SETS

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students
should be able to:
a. define set;
b. identify the different types of sets;
c. identify the different operations used in
set;
d. solve problems about set; and
e. illustrate venn diagram as visual
representation of the set.
• Developedby German
mathematician GeorgCantor
(1845-1918).
• Hefirst encountered sets while
working on“Problems on
Trigonometric Series.”
• Setsare being used in
mathematics problem sincethey
were discovered.
 SETS
• The collection of object of a particular kind.
• The collection of well-defined distinct
objects.
• “well-defined” – specific property
which makes it easy to identify
• “distinct” - the objects of a set
must be all different
• Sets areusually denoted by capital letters (A, B,
C, …).

• Elements
• the distinct object that form a set.
• representedby smallletters (a, b, c, …).
• written in any order and are not
repeated.

• Cardinality n(A)
• Number of elements it contains.
Example:
1. The collection of students in GE 3 class whose
last name starts with letter “A”.
2. The items that I wear.
3. The collection of green vegetables.
4. The collection of all intelligent students in BSN
class.
In Mathematics:

1.The set of counting numbers less than 10.

2.The set of even numbers.
3.The set of prime numbers.
Some of the different notations used in sets are:
∈ Belongs to / an element
∉ Does not belongs to / not an element
: or | Such that
∅ Null set or empty set
n(A) Cardinal number of the set A
∪ Union of two sets
∩ Intersection of two sets
N Set of natural numbers
W Set of whole numbers
I or Z Set of integers
Z+ Set of all positive integers
Q Set of all rational numbers
Q+ Set of all positive rational numbers
R Set of all real numbers
R+ Set of all positive real numbers
C Set of all complex numbers
REPRESENTATION OF A SET

 Statement form method

 Roster or tabularformmethod

 Set-builder formmethod
 STATEMENTFORM
 Well-defined description of the elements of
the set is given and the same are closed in
curly brackets.

Example:
1. The set of odd numbers less that 7. {odd numbers
less than 7}
2. A set of basketball varsity players of NDDU with ages
between 16 years old to 20 years old.
 ROSTEROR TABULAR FORM
 all the elements of set are listed, the
elements arebeing separated by commasand
areenclosedwithin braces{}.
Example:
1. Let A denote the set of 10-digits.
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0}
1. The set of all vowels of the English
alphabet.
V = {a, e, i, o, u}
 SET–BUILDERFORM
 all the elements of a set possess a single
commonproperty which is not possessed by
anelement outside the set.
 “x” – any other variable
 “ : or |“ – such that
 “ { } “ - set of all
Example:
1. A = {x | x is an even number, 6 < x < 14} or
A = {x | x ∈ C, 6 < x < 14 and C is an even
number}
A = {8,10,12}

2. { x ∈ Z | x > 5}
“the set of all x’s that are an element of
Integers, such that x is greater than 5”

Let B = { x ∈ Z | x > 5}
B = {6, 7, 8, …}
Convert the following using the three
methods of representation of a set:

1. The set of integers lying between -2 and

3.
2. Let N denote the set of first five natural
numbers.
1. The set of integers lying between -2 and 3.
{I is a set of integers lying between -2 and 3}
I = {-1,0,1,2}
I = {x : x ∈ I, -2 < x < 3}

2. Let N denote the set of first five natural

numbers.
{N is the set of first five natural numbers}
N={1,2,3,4,5}
N= {x : x ∈ 𝑵, 𝐱 ≤ 5}
 TYPES OF SETS
 Empty set
 Finite set
 Infinite set
 Singleton set
 Equal set
 Equivalent set
 EMPTY SET
A set which doesn't contains any element
is called the empty set or null set or void
set, denoted by symbol ∅or {}.

Example:
1. The set of whole numbers less than 0.
2. Let A = { x : 2 < x < 3, x is a natural number.}
 FINITE SET
A set which contains a definite number
of elements is called a finite set. Empty
set is also called a finite set.

Example:
1. The set of all colors in the
rainbow.
2. N = {x : x ∈ N, x < 7}
 INFINITE SET
The set whose elements cannot be
listed, i.e., set containing never-
ending elements.

Example:
1. Set of all points in a plane.
2. A = { x : x ∈ N, x > 1}
 SINGLETON SET
A set which contains only one
element.

Example:
1. A = { x : x is neither prime nor
composite} A = {1}
2. B = { x : x is an even prime
number} B = {2}
 EQUAL SETS
Two sets A and B are said to be equal if
they contain the same elements. Every
element of A is an element of B and every
element of B is an element of A.
Example:
A = {p, q, r, s}
B = {p, s, r, q}

Therefore, A = B
 EQUIVALENT SETS
Two sets A and B are said to be equivalent if
their cardinal number is same, i.e., n(A) =
n(B). The symbol for denoting an equivalent
set is ‘↔’.

Example:
A = {1, 2, 3}. Here n(A) = 3
B = {p, q, r}. Here n(B) = 3

Therefore, A ↔ B
Exercises:
Identify what type of set are the following:

1. The set of real numbers.

INFINITE SET
2. A = {E,N,G,L,I,S,H}, B = {H,I,S,G,N,L,E}
EQUAL SET
3. The last four months of the year.
FINITE SET – ber months
4. R = { x : x ∈ N, 𝑥 2 = 4 }
SINGLETON SET - 2
5. X = {a,i,e,o,u}, Y = {1,2,3,4,5}
EQUIVALENT SET
6. A set of natural number between 5
and 6.
NULL SET
7. The set of primary colors.
FINITE SET – red, blue, yellow
8. The set of months with 32 days.
NULL SET
9. W = {v : v is a vowel letter and the first
letter in English alphabet}
SINGLETON SET - a
10.The set of all stars in the sky.
INFINITE SET
SPECIAL TYPES OF SETS
 Subset
 Super Set
 Proper Subset
 Power Set
 Universal Set
 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 or B ⊇ A.
• “⊆” – “is a subset of” or “is contained in”
• Empty set is a subset of every set.
• Every set is a subset of itself, i.e., A ⊆ A, B
⊆ B.
• A ⊆ B means A is a subset of B or A is
contained in B.
• B ⊆ A means B contains A.
Example:

1. Let A = {2,4,6}
Let B = {6,4,8,2}
• A is a subset of B. (elements of set
A are contained in set B}
• B is not a subset of A. (all elements
of set b are not contained in set
A)
 SUPER SET
Whenever a set A is a subset of set B, we
say the B is a superset of A and we write, B
⊇ A.
• “⊇” – “is a super set of”

Example:
A = {a, e, i, o, u}
B = {a, b, c, ............., z}
Therefore, A is a subset of B but B is a super set
of A or A ⊆ B but B ⊇ A
 PROPER SET
If A and B are two sets, then A is called the
proper subset of B if A ⊆ B but B ⊇ A i.e., A
≠ B.
• “⊂” - proper subset
• A⊂B
• No set is a proper subset of itself.
• Empty/Null set is a proper subset of
every set.
Example:

1. Let A = {1,2,3,4}, n(A) = 4

Let B = {1,2,3,4,5}, n(B) = 5

• All the elements of A are present

in B but the element ‘5’ of B is not
present in A. Therefore, A is a
proper subset of B or A ⊂ B .
 POWER SET
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

In general, n[P(A)] = 2𝑛 where n is the number of

elements in set A.
 UNIVERSAL SET
A set which contains all the elements of
other given sets.
• ∪ or ξ – universal set

Example:
• If A = {1, 2, 3}, B = {2, 3, 4}, C = {3, 5, 7},
then U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7}
Exercises:
Give what is asked.
Let A = {1,2,3}
Let B = {the ten digits}

1. Is A ⊆ B?
YES
2. Is B ⊇ A?
YES
3. Is A ⊂ B?
YES
4. Using set A, how many n[P(A)]?
𝟐𝒏 = 𝟐𝟑 = 𝟖
5. What are the power set of A?
{{∅}, {1}, {2}, {3}, {1,2,3}, {1,2}, {2,3}, {3,1}}

6. A U B (universal set of A and B)

{0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
 OPERATIONS ON SETS
 Union of sets
 Intersection of sets
 Difference of two sets
 UNION OF SETS
• Union of two given sets is the smallest set
which contains all the elements of both the
sets.
• ”∪ ”
• To find the union of two given sets, A and B is
a set which consists of all the elements of A
and all the elements of B such that no
element is repeated.
Example:
Let A = {2,4,5,6}
Let B = {4,6,7,8}

Union of set A and B or A u B=

{2,4,5,6,7,8} or
A U B = {x : x ∈ A or x ∈ B}
Illustration using Venn diagram:
• Union of two sets

• Union of three sets

Some properties of the operation of union:

• A ∪ B = B∪A (Commutative law)

• A ∪ (B∪C) = (A∪B) ∪ C (Associative law)
• A∪∅=A (Law of identity element,
is the identity of∪)
• A∪A=A (Idempotent law)
• U∪A=U (Law of ∪)
∪ is the universal set.
• A∪∅=∅∪A=A
 INTERSECTION OF SETS
• Intersection of two given sets is the largest set
which contains all the elements that are
common to both the sets.
• “∩”
• To find the intersection of two given sets A and
B is a set which consists of all the elements
which are common to both A and B.
Example:
Let A = {2,4,5,6}
Let B = {4,6,7,8}

Intersection of set A and B or A ∩ B= {4,6}

A ∩ B = {x : x ∈ A or x ∈ B}
Illustration using Venn diagram:
• Intersection of two sets

• Intersection three sets

Some properties of the operation of intersection:

• A∩B = B∩A (Commutative law)

• (A∩B)∩C = A∩ (B∩C) (Associative law)
• ∅∩A=∅ (Law of ∅)
• U∩A = A (Law of ∪)
• A∩A = A (Idempotent law)
• A∩(B∪C) = (A∩B) ∪ (A∩C) (Distributive law)
Here ∩ distributes over ∪
• A∪(B∩C) = (AUB) ∩ (AUC) (Distributive law)
Here ∪ distributes over ∩
• A∩ ∅ = ∅ ∩A= ∅
 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
• In general, B – A = { x : x ∈ B, and x ∈ A}
Example:
A = {2,3,4} B = {4,5,6}
A – B = {2,3}
B - A = {5,6}

• If A and B are disjoint sets, then A – B = A and B – A = B.

Exercises:
Give what is asked. Draw venn diagram
for illustration.
Let A = {e,n,g,l,i,s,h}
Let B = {s,c,i,e,n}
1. A U B
= {e,n,g,l,i,s,h,c}
2. A ∩ B
= {e,n,i,s}
3. A – B
= {g,l,h}
4. B – A
= {c}