SET

A set is a collection of well defined objects. The objects are called the ele-
ments or members of the set. Usually capital letters are used to denote sets and
small letters are used to write elements. Sets are usually written in curly braces or
brackets.
If a set ‘A’ contains the elements 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, we write A={1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; 3
is a member of the set A and 7 is not a member of the set.
We write 3  A (read 3 belongs to A)
7  A (read 7 does not belong to A)

There are mainly two ways of representing a set

1. Using roster notation (listing the elements using brackets)
Example 1 : B = {a, b, c, ...... , z}

2. Using set builder notation (listing the elements by description)

Example 2 : B = { x : x is a letter of the English alphabet }
Example 3 : Write the set C of natural numbers less than 7 in two ways.
Solution : C = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} or
C = { x : x is a natural number less than 7 }
Finite Set : In a finite set all the members of the set can be listed.

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 Example 4 : D = { 1, 2, 3 }
Infinite Set : In an infinite set all the members of the set cannot be listed.
Example 5 : The set of natural numbers N = { 1, 2, 3, ..... } is an infinite set.

The empty set or the null set

A set which contains no element is called an empty set or a null set. It is
denoted by { } or .

Equal Sets:
Two sets A and B are equal, if and only if they have exactly the same
elements.
It is written as A = B.
Example
If A = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 }, B = {3, 1, 4, 5, 2 }
then A = B

Subsets
Consider P = {a, b, c} and Q = {b, c}. Every element of Q is also an element
of P. We say Q is a subset of P. We write Q  P..
The complete list of subsets of P is
{a,b,c}, {a,b}, {b,c}, {c,a}, {a}, {b}, {c},. And the number of subsets of P=23
or 8.
The subsets {a,b}, {b,c}, {c,a}, {a}, {b}, {c} are the Proper Subsets of P.

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 If S is a proper subset of R, we write S  R.

Note: The null set is a subset of every set but not a proper subset. Every set is a
subset of itself and not a proper subset. The number of subsets of a Set containing
n
n elements is 2 .

Universal Set
The set of all objects under consideration is called a universal set. It is de-
noted by U or E .
Example
U = The set of students in Yangon University.
E = The set of positive integers.

VENN DIAGRAMS
Venn Diagrams are used to illustrate the relationships among sets. Univer-
sal set is usually represented by a rectangle and closed figures inside the rect-
angle to represent the sets under consideration.

UNION OF SETS
Union of two sets A and B is the set of elements which belong either to A or
B or to both, written as A  B.
A  B = { x : x  A or x  B or to both}
Example
Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and B = {3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
Then A  B = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

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 Using Venn diagram: A  B is illustrated by the shaded region in the figure
given below.
U
A B
3 6
1
4
2 7
5

INTERSECTION OF SETS
Intersection of two sets A and B is the set of elements which belongs to both
A and B, written: A  B.
A  B = { x : x  A and x  B}
Using Venn diagram, A  B is illustrated by the shaded region in the figure
given below.
Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5 } and B = {3, 4, 5, 6, 7 }
Then A  B = {3, 4, 5 }

U
A B
3
1 4 6
2 5 7

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COMPLEMENT OF A SET
If U is a universal set and A is a subset of U, then the set of all elements in U
that are not in A is called the complement of A and is written as A’ or Ac.
Ac = { x : x  U, x  A}
Example
Let U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 } and A = { 5, 6, 7 }
then Ac = { 1, 2, 3, 4 }
Using Venn diagram Ac is illustrated by the shaded region in the figure given
below.
U

12 3 4
A
5 6 7
Ac

SET COMPLEMENTATION
(1) U’ =  (2) ’ = U (3) (A’ )’ = A
(4) A  A’ = U (5) A  A’ = 
Example
Let U = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g }
A = { a, b, c }, B = { c, d, e, f } and C = { b, c, d }

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Find the following sets:
(a) A’ (b) A  B (c) B  C
(d) (A  B)  C (e) (A  B )  C (f) A’  ( B  C )’

Solution
(a) A’ = { d, e, f, g } (b) A  B = { a, b, c, d, e, f }
(c) B  C = {c, d } (d) (A  B)  C = { b, c, d }
(e) (A  B)  C= { b, c, d } (e) A’  (B  C)’= { g }

Difference of two Sets:

Difference of two sets A and B is defined as the set containing all elements
of A, but not in B, written A \ B.
A \ B = A  B’
A \ B is illustrated by the shaded region in the following Venn diagram:

U
A B

Subsets of the set of Real Numbers

Set of natural numbers (N).
N = {1, 2, 3, 4, ..... }
Set of natural numbers are also called the set of positive integers; or set of
counting numbers.

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Set of whole numbers (W)
When we include zero in the set of natural numbers we form a new set called
the set of whole numbers.
W = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, ..... }

Prime Number
A natural number greater than one which has no factor except itself is called
a prime number.
Set of prime numbers is {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, ..... }

Composite Number
A natural number greater than 1 which is not prime is called a composite
number.
Set of composite numbers { 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, ..... }
Set of Integers ( I ) Positive numbers, negative numbers together with
zero constitute the set of integers.
I = { ....., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ..... }

Set of Rational Numbers (Q)

p
Any number which can be written in the form ( q  0)p, q  I is called a
q
rational number. The set of rational numbers can be represented on a number line
as follows:

-2 -1  31 0 1
2
1 7
4
2
The decimal expansion of rational numbers are either terminating or periodic.

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 Examples
1 3  0.75
 0 .5
2 4
1 2
 0.3333 .....  0.6666 .....
3 3

Irrational Numbers (Q’)

The decimal expansion of certain numbers are neither terminating nor periodic.
Such numbers are called Irrational Numbers.
Examples

2 , 3 ,  , e ,......
2  1.4142135........
3  1.7320508........
  3.1415926 ........
e  2.71828..........

Set of Real Numbers (R)

Set of Rational and Irrational numbers together constitute the real number
system.

Note: The universal set of numbers for our discussion is the set of Real Numbers.
The relationship within the set of real numbers is represented by the
following Venn diagram.

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 R
Q
I
W Q’
N

 N  W  I  Q  R and Q  Q’ = R
Example 1
List the elements of each of the following sets:
(i) Prime numbers less than 20.
(ii) Even positive integers less than 15.
(iii) Multiples of 4 less than 15.

Solution:
(i) { 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 }
(ii) {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 }
(iii) { 4, 8, 12 }

Example 2
Let A = { x : x is a prime factor of 30 }
B = { y : y is a prime factor of 70 } and
C = { z : z is a prime factor of 42 }
List the elements of A, B and C and show their relationship using a Venn
diagram.

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Solution: A = { 2, 3, 5 }, B = { 2, 5, 7 } and C = { 2, 3, 7 }

U
A B
5
2
3 7

Example 3
Let U={x:x  R}
A = { y : y  I } and
B={z:zQ}
Draw a Venn diagram showing the relationship between A and B.

Solution :

U
B

A is a proper subset of B.

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DISJOINT SETS
Two sets A and B are said to be disjoint if
A  B = (null set).

Example
Let A = { 1, 2, 3, 4 } and
B = { 5, 10, 15, 20 }.
Then A  B = .

 A and B are disjoint sets.

Counting the elements in a set :

Let A = { a, b, c, d, e }. The number of elements of set A is 5. We write n(A) = 5.
Theorem : If A and B are not disjoint, then
n(A  B) = n (A) + n (B) - n (A  B).

Example
Given that n(A) = 70. n(B) = 60 and n (A  B) = 50. Find n(A  B) and illustrate this
by using a Venn diagram.

U
n(A) n(B)

20 50 10

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Solving problems in set by Venn Diagrams
Example 1
All the 120 pupils in a certain school learn English or French or both. 80 pupils
learn English and 60 learn French. How many pupils learn both?

U (120)
Solution:
E F

60 20 40

Number of pupils who learn both subjects = 20

(or)
: Using the theorem n (E  F) = n(E) + n(F) – n (E  F)
= 80 + 60 -120
= 20

Example 2
In a survey of 150 consumers conducted in a shop, 90 consumers indicated that
they buy Brand A of a certain product, 70 buy Brand B and 55 buy both brands.
Determine the number of consumers participating in the survey who buy
(a) at least one of these brands.
(b) exactly one of these brands.
(c) only brand A.
(d) none of these brands.

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Solution U(150)
(a) n(A  B) = n (A) + n (B) - n (A  B)
= 90 + 70 - 55
90 55 70
= 105
The shaded area represents A B
n(A  B) .

U(150)
(b) n[(A  B’)  (B  A’)] = 35 + 15
= 50
90-55 55 70–55

The shaded region represents (b). A B

U(150)

(c) n(A  B’) = 35

90-55 55
The shaded region represents (c).
A B

n(A  B’) = 90 – 55 = 35

U(150)
(d) n(A  B)’ = 150 – 105
= 45
The shaded region represents (d). 35 55 15

45 A B
n(A  B)’ = 150 – 105 = 45

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Exercise
1. ξ = {x : x is an integer, 10 < x  30}
A = {x : x is a square number}
B = {x : x is a multiple of 4}
List the elements of each of the following sets:
(a) A (b) B (c) A  B (d) A  B

2. Refer to No.1 Draw a Venn diagram to show the sets  , A and B. Write
down the value of
(a) n(A/), (b) n(B/) (c) n(A  B)/, (d) n(A  B)/

3. ξ = {natural numbers not more than 18}

A = {odd numbers} B = {square numbers}
/
(a) List the elements of A  B. (b) Find n(A  B/)

4. ξ = {x : x is an integer and 5  x < 16}

A = {x : x is a factor of 30} B = {x : x is divisible by 5}
C = {x : x is a multiple of 2}
(a) Mark the members of these sets clearly on a Venn diagram.
(b) (i) Hence, or otherwise, list the elements of A  (B  C).
(ii) Find n(A/  B/).

5. ξ = {x : x is an integer, 3  x  10}
A = {x : x3 < 400} B = {x : 13 < 4x < 38}
List the elements of
(a) A (b) B /
(c) A/  B (d) A/  B/

5 B
6. Study the Venn diagram and find 3
(a) n(A  B), (b) n(B  C),
A 7 C
(c) n(A  C) ,/
(d) n(A  B)´, 10 46 11
/ / 8
(e) n(A  C ), (f) n(B/  C/). 1 9
2
12

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7. Refer to the Venn diagram No.6 and list the elements of each of the following
sets.
(a) A  B  C (b) A  B  C (c) (A  B)  C
/
(d) A  (B  C) (e) (A  B)  C (f) A/  (B  C)

8. A, B and C are three sets and the elelments are as shown in the Venn
diagram. The universal set ξ = A  B  C. A B
/
(a) State the value of n[(B  C) ]. 16 8–x 12+x
(b) Given that n(B) = 29, find
3
(i) x, (ii) n( ξ ), 9–x 11–x
(iii) n[A/  (B  C)]. 9+x
C
9. (a) It is given that n( ξ ) = 100 and that P and Q are two sets such that
n(P  Q) = 9, n(P) = 39 and n(Q) = 28. Draw a Venn diagram to
illustrate this information and hence, find n(P/  Q/).
(b) A and B are two sets and the number of
elements in each subset is shown in the A B
Venn diagram. Given that n(A) = n(B),
2
calculate x –8 x 2x
(i) x, (ii) n(A  B).

10. Each of the 30 pupils in a certain class of a school studies at least one of
the languages Japanese, French and German.
Of the 17 pupils who study Japanese,
3 also study French and German,
7 study neither French nor German and Japanese French
4 study French but not German.
Of the 13 pupils who do not study Japanese,
5 study only German,
3x study only French and
x study both German and French. German
Show tha number of pupils in each subset on the Venn diagram. Hence,
find
(a) the value of x,
(b) the total number of pupils studying French,
(c) the number of pupils studying both Japanese and German.

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11. (a) If A = {0, 1, 2}, list the proper subsets of A.
(b) How many subsets can be formed from the set? B = {a, b, c, d}.

12. A survey of 75 men who had spent a day playing Cricket or Golf showed
that 40 played Cricket and 12 played both Cricket and Golf. How many
played Golf only?

13. Given that n(A) = 36, n(B) = 25 and n(A  B) = 60, find n(A  B).

14. Given that n(X) = 18, n(Y) = 12 and n(X  Y) = 4, find n(X  Y).

15. Given that n(Y) = 10, n(X  Y) = 30, n(X  Y) = 5, find n(X).

16. Use the following Venn diagram and shade the portion of the figure that
represents each of the given sets.
U
(a) A  B  C (b) A  B  C
A B
(c) A’  B  C (d) A  B’  C
(e) A  B  C’ (f) A’  B’  C’
(g) (A  B)’  C (h) A  (B  C)’
C
(i) (A  B  C)’

17. In a certain examination, 80 candidates offered Mathematics, 100 English

and 52 French. 21 offered both Mathematics and English, 30 offered
Mathematics and French and 25 offered English and French. 7 candidates
offered all three subjects. How many candidates are there for the
examination?

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18. Out of 123 students in a school, 60 take French 90 take Chemistry and 50
take Physics. If 30 take French and Chemistry, 40 take Chemistry and Physics
and 25 take French and Physics, how many take all three subjects?

19. Of 100 students, 40 take Physics, 35 take Chemistry and 32 take

Mathematics. 20 take none of these subjects. 10 take Mathematics and
Physics, 12 take Mathematics and Chemistry and 8 take Physics and
Chemistry.
Find (a) the number of students that take all three subjects.
(b) the number that take Physics only.
(c) the number that take Mathematics and Chemistry only.

20. The 120 staff of a large school answered a questionnaire concerning some
of their professions. 36 people said that they had only a car (C), 10 had only
a Boat (B) and 2 had only a Caravan (V). 20 people said that they had both
a Car and a Boat, but not a Caravan, and 30 had Car and a Caravan but not
a Boat. 12 people said that they had a Car, a Boat and a Caravan, but 7
people said that they had none of these. Use a Venn diagram and calculate.
(a ) The number of people who had a Boat and a Caravan but not a Car.
(b) Calculate n(C  B).
(c) Calculate the number of people who did not have a Car.

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21. (a) In a group of 20 students, all study either Physics or Mathematics or
both. If 10 students study Physics and 15 study Mathematics,
find
(i) the number of students who study both Physics and
Mathematics,
(ii) the number of students who study Physics only.
(iii) illustrate the results on a Venn diagram.

(b) 100 candidates sat for an examination. Of these, 66 candidates sat

for the History paper, 51 sat for the Geography paper and 10
candidates sat for neither the History nor Geography paper. Find
(i) the number of candidates who sat only for the History paper,
(ii) the number of candidates who sat either for the History or the
Geography paper but not both.

22. 30 ladies were interviewed to find out whether they wear earrings, bracelet
and necklace.
Given that 2 wear all three types of jewellery,
3 wear only earrings and necklace,
4 wear only necklace and bracelet,
x wear only earrings and bracelet,
x + 3 wear only earrings,
14 wear earrings,
12 wear necklace and
2 do not wear any of these jewellery,
illustrate this information on a clearly labelled Venn diagram, showing the
number in each separate region. Find
(a) the value of x,
(b) the number of ladies who wear bracelet only,
(c) the number of ladies who wear at least 2 of these three types of
jewellery.

23. A survey was carried out to find out whether 50 families dine out on Saturdays
and Sundays.
23 families said they dine out on Saturdays,
31 families said they dine out on Sundays,
6 families said they do not dine out on either day.
By drawing a Venn diagram, or otherwise, calculate

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 (a) the number of families who dine out on both days,
(b) the number of families who dine out only on Sundays.

24. A teacher, during one of her lessons on ‘Television Programmes’, questioned

her 40 pupils about the channels they watched on a particular evening.
16 pupils said they watched Channel 5,
18 pupils watched Channel 8.
17 pupils watched Channel 12,
9 pupils watched Channels 5 and 8,
8 pupils watched Channels 5 and 12
and 7 pipils watched Channels 8 and 12.
If 6 pupils did not watch any of these channels, find out how many pupils
(a) watched all the three channels,
(b) watched Channels 5 and 8 but not Channel 12,
(c) watched Channel 12 only.

25. In a survey of 136 boys, 67 played rugby, 56 played soccer and 40 played
hockey. 11 played both rugby and soccer, 12 played both soccer and hockey,
and 9 played both rugby and hockey. Each boy played at least one of these
games. How many played all the three games?

26. At an international college, students have to be proficient in at least one of

the languages, English, French or German. In a particular group of 33
students, 2 are proficient in all three languages, 3 in English and French
only, 4 in French and German only and 5 in German and English only. The
number proficient in English only is x, in French only is x and in German only
is (x + 1). Illustrate this information by a clearly labelled Venn diagram,
showing the number in each separate region. Find x and hence find the
total number proficient in English.

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