I.
SET
A set is a well-defined collection of definite, distinct
objects. The objects that belong to the set are called elements
or members of the set.
The symbol ϵ is used to denote that an object is an
element of a set.
The notation a ϵ A reads “ a is element of Set A while a ϵ
A reads “ a is not an element of Set A.
Capital letters are used to denote a set. The elements of
a set are separated by commas and are enclosed by braces.
METHODS OF WRITING A SET
1. Roster Method/Tabular Method
The elements are listed or enumerated and
separated by a comma.
Example:
a. A = {1,2,3,4}
b. B = {Saturday, Sunday}
c. C = {s,e,t}
d. D = {a, e, i, o, u}
2. Rule Method/Set Builder Notation
The common characteristics of the elements are described, written as
{x / P(x)}. The symbol / is read as “such that”.
Example:
a. A = {counting numbers less than 5}
A = {x / x is a counting number less than 5}
read as “the set of all x such that x is a counting number less than 5”.
b. B = {days of the week that begin with letter S}
B = {x / x is a day of the week beginning with letter S}
c. C = {letters in the word set}
C = {x / x is the letter in the word set}
d. D = {set of vowel letters}
D = {x/ x is a set of vowel letters}
Cardinal Number of a Set:
The number of distinct elements in a given set A is called the
cardinal number of A. It is denoted by n(A).
Example:
1. A = {1, 2, 3, 4}
Therefore, n(A) = 4
2. B = set of letters in the word ALGEBRA
B = {a, l, g, e, b, r}
Therefore, n(B) = 6
KINDS OF SET
1. Null Set or Empty Set
A set which has no element denoted by { } or ø.
Example:
a. A = {x / x is a yellow carabao}
b. B = {x / x is a 100-year-old student of CBSUA}
c. C = {x / x is a positive integer less than zero}
2. Singleton or Unit Set
A set with only one element.
Example:
a. A = {rose}
b. B = {x / x is a counting number between 4 and 6}
c. C = {rat}
d. D = {m}
e. E = {Friday}
3. Finite Set
A set which is possible to write down a complete list
of all its elements, and the last element can be identified.
Example:
a. A = {r, o, s, e}
b. B = {x / x is a positive integer less than 10}
c. C = {r, a, t}
d. D = {x / x is a Math Professor of CBSUA}
e. E = {x / x is a male faculty of CIT}
4. Infinite Set
A set which element are unlimited or uncountable,
and the last element cannot be specified.
Example:
a. A = {…, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, …}
b. B = {x / x is a counting number}
c. C = {x / x is a molecule on earth}
d. D = {x / x is a town in the Philippines}
e. E = {x / x is a male student in Asia}
5. Equivalent Sets
There exists a one-to-one correspondence between the
elements of two sets meaning their cardinal number is the same. It
can be written as A ~ B which reads as “A is equivalent to B”.
Example:
a. A = {1, 2, 3, 4}
B = {3, 2, 1, 4}
b. C = {eat, love, pray}
D={ , , }
c. A = {1, 2, 3}
B = {p, q, r}
6. Equal Sets
The sets have the same elements. It can be written as A
= B which reads as “A is equal to B”.
Example:
A = {x / x is a distinct letter in the word “stoop”}
B = {x / x is a letter in the word “tops”}
In tabular form,
A = {s, t, o, p}
B = {t, o, p, s}
7. Disjoint Sets
Two sets A and B are said to be disjoint, if they do
not have any element in common.
Example:
A = {x / x is a prime number}
B = {x / x is a composite number}.
Clearly, A and B do not have any element in common and
are disjoint sets.
8. Overlapping Sets
Two sets A and B are said to be overlapping if they
contain at least one element in common.
Example:
a. A = {a, b, c, d}
B = {a, e, i, o, u}
b. X = {x / x is a counting number less than 4}
Y = {-1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4}
SUBSETS
If A and B are two sets, and every element of set A is also an element
of set B, then A is called a subset of B and we write it as A ⊆ B.
• Every set is a subset of itself, i.e., A ⊂ A, B ⊂ B.
• Empty set is a subset of every set.
• Symbol ‘⊆’ is used to denote ‘is a subset of’ or ‘is contained in’.
• A ⊆ B means A is a subset of B or A is contained in B.
• B ⊆ A means B contains A.
Example:
A = {2, 4, 6}
B = {6, 4, 8, 2}
Here A is a subset of B since, all the elements of set A are
contained in set B. But B is not the subset of A since, all the elements
of set B are not contained in set A.
SUPER SETS
Whenever a set A is a subset of set B, we say the B is a
superset of A and we write, B ⊇ A. Symbol ⊇ is used to denote ‘is a
super set of’
Example:
A = {a, e, i, o, u}
B = {a, b, c, ............., z}
Here A ⊆ B, A is a subset of B but B ⊇ A, B is a super set of A.
POWER SETS
The collection of all subsets of set A is called the power set of A.
It is denoted by P(A). In P(A), every element is a set.
Example:
If A = {p, q} then all the subsets of A will be
P(A) = {∅}, {p}, {q}, {p, q}}
Number of elements of P(A) = n[P(A)] = 4 = 22
n[P(A)] = 2m
where: m is the number of elements in set A.
UNIVERSAL SET
The elements of a set is also a member of another large fixed set called
the universal set, denoted by the symbol U.
Example:
1. If A = {1, 2, 3} B = {2, 3, 4} C = {3, 5, 7
then: U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7}
[Here A ⊆ U, B ⊆ U, C ⊆ U and U ⊇ A, U ⊇ B, U ⊇ C]
2. If P is a set of all whole numbers and Q is a set of all negative numbers then
the universal set is a set of all integers.
3. If A = {a, b, c} B = {d, e} C = {f, g, h, i}
then: U = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i} can be taken as universal set.
OPERATIONS ON SETS
When two or more sets combine together to form
one set under the given conditions, then operations on
sets are carried out.
A ∪ B = {x / x ∈ A or x ∈ B}
1. Union of Sets
Union of two given sets is the smallest set which contains
all the elements of both the sets. The symbol for denoting union
of sets is ‘∪’.
Example:
a. Let set A = {2, 4, 5, 6} and set B = {4, 6, 7, 8}
Taking every element of both the sets A and B, without
repeating any element, we get a new set
A ∪ B = {2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
b. If A = {1, 3, 7, 5} and B = {3, 7, 8, 9}. Find union of
two set A and B.
A ∪ B = {1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9}
c. Let X = {a, e, i, o, u} and Y = {∅}. Find union of two
given sets X and Y.
X ∪ Y = {a, e, i, o, u}
2. Intersection of Sets
Intersection of two given sets is the largest set
which contains all the elements that are common to
both the sets.
The symbol for denoting intersection of sets is
‘∩‘.
A ∩ B = {x : x ∈ A and x ∈ B}
Example:
a. Let set A = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6} and set B = {3, 5, 7, 9}
A ∩ B = {3, 5}
b. If A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} and B = {1, 3, 8, 4, 6}. Find
intersection of set A and B.
A ∩ B = {4, 6, 8}
c. If X = {a, b, c} and Y = {∅}. Find intersection of
given sets X and Y.
X∩Y={}
3. Difference of two Sets
If A and B are two sets, then their difference is
given by A - B or B - A. A - B means elements of A which
are not the elements of B.
If A and B are disjoint sets, then A – B = A and B – A = B.
B – A = {x : x ∈ B, and x ∉ A}
Example:
a. If A = {2, 3, 4} and B = {4, 5, 6}
A – B = {2, 3}
B – A = {5, 6}
b. A = {1, 2, 3} and B = {4, 5, 6}. Find the difference
between the two sets.
The two sets are disjoint as they do not have any
elements in common.
A - B = {1, 2, 3} = A
B - A = {4, 5, 6} = B
c. Let A = {a, b, c, d, e, f} and B = {b, d, f, g}. Find the
difference between the two sets:
A - B = {a, c, e}
B - A = {g}
4. Complement of a Set
In complement of a set if U be the universal set and
A is a subset of U, then the complement of A is the set of
all elements of U which are not the elements of A.
We denote the complement of A with respect to U
as A’.
Example:
a. If U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}; A = {1, 3, 7} find A’.
A' = {2, 4, 5, 6}
b. Let the set of natural numbers be the universal
set and A is a set of even natural numbers, find A’.
A' = {x/ x is a set of odd natural numbers}
c. Let U = The set of letters in the English alphabet.
A = The set of consonants in the English
alphabet.
then A' = The set of vowels in the English alphabet.
Maricris dlP. Tapar
Instructor
Maricris dlP. Tapar
Instructor
