SETS

WHAT IS A SET?
A set is an unordered well-defined collection of distinct
objects called elements or members
Well-defined set
A set is considered to be well-defined if it is
possible to establish that any given object belongs to
the set
SETS

A set is an unordered well-defined collection of distinct

objects called elements or members
Well-defined set
A set is considered to be well-defined if it is
possible to establish that any given object belongs to
the set
AA set ofofallfirst
= Set facts
fivelearned in mathematics
natural numbers.
AB collection of pens
= Set of positive even integers less than or equal to fifty.
AC collection of cars
= Set of positive odd integers.
AD set
= Set
of ofodd
all numbers
letters of the word MATHEMATICS
divisible by 2
AE set
= Set
of ofvowels
all integers between
of English 1 and 2
alphabet
AF collection
= Set of all ofnatural
evennumber
naturalgreater
numbersthanless
100 than 10
The three set notations used for representing sets are:
• Rule Method: description of set, enclosed in curly
brackets
• Roster Method: listing all elements, enclosed in curly
brackets separated by commas.
• Set Builder Notation: A = {x : property }, certain rule
or a statement
Let A be the set of all natural number greater than 100.
oRule Method: A = {𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 100}
oRoster Method: 𝐴 = 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, …
… is called ellipses and is read as “and so forth”

oSet Builder Notation: 𝐴 = { 𝑥 | 𝑥 ∈ ℕ, 𝑥 > 100}

• Read as: the set of all elements x such that x is a natural number and x is greater than
100
Let B be the set of all letters of the word MATHEMATICS

oRule Method: 𝐵 = {letters of the word MATHEMATICS}

oRoster Method: 𝐵 = {𝑀, 𝐴, 𝑇, 𝐻, 𝐸, 𝐼, 𝐶, 𝑆}
oSet Builder Notation:
𝐵 = 𝑥 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 MATHEMATICS}
Let C be the set of all vowels in English alphabet

oRule Method: C = {all vowels in English alphabet}

oRoster Method: C = {𝑎, 𝑒, 𝑖, 𝑜, 𝑢}
oSet Builder Notation: 𝐂 =
𝑥 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑡}
Types of Sets
• Empty Set
Sets that contains no element and denoted by ∅, .

• Finite set
It can be counted and terminates at certain natural
numbers, otherwise it is Infinite sets
Types of Sets
• Unit set
set with only one member and also called (singleton)
Examples 𝑎 , 45
• Infinite set
A set which is not finite is called an infinite set.
Example: A = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9……}
Types of Sets
• Equivalent sets
Two sets are equivalent if they have the same number of
members.
Example: Are A and B equivalent where:
A = {a, e, i, o}
B = {4, 2, 1, 3}
Types of Sets
• Equal sets
Two sets are equal if they have precisely the same
members.
Example: Are A and B equal where:
A is the set whose members are the first four positive
whole numbers
B = {4, 2, 1, 3}
Types of Sets
• Intersecting sets
if two sets have common element/s

Example: Are A and B disjoint where:

A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0}
Types of Sets
• Intersecting sets
if two sets have common element/s

Example: Are A and B disjoint where:

A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0}
Types of Sets
• Disjoint sets
if and only if they have no elements in common

Example: Are A and B disjoint where:

A = {20, 11, 8}
B = {4, 2, 1, 3}
Types of Sets
• Disjoint sets
if and only if they have no elements in common

Example: Are A and B disjoint where:

A = {20, 11, 8}
B = {4, 2, 1, 3}
Types of Sets
• Universal set
set that contains all the elements considered in
particular situation or the totality of all elements involved and
denoted by 𝑼
Once we define a universal set in given setting, we are restricted to
considering only elements from that set.
Types of Sets

• Subsets
When we define a set, if we take pieces of that set, we can
form what is called a subset.
NOTE
• Every set is a subset of itself. 𝑨 ⊆ 𝑨
• Empty set is a subset of every set
Types of Sets

Example: B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
The subset of this is A={1, 2, 3}. Another subset is C={3, 4}
or even another is D={1}, etc.
•𝑨 ⊆ 𝑩 (A is a subset of B)
• But C={1, 6} is not a subset, since it has an element (6)
which is not in the parent set.
Types of Sets
Finding all subsets of a set
𝑨 = 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑

𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔: 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑 , 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟑 , 𝟐, 𝟑 , 𝟏 , 𝟐 ,
𝟑,

𝟐𝒏 = 𝟐𝟑 = 𝟖
Types of Sets
Finding all subsets of a set
𝑨 = 𝒂, 𝒆

𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔: 𝒂, 𝒆 , 𝒂 , 𝒆 ,

𝟐𝒏 = 𝟐𝟐 = 𝟒
Types of Sets
Finding all subsets of a set
𝑨= 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟔, 𝟕 𝟐𝒏 = 𝟐𝟒 = 𝟏𝟔
𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔:
𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟔, 𝟕 , 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟔, 𝟕 ,
𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟔, 𝟕 , 𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟔, 𝟕 , 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟒 ,
𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟔, 𝟕 , 𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟎, 𝟓 ,
𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟔, 𝟕 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟔, 𝟕 , 𝟏, 𝟐 ,
𝟏, 𝟒 , 𝟎, 𝟓 , 𝟔, 𝟕 ,
Proper Subsets
A is a proper subset of B if and only if every element of A is
also in B, and there exists at least one element in B that is
not in A.
Example: {1, 2, 3} is a proper subset of {1, 2, 3, 4}
because the element 4 is not in the first set.
Types of Sets
Finding all proper subsets of a set
𝑨 = 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑

𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔: 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑 , 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟑 , 𝟐, 𝟑 , 𝟏 , 𝟐 , 𝟑 ,
Proper subsets: 𝟏, 𝟐 , 𝟏, 𝟑 , 𝟐, 𝟑 , 𝟏 , 𝟐 , 𝟑 ,
𝟐 −𝟏=
𝒏 𝟑
𝟐 −𝟏=𝟕
Types of Sets
Finding all proper subsets of a set
𝑨 = 𝒂, 𝒆
𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒔: 𝒂, 𝒆 , 𝒂 , 𝒆 ,

Proper subsets: 𝒂 , 𝒆 ,

𝟐 −𝟏=
𝒏 𝟐
𝟐 −𝟏=𝟑
Understanding subset notation
1. 1, 3, 5 ⊆ 1, 3, 5, 7
2. a, b ⊂ a, b
3. x| x ∈ N and x > 10 ⊂ N
4. 2, 10 ⊈ 2, 4, 6, 8, 10
5. r, s, t ⊄ , t, r, s
OPERATION OF SETS
Union of sets
The union of two sets A and B,
symbolized by 𝑨 ∪ 𝑩 , is the set of
all elements that are in either set A or
Set B ( or both)
Finding Unions
If 𝐴 = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 , 𝐵 = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 , and 𝐶 =
0, 1, 3, 5, 7

Find :
𝑨∪𝑩 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10
𝑨∪𝑪 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
𝑩∪𝑪 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
OPERATION OF SETS
Intersection of sets

The intersection of two sets A and B,

symbolized by 𝑨 ∩ 𝑩 , is the set of
all elements that are both sets
Finding Intersections
If 𝐴 = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, , 𝐵 = 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 ,
and 𝐶 = 30, 40, 50, 70, 90

Find :
𝑨∩𝑩 10, 20
𝑨∩𝑪
𝑩∩𝑪 30, 40
OPERATION OF SETS
Complement of a Set

The complement of a set A, denoted

by 𝐴′ , is the set of elements
contained in the universal set that
are not in A
Finding complement
Let 𝑈 = 𝑢, 𝑣, 𝑤, 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴 = 𝑤, 𝑦, 𝑧 Find A’.
OPERATION OF SETS
Difference between sets
Difference in Set A and Set B or the
difference of Set B from Set A, it’s
represented by A-B. It’s the set of all
elements of set A that in Set B are
not present
Finding difference
If 𝐴 = { 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑, 𝑒 }; B = { 𝑎, 𝑒, 𝑓, 𝑔}, then, find :

A-B 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑

B-A 𝑓, 𝑔
Performing set operations
If 𝑈 = { 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100};
𝐴 = {10, 30, 50, 70 }, B = 40, 50, 60, 70 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑
𝐶 = {20, 40, 60}, find :

𝑨’ ∩ 𝐂′ = 80, 90, 100

(𝐀 ∩ 𝐁)′ = 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 90, 100
𝐁 ′ ∪ (𝑨 ∩ 𝑪′ ) = 10, 20, 30, 80, 90, 100
𝑩– 𝑨 = 40, 60
CARDINALITY OF SET

defined as the number of elements in a mathematical set

Cardinality of set A is denoted by n(A).

CARDINALITY OF SET

𝐴 = {𝑎, 𝑒, 𝑖, 𝑜, 𝑢} the cardinal number of A

is 5 or n(A) = 5

B = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} the cardinal number of B

is 10 or n(B) = 10
PRODUCT SET
also called as Cartesian Product of two set. Given sets A
and B, the Cartesian Product of A and B, denoted by A X B
and read as “A cross B” is the set of all ordered pairs (a, b),
where a is in A and b is in B.

Symbolically: A X B = { (a , b) / a ∈ A and b ∈ B }
PRODUCT SET
Examples: Let A = {1 ,2 ,3} and B = {a, b}, Find:

𝑨𝒙𝑩 1, 𝑎 , 1, 𝑏 , 2, 𝑎 , 2, 𝑏 , 3, 𝑎 , (3, 𝑏)
n(C) = 6

𝑩𝒙𝑨 (𝑎, 1), (𝑎, 2), (𝑎, 3), (𝑏, 1), (𝑏, 2), (𝑏, 3)
n(D) = 6
PRODUCT SET
If 𝐴 = 1, 3, 5 and B = 2, 4 , find:

𝑨𝒙𝑩 1, 2 , 1, 4 , 3, 2 , 3, 4 , 5, 2 , (5, 4)

𝑩𝒙𝑨 (2, 1), (2, 3), (2, 5), (4, 1), (4, 3), (4, 5)