# Solve an equation algebraically#

Use SymPy to solve an equation algebraically (symbolically). For example, solving $$x^2 = y$$ for $$x$$ yields $$x \in \{-\sqrt{y},\sqrt{y}\}$$.

Alternatives to consider:

There are two high-level functions to solve equations, solve() and solveset(). Here is a simple example of each:

solve()

>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> from sympy import solve
>>> solve(x**2 - y, x, dict=True)
[{x: -sqrt(y)}, {x: sqrt(y)}]


solveset()

>>> from sympy import solveset
>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> solveset(x**2 - y, x)
{-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)}


Here are recommendations on when to use:

• solve()

• You want to get explicit symbolic representations of the different values a variable could take that would satisfy the equation.

• You want to substitute those explicit solution values into other equations or expressions involving the same variable using subs()

• solveset()

• You want to represent the solutions in a mathematically precise way, using mathematical sets.

• You want a representation of all the solutions, including if there are infinitely many.

• You want a consistent input interface.

• You want to limit the domain of the solutions to any arbitrary set.

• You do not need to programmatically extract solutions from the solution set: solution sets cannot necessarily be interrogated programmatically.

## Guidance#

### Include the variable to be solved for in the function call#

We recommend you include the variable to be solved for as the second argument for either function. While this is optional for equations with a single symbol, it is a good practice because it ensures SymPy will solve for the desired symbol. For example, you may expect the following to solve for $$x$$, and SymPy will solve for $$y$$:

>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> from sympy import solve
>>> solve(x**2 - y, dict=True)
[{y: x**2}]


Specifying the variable to solve for ensures that SymPy solves for it:

>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> from sympy import solve
>>> solve(x**2 - y, x, dict=True)
[{x: -sqrt(y)}, {x: sqrt(y)}]


### Ensure consistent formatting from solve() by using dict=True#

solve() produces various output formats depending on the answer, unless you use dict=True to ensure the result will be formatted as a dictionary. We recommend using dict=True, especially if you want to extract information from the result programmatically.

## Solve an equation using solve() or solveset()#

You can solve an equation in several ways. The examples below demonstrate using both solve() and solveset() where applicable. You can choose the function best suited to your equation.

### Make your equation into an expression that equals zero#

Use the fact that any expression not in an Eq (equation) is automatically assumed to equal zero (0) by the solving functions. You can rearrange the equation $$x^2 = y$$ to $$x^2 - y = 0$$, and solve that expression. This approach is convenient if you are interactively solving an expression which already equals zero, or an equation that you do not mind rearranging to $$expression = 0$$.

>>> from sympy import solve, solveset
>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> solve(x**2 - y, x, dict=True)
[{x: -sqrt(y)}, {x: sqrt(y)}]
>>> solveset(x**2 - y, x)
{-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)}


### Put your equation into Eq form#

Put your equation into Eq form, then solve the Eq. This approach is convenient if you are interactively solving an equation which you already have in the form of an equation, or which you think of as an equality.

>>> from sympy import Eq, solve, solveset
>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> eqn = Eq(x**2, y)
>>> eqn
Eq(x**2, y)
>>> solutions = solve(eqn, x, dict=True)
>>> print(solutions)
[{x: -sqrt(y)}, {x: sqrt(y)}]
>>> solutions_set = solveset(eqn, x)
>>> print(solutions_set)
{-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)}
>>> for solution_set in solutions_set:
...     print(solution_set)
sqrt(y)
-sqrt(y)


### Restrict the domain of solutions#

By default, SymPy will return solutions in the complex domain, which also includes purely real and imaginary values. Here, the first two solutions are real, and the last two are imaginary:

>>> from sympy import Symbol, solve, solveset
>>> x = Symbol('x')
>>> solve(x**4 - 256, x, dict=True)
[{x: -4}, {x: 4}, {x: -4*I}, {x: 4*I}]
>>> solveset(x**4 - 256, x)
{-4, 4, -4*I, 4*I}


To restrict returned solutions to real numbers, or another domain or range, the different solving functions use different methods.

For solve(), place an assumption on the symbol to be solved for, $$x$$

>>> from sympy import Symbol, solve
>>> x = Symbol('x', real=True)
>>> solve(x**4 - 256, x, dict=True)
[{x: -4}, {x: 4}]


or restrict the solutions with standard Python techniques for filtering a list such as a list comprehension:

>>> from sympy import Or, Symbol, solve
>>> x = Symbol('x', real=True)
>>> expr = (x-4)*(x-3)*(x-2)*(x-1)
>>> solution = solve(expr, x)
>>> print(solution)
[1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> solution_outside_2_3 = [v for v in solution if (v.is_real and Or(v<2,v>3))]
>>> print(solution_outside_2_3)
[1, 4]


For solveset(), limit the output domain in the function call by setting a domain

>>> from sympy import S, solveset
>>> from sympy.abc import x
>>> solveset(x**4 - 256, x, domain=S.Reals)
{-4, 4}


or by restricting returned solutions to any arbitrary set, including an interval:

>>> from sympy import Interval, pi, sin, solveset
>>> from sympy.abc import x
>>> solveset(sin(x), x, Interval(-pi, pi))
{0, -pi, pi}


and if you restrict the solutions to a domain in which there are no solutions, solveset() will return the empty set, EmptySet:

>>> from sympy import solveset, S
>>> from sympy.abc import x
>>> solveset(x**2 + 1, x, domain=S.Reals)
EmptySet


### Explicitly represent infinite sets of possible solutions using solveset()#

solveset() can represent infinite sets of possible solutions and express them in standard mathematical notation, for example $$\sin(x) = 0$$ for $$x = n * \pi$$ for every integer value of $$n$$:

>>> from sympy import pprint, sin, solveset
>>> from sympy.abc import x
>>> solution = solveset(sin(x), x)
>>> pprint(solution)
{2*n*pi | n in Integers} U {2*n*pi + pi | n in Integers}


However, solve() will return only a finite number of solutions:

>>> from sympy import sin, solve
>>> from sympy.calculus.util import periodicity
>>> from sympy.abc import x
>>> f = sin(x)
>>> solve(f, x)
[0, pi]
>>> periodicity(f, x)
2*pi


solve() tries to return just enough solutions so that all (infinitely many) solutions can generated from the returned solutions by adding integer multiples of the periodicity() of the equation, here $$2\pi$$.

## Use the solution result#

### Substitute solutions from solve() into an expression#

You can substitute solutions from solve() into an expression.

A common use case is finding the critical points and values for a function $$f$$. At the critical points, the Derivative equals zero (or is undefined). You can then obtain the function values at those critical points by substituting the critical points back into the function using subs(). You can also tell if the critical point is a maxima or minima by substituting the values into the expression for the second derivative: a negative value indicates a maximum, and a positive value indicates a minimum.

>>> from sympy.abc import x
>>> from sympy import solve, diff
>>> f = x**3 + x**2 - x
>>> derivative = diff(f, x)
>>> critical_points = solve(derivative, x, dict=True)
>>> print(critical_points)
[{x: -1}, {x: 1/3}]
>>> point1, point2 = critical_points
>>> print(f.subs(point1))
1
>>> print(f.subs(point2))
-5/27
>>> curvature = diff(f, x, 2)
>>> print(curvature.subs(point1))
-4
>>> print(curvature.subs(point2))
4


### solveset() solution sets cannot necessarily be interrogated programmatically#

If solveset() returns a finite set (class FiniteSet), you can iterate through the solutions:

>>> from sympy import solveset
>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> solution_set = solveset(x**2 - y, x)
>>> print(solution_set)
{-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)}
>>> solution_list = list(solution_set)
>>> print(solution_list)
[sqrt(y), -sqrt(y)]


However, for more complex results, it may not be possible to list the solutions:

>>> from sympy import S, solveset, symbols
>>> x, y = symbols('x, y')
>>> solution_set = solveset(x**2 - y, x, domain=S.Reals)
>>> print(solution_set)
Intersection({-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)}, Reals)
>>> list(solution_set)
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
TypeError: The computation had not completed because of the undecidable set
membership is found in every candidates.


In this case, it is because, if $$y$$ is negative, its square root would be imaginary rather than real and therefore outside the declared domain of the solution set. By declaring $$y$$ to be real and positive, SymPy can determine that its square root is real, and thus resolve the intersection between the solutions and the set of real numbers:

>>> from sympy import S, Symbol, solveset
>>> x = Symbol('x')
>>> y = Symbol('y', real=True, positive=True)
>>> solution_set = solveset(x**2 - y, x, domain=S.Reals)
>>> print(solution_set)
{-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)}
>>> list(solution_set)
[sqrt(y), -sqrt(y)]


Alternatively, you can extract the sets from the solution set using args, then create a list from the set containing the symbolic solutions:

>>> from sympy import S, solveset, symbols
>>> x, y = symbols('x, y')
>>> solution_set = solveset(x**2 - y, x, domain=S.Reals)
>>> print(solution_set)
Intersection({-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)}, Reals)
>>> solution_set_args = solution_set.args
>>> print(solution_set.args)
(Reals, {-sqrt(y), sqrt(y)})
>>> list(solution_set_args[1])
[sqrt(y), -sqrt(y)]


## Options that can speed up solve()#

### Include solutions making any denominator zero by using check=False#

Normally, solve() checks whether any solutions make any denominator zero, and automatically excludes them. If you want to include those solutions, and speed up solve() (at the risk of obtaining invalid solutions), set check=False:

>>> from sympy import Symbol, sin, solve
>>> x = Symbol("x")
>>> solve(sin(x)/x)  # 0 is excluded
[pi]
>>> solve(sin(x)/x, check=False)  # 0 is not excluded
[0, pi]


### Do not simplify solutions by using simplify=False#

Normally, solve() simplifies all but polynomials of order 3 or greater before returning them and (if check is not False) uses the general simplify function on the solutions and the expression obtained when they are substituted into the function which should be zero. If you do not want the solutions simplified, and want to speed up solve(), use simplify=False.

>>> from sympy import solve
>>> from sympy.abc import x, y
>>> expr = x**2 - (y**5 - 3*y**3 + y**2 - 3)
>>> solve(expr, x, dict=True)
[{x: -sqrt(y**5 - 3*y**3 + y**2 - 3)}, {x: sqrt(y**5 - 3*y**3 + y**2 - 3)}]
>>> solve(expr, x, dict=True, simplify=False)
[{x: -sqrt((y + 1)*(y**2 - 3)*(y**2 - y + 1))}, {x: sqrt((y + 1)*(y**2 - 3)*(y**2 - y + 1))}]


## Not all equations can be solved#

### Equations with no solution#

Some equations have no solution, in which case SymPy may return an empty set. For example, the equation $$x - 7 = x + 2$$ reduces to $$-7 = 2$$, which has no solution because no value of $$x$$ will make it true:

>>> from sympy import solve, Eq
>>> from sympy.abc import x
>>> eqn = Eq(x - 7, x + 2)
>>> solve(eqn, x)
[]


So if SymPy returns an empty list, you may want to check whether there is a mistake in the equation.

### Equations which have an analytical solution, and SymPy cannot solve#

It is also possible that there is an algebraic solution to your equation, and SymPy has not implemented an appropriate algorithm. If that happens, or SymPy returns an empty set or list when there is a mathematical solution (indicating a bug in SymPy), please post it on the mailing list, or open an issue on SymPy’s GitHub page. Until the issue is resolved, you can solve your equation numerically instead.