily. `&` binds tighter than comparison but looser than arithmetic in tricky ways: `a & b == c` computes `b == c` first (yielding a bool) and then does bitwise AND, not `a & b`. Add parentheses when mixing them.
QWhat does & give on sets?
AIntersection: `{1, 2, 3} & {2, 3, 4}` gives `{2, 3}`, equivalent to `set.intersection()`.
