Skip to Content

Compare Two Vectors For Differences in R

Vectors are used to store one-dimensional data of the same type in R. In this tutorial, we will look at how to compare two vectors for differences in R. That is, for example, for vectors vec1 and vec2, we want the elements of vec1 that are not in vec2 and vice versa.

How to compare vectors for differences in R?

You can use the R setdiff() function to compare two vectors for differences in R. Pass the two vectors as arguments to the function.

The following is the syntax –

# unique elements of vec1 not in vec2
setdiff(vec1, vec2)

It returns the elements of the vector vec1 that are not in the vector vec2. That is, it essentially calculates the set difference vec1 - vec2. Note that the order of arguments is very important as the set difference vec1 - vec2 may not be the same as the set difference vec2 - vec1.

Alternatively, you can also use a combination of the ! operator and the %in% operator to select elements of vec1 that are not in vec2.

Highlighted programs for you

Important information for students ×

Put simply, All Star is in the business of connecting students and schools. We help students find schools that are great matches for their educational needs, personal preferences and lifestyles, and schools pay us for our work.

Here's a quick Q & A of information we think you should know if you choose to use our websites. The main takeaways: Using our services is free, but starting and completing a degree, certificate or diploma program takes commitment and effort and should be considered carefully.

1. How do you provide your services for free?

Schools pay to advertise on our sites. This allows us to offer our service to prospective students like you for free.

Schools place a very high priority on enrolling students who go on to graduate. By using All Star's focused, information-rich services, schools can be more confident that the prospective students we introduce them to are truly committed to their education and to succeeding once they're enrolled in school.

2. How do you differ from your competitors?

There are other companies out there that do what we do. But there is no one that does it with more integrity or respect for our users and their choices. We put you, the student, in control. You get to choose the schools you're interested in, and you get to choose what programs you'd like to learn more about. We will never submit your contact information to a school without your consent.

3. Do you really work with ALL schools?

No. Our listings are not exhaustive, we do not list all schools, but they do include a rich selection of options. We believe this wide variety of options from hundreds of schools meets the needs of most prospective students who visit our sites. We partner with smaller schools that specialize in one particular career field, such as Pima Medical Institute, as well as world-class, multi-discipline institutions like the University of Southern California.

4. Is getting a degree really going to open up doors for me?

We really want you to succeed in the program you choose. So does your school. But we feel compelled to be very frank and upfront: You must work hard and stay committed to graduate. And assuming you do graduate, there is no guarantee you will find a job in your chosen field, or any job for that matter.

Obtaining an education has many personal benefits and can also improve your financial prospects. However, it's important to keep in mind that obtaining an education does not guarantee financial success or even a job. Job markets vary greatly by region, state, and even locally, and are affected by trends in the national economy and even international events. Other factors affecting your job-hunting success may include your job history and experience, and your level of education, degree, or certificate type. Your area of specialization plays a role, too.

5. If I do find a job, what can I expect in terms of salary?

The government publishes a great deal of information related to hundreds of jobs on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website. We use this as a resource for many of the articles on the All Star websites. As comprehensive as the BLS information is, it is neither complete nor entirely accurate. The BLS salary information we publish is a national average. Actual salaries for a particular job or skill may be different where you live. For example, if you live in a large city or where the job market for particular skills is especially competitive, such as Silicon Valley in California, you're likely to receive a higher wage or salary for the same job than you would in a rural or economically depressed market. Other factors that can affect salary rates include the size of the employer, union contracts and governmental regulations to name a few.

6. Where are you located? How can I contact you?

All Star Directories is located at P.O. Box 1677 Renton, WA 98057. You can reach us at (206) 436-7500 or at customerservice@allstardirectories.com.

Flatiron School

Flatiron School

Data Science Bootcamp
Product Design UX/UI Bootcamp

University of Maryland Global Campus

University of Maryland Global Campus

Cloud Computing Systems Master's
Digital Forensics & Cyber Investigation Master's

Creighton University

Creighton University

Health Informatics Master's

The following is the syntax –

# elements of vec1 not in vec2
vec1[!(vec1 %in% vec2)]

Let’s now look at some examples of using the above methods –

Vector difference using the setdiff() function

To get elements of the vector vec1 that are not in the vector vec2, pass vec1 as the first argument and vec2 as the second argument to the setdiff() function.

Let’s look at an example.

We will create two vectors (with some different elements) and compare them for differences using the setdiff() function.

# create two vector
vec1 <- c(1, 2, 2, 3, 4)
vec2 <- c(3, 4, 5, 6)
# elements of vec1 not in vec2
print(setdiff(vec1, vec2))

Output:

[1] 1 2

We get the elements of vec1 that are not in vec2. Also, notice that the returned vector does not contain any duplicates.


You can similarly get the elements of vec2 that are not in vec1. For this, pass vec2 as the first argument and the vec1 as the second argument to the setdiff() function.

# create two vector
vec1 <- c(1, 2, 2, 3, 4)
vec2 <- c(3, 4, 5, 6)
# elements of vec2 not in vec1
print(setdiff(vec2, vec1))

Output:

[1] 5 6

We get the elements of vec2 that are not in vec1.

Vector difference using ! and %in% operators

You can also use a combination of the ! and the %in% operators to filter the vector vec1 such that we get the elements of vec1 that are not in vec2.

Let’s look at an example. We will use the same vectors from the examples above.

# create two vector
vec1 <- c(1, 2, 2, 3, 4)
vec2 <- c(3, 4, 5, 6)
# elements of vec1 not in vec2
print(vec1[!(vec1 %in% vec2)])

Output:

[1] 1 2 2

We get elements of vec1 that are not in vec2. Notice, that here we also get the duplicate elements.


You can similarly get elements of vec2 that are not in vec1.

# create two vector
vec1 <- c(1, 2, 2, 3, 4)
vec2 <- c(3, 4, 5, 6)
# elements of vec2 not in vec1
print(vec2[!(vec2 %in% vec1)])

Output:

[1] 5 6

We get the element of vec2 that are not in vec1.

You might also be interested in –


Subscribe to our newsletter for more informative guides and tutorials.
We do not spam and you can opt out any time.


Author

  • Piyush Raj

    Piyush is a data professional passionate about using data to understand things better and make informed decisions. He has experience working as a Data Scientist in the consulting domain and holds an engineering degree from IIT Roorkee. His hobbies include watching cricket, reading, and working on side projects.

    View all posts