std::back_inserter for a std::set?

set doesn't have push_back because the position of an element is determined by the comparator of the set. Use std::inserter and pass it .begin():

std::set<int> s1, s2;
s1 = getAnExcitingSet();
transform(s1.begin(), s1.end(), 
          std::inserter(s2, s2.begin()), ExcitingUnaryFunctor());

The insert iterator will then call s2.insert(s2.begin(), x) where x is the value passed to the iterator when written to it. The set uses the iterator as a hint where to insert. You could as-well use s2.end().