Why does Python use the set() function instead of brackets when initializing an empty set?

In Python, empty curly braces {} create an empty dictionary (dict), not a set. To create an empty set, you need to use the set() function. This is because a set is a separate data type, and the syntax with curly braces is reserved for dictionaries.

Example:

empty_dict = {}
print(type(empty_dict))  # <class 'dict'>

empty_set = set()
print(type(empty_set))    # <class 'set'>

# If you use {} for a set with elements:
non_empty_set = {1, 2, 3}
print(type(non_empty_set))  # <class 'set'>

Therefore, to create an empty set, you should explicitly call set() to avoid ambiguity.