MODULE 2.

SETS

Subject: Math101 (Mathematics in the Modern World)

Introduction:

The set concept pervades mathematics and provides the language and symbolism
used in modern mathematics. It is therefore necessary for students taking algebra to have
a working knowledge of basic concepts, definition, symbols, and operations on sets. This
module discusses the fundamental concepts of set theory.

1.1 THE SET THEORY

1. Set : A set is a well-defined collection, list or group of distinct objects or

symbols. It is usually denoted by a capital letter of the English alphabet.

Examples:
a) W = The set of whole numbers from 1 to 100
b) X = The set of Math instructors in this school
c) Y = The set of Vowels in the English alphabet

2. Elements of a set : An element is an object or a symbol which belongs to a set

and is denoted by the symbol .

Examples:
Given : A = (1, 3, 5, 7, 9)
a) 1 A reads “1 is an element of A or “1 belongs to A”
b) 7 A reads “7 is an element of A or “1 belongs to A”
c) 10 A reads “10 is not an element of A or “10 does not belong to A”

3. Cardinality of a set : The cardinality of a set A is the number of elements of a

set A denoted by n(A), read as „the cardinality of A”.

Examples:
a) Set B = {2, 4, 6, 8} n(B) = 4
b) Set E = { } n(E) = 0
c) Set V = a, e, i, o ,u} n(V) = 5
4. Empty Set or Null Set : An Empty set is a set which has no element and is
denoted by { } or .

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

Examples:
a) C = The set of counting numbers between 6 and 7 C={}
b) Z = The set of months in a year which begins with letter Z Z={}
c) Y = The set of students in this class below 4 years old Y={}

5. Finite Set : A set is Finite if it is empty or the elements in the set can be found
and the counting process must to an end.

Examples:
a) V = The set of students enrolled on this class
b) W = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12}
c) X = The set of positive odd numbers

6. Infinite Set : A set is infinite if it is not finite.

Examples:
a) S = The set of stars in the universe
b) N = The set of counting numbers
c) F = The set of positive odd numbers

7. Universal Set : A universal set is the set containing all the elements of the sets
under discussion and is denoted by .

Examples:
a) U = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h}
b) A = {a, b, c} B = {c, d, e} C = {f, g, h}

8. Venn Diagram : A Venn Diagram is a pictorial representation of relationships

between sets. The universal set U are represented by a rectangle and the
subsets of U are represented by closed figures like circles, triangles, or squares
within the U.

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

EXERCISES

1. Indicate the cardinality of the following sets.

a. K = {chair, pencil, paper} n(K) = _____________

b. L = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} n(L) = _____________
c. O = The set of positive even number between 2 and 20 n(O) = _____

2. Write the following statements using set notations.

a. X is an element of set A. __________

b. Y does not belong to set B. __________
c. Set C is an empty set. __________
d. The cardinality of set D is 6. __________

3. Which of these sets is a null set? Check the letter of your answer.

a. ___ A = {x | x is a positive odd number less than 1}

b. ___ B = {ø}
c. ___ C = {x | x is a student in this college above 100 years old}

4. Classify the following sets as finite or infinite.

a. M = {m, y, s, t, i, q, u, e} __________
b. Y = {x | x is a counting number} __________
c. E= {The books in the National Library} __________
d. S = The set of Integers __________
e. L = The set of rational numbers __________

1.2 METHODS OF WRITING SETS

The two common methods for writing sets are:

1. Tabular, Roster or Listing Method- Using this method, we actually list down
or enumerate the members of a set. The elements of the set are separated by
commas and are enclosed with braces.

Examples:
a) V = {a, e, i, o, u}
b) E = {2, 4, 6, 8}
c) P = {2, 3, 5, 7, 11}

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

2. Defining Property Method or Rule Method- This is a method of describing a

set using properties or characteristics of the elements of the set.

Examples:
a) V = { the vowels of the English Alphabet }
b) E = { the even numbers from 2 to 8 }
c) P = { the prime numbers between 1 to 12 }

- Using the Set Builder Notation x|x which reads “x such that x” followed by
a rule describing each elements of the set.

Examples:
a) V= V = {x|x the vowels of the English Alphabet}
b) E = {x|x the even numbers from 2 to 8}
c) P = {x|x the prime numbers between 1 to 12}

EXERCISES

1. Use the tabular method to rewrite the following sets.

a. P = {x|x is a positive even number between 5 to 15}
P = ________________________________________
b. A= {x|x is the month of the year beginning with A}
A = ________________________________________
c. N = {x|x is an even number between 6 and 7}
N = ________________________________________

2. Use the set builder notation to describe the following sets.

a. V = {a, e, i, o, u}
V = ________________________________________
b. E = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
E = ________________________________________
c. R = {r, a, t, e}
R = ________________________________________

1.3 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SETS

1. Equal Sets: Equal sets are sets two or more sets having the same elements,
regardless of order in which the elements are written.
Examples:
a. A = {d, i, c, e} B = {i, c, e, d} C = {c, d, e, i} A=B = C
b. D = {6, 8, 10} E = {6, 8, 12} D E

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

2. Equivalent Sets: Equivalent sets are two or more finite sets having the same
cardinality.
Examples:
a. A = {h, e, a, t} B = {h, a, t, e}
b. T = {a, v, i, d} U = {g, e, a, r}
A is equivalent to B, and T is equivalent to U.
But take note that A = B.

Remark: All equal sets are equivalent sets, but not all equivalent sets are equal.

3. Joint Sets: Joint sets are two or more sets having at least one common element.
Examples:
A = {r, a, c, k, s} , B = {q, u, a, c, k, s} , C = {h, a, c, k, e, r}
A and B are joint sets because a, c, k are their common elements.

4. Disjoint Sets: Disjoint sets are two or more sets having no common element.
Examples:
a) The sets R = {1, 2, 3} , S = {a, c, e} , T = {4, 5, 6} R, S, T
are disjoint sets.

b) The Venn diagram below illustrates two disjoint sets A and B.

5. Subset: Set A is a subset of B written as A B ; if every elements of set A is in set

B.

6. Proper Subset: Set A is a proper subset of set B, written as A B, if every element

of Set A is in Set B and there is at least one element of B that is not in A

Examples: Consider the sets below.

A = {a, b, c} , C = {d, e} , E={}
B = {a, b, c, d, e} , D = {b, x} , F = {b, a, c, d, e}

A B and C B, but D B since x B.

F = B, therefore F B, and B F.

Remark 1: An empty set is a subset of every set. Therefore E

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

Remark 2: A set is a subset of itself. Therefore, B B.

1.4 OPERATIONS ON SET

1. Union of Sets: The Union of two sets A and B, denoted by A B, is the set of
elements that belong to A or to B or to both.

A B = {x| x A or x B}

Examples: U = {1, 2, 3, 4}
a) X = {1, 2} , Y = {3, 4}
X Y = {1, 2, 3, 4}

Using Venn diagram, shade X Y.

b) U = {table, chair, book, pen, eraser}

M = {chair, table, pen}
N = {book, pen}
M N = {chair, table, pen, book}

Fill-up the Venn diagram

c) U = {r, i, g, h, t, e, o, u, s}
F = {r, i, g, h, t, s}
G = {s, u, i, t, e}
H = {s, o, u, r}

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

Find:
1) F G = _________________________________ 2) G H =
_________________________________ 3) F G H =
______________________________

d) U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
A = {1, 2}
B = {2, 4, 6}
C = {4, 5, 6, 7}

Give the elements of the following sets.

1) A B = __________________ 3) A C = __________________
2) B C = __________________ 4) A B C = ______________

Fill-up the Venn diagram.

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

2. Intersection of Sets: The intersection of two sets A and B, denoted A B, is

the set containing all the common
elements of sets A and B.

A B={x|x A and x B}

Examples:
a) U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
X = {1, 2}
Y = {4, 6}

X Y = { } or

Remark: X and Y are disjoint sets, hence there is no common element.

b) U = { table, chair, book, pen, eraser }

M = { chair, table, pen }
N = { book, pen }
M N = { pen }

c) U = {r, i, g, h, t, e, o, u, s}
F = {r, i, g, h, t, s}
G = {s, u, i, t, e}
H = {s, o, u, r}

Find:
a) F G = ______________________
b) F H = ______________________
c) F G H =___________________
d) G H = ______________________

d) U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
A = {1, 2}
B = {2, 4, 6}
C = {4, 5, 6, 7}

Give the elements of the following sets.

1) A B = ______________ 3) A C = ________________
2) B C = ______________ 4) A B C = _____________

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

3. Set Compliment: If A is a subset of U, then the compliment of set A is denoted

by A’ is the set whose elements are
all the elements of U which do not
belong to A.

A‟ = {x | x A, x A}

Given:
U = {r, i, g, h, t, e, o, u, s}
F = {r, i, g, h, t, s}
G = {s, u, i, t, e}
H = {s, o, u, r}

Find:
a) F‟ = {e, o, u}
b) G‟ = {g, h, r, o}
c) H‟ = {e, I, g, h, t}
d) (F G)‟ = {o}
e) (F G)‟ = {e, i, g, h, t, o, u}
(F G H}‟ = {r, i, g, h, t, e, o, u}
(F G H}‟ = { } or

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

EXERCISE

Given the following sets. U =

{m, o, n, k, e, y, s}
A = {m, o, n, k} , B = {s, m, o, k, e} , C = {n, o, k, e}

A. Draw a Venn diagram to illustrate the relationship between sets A, B, and C.

B. Perform the following operations.

1. A B = _______________________________________
2. A C = _______________________________________
3. B C = _______________________________________
4. A B C = ____________________________________
5. A B = _______________________________________
6. A‟ = __________________________________________
7. C‟ = __________________________________________
8. (A C)‟ = ______________________________________
9. (B C)‟ = ______________________________________
10. (A B) C = ___________________________________
11. (A B) C = ___________________________________
12. (B C)‟ A = ___________________________________
13. (A C) B = ___________________________________
14. (A B)‟ (B C) = ______________________________
15. U‟ = ___________________________________________

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT

 MODULE 2. SETS

WORKSHEET

Sets: Concepts and Operations

Name:__________________________ Section:_________ Date:______ Score:______

Perform the indicated operations on sets. Refer to the Venn diagram.

1st semester AY 2024 – 2025 Instructor: Lovely Jean J. Navales, LPT