How to write ^(caret) in latex?

Question

It's as the title says. How can I write ^(caret) in Latex.

If I type something like [^set], then the s in set is raised to a power. How can I display [^set] the way it is?

$\wedge$ sorta works but it gives ∧ and not ^.

Answer 1

Use \string^ that makes the argument category code 12 (other).

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
text mode: [\string^set]
math mode: $[\string^set]$
\end{document}

If you're using caret often enough, you can define a shorthand macro for that

\newcommand{\caret}{\string^}

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Read more about \string in this detailed answer by egreg.

Answer 2

In a simple way:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
this is a caret ^{}which is over a space. % space after ^ is not mandatory
$\hat{ }x+1$
\end{document}