MODULE

02 Set Operations

Names of Sub-Topics

Venn diagram, Set Operations: Union, Intersection, Difference, Symmetric Difference, Complement of
Set; Possible Venn Diagrams for Sets, Counting of numbers in union of two Sets, Laws of Algebra of
Sets, Problems

Overview

In this module, you will learn about Venn diagrams and their presentation for sets, and different types
of set operations. This module covers the counting of elements in the union of two sets. At the end of
this module, you will be introduced to the laws of the algebra of sets and some examples related to
this module.

Learning Objectives

In this module, you will learn to:

 Define a Venn diagram
 Develop Venn diagram for different sets
 Analyse the different types of set operations
 Evaluate the number of elements in the union of two sets
 Explain the laws of algebra of sets
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Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, you would:

 Assess the problems based on the Venn diagram
 Analyse the different operations on the set
 Interpret the problem based on set operations
 Learn the concept for the law of algebra of sets
 Solve the problem based on counting elements of a set

Pre-Module Preparatory Material

 https://www.cuemath.com/algebra/operations-on-sets/
 https://www.math-only-math.com/complement-of-a-set.html

2.1 INTRODUCTION
The concept of set operation is the same as operations on numbers. We have already studied the
operations of numbers like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In mathematics, Sets
are the collections of different objects, and these objects could be alphabets, numbers or any real-life
objects. Set operations are used to establish the relation between two or more sets, and this is the reason
that set operations came into existence.
Sets are the collection of distinct well-defined objects, and each object is known as the element of that
set. To define the relationship between two or more sets, we use different set operations, which are:
Union of sets, Intersection of sets, Difference of sets, Complement of sets and Symmetric difference of
sets. Before discussing the set operations in detail, first, we will discuss the most important topic Venn
Diagram which is widely used in the field of mathematics.

2.2 VENN DIAGRAM

A Venn diagram is a diagram that helps us visualise the logical relationship between given sets and
their elements, and helps us to solve examples based on these given sets. A Venn diagram always uses
intersecting and non-intersecting circles to denote the relationship between the given sets. If there
are some common elements between two sets, then we put these elements in the intersection part of
considered two circles, and if there are no common elements, then we will make both circles disjoint.
For example, if it is required to show the relationship between a set of Real numbers ( ) and a set of
Complex numbers ( ) through a Venn diagram, then it will be shown as in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Relation between set and

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In Figure 1, we have drawn the set of real numbers inside the set of complex numbers because all real
numbers are contained in a set of a complex number, that is,  .
Consider another example of Venn diagram. Suppose one set contains even numbers less than or equal
to 20, i.e., A = {2, 4, 6, …, 20} and another set contains the multiples of 5 less than or equal to 25, i.e., B = {5,
10, 15, 20, 25}. Venn diagram for set A and B is as shown in figure 2.

A B

{10, 20}

Figure 2: Venn Diagram of set A and B

In figure 2, circles are representing set A and B. The intersecting part contains elements 10 and 20
because 10 and 20 are even numbers and also multiples of 5.

2.3 SET OPERATIONS

The operations which are used to develop a relationship between two or more sets are said to be set
operations. These are the following set operations that we generally use for sets, which are as follows:
⚫ Union of set
⚫ Intersection of set
⚫ Difference of set
⚫ Symmetric difference of set
⚫ Complement of set
Further, we will discuss these set operations in detail and will do some examples for better clarification.

2.3.1 Union of Set

Consider the sets S and T. The union of two sets S and T is the collection of all elements that are present
in either set S or set T. It is written as S  T. If we write S  T in set-builder notation, it can be written as
S  T = {x: x  S or x  T}.
For example, suppose S = {1, 2, 3, 4} and T = {1, 3, 5, 6}, then union of set S and T is; S  T = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}.
Similarly, we can extend this operation for two or more sets.

Note: Union of an empty set  with a non-empty set A implies the same set A, that is, A   =A

2.3.2 Intersection of Set

Consider the sets S and T. The intersection of two sets S and T is the collection of all objects that are
present in both sets. It is denoted as S  T. If we write S  T in set-builder notation, it can be written as
S  T = {x: x  S and x  T}.

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For example, suppose S = {1, 2, 3, 5, 6}, T = {1, 3, 4, 5}, and U = {1, 4, 5}, then S  T = {1, 3, 5}, S  U = {1, 5}, and
T  U = {1, 4, 5}.

Similarly, we can extend this operation for two or more sets.

Note: Intersection of an empty set  with a non-empty set A implies the null set , that is, A   =

2.3.3 Difference of Two Set

Consider the two sets S and T. The difference S − T of two sets S and T is the collection of all elements in S
that are not present in T. Set-builder notation for difference S − T is; S – T = {x : x  S and x T}.

For example, suppose S = {1, 2, 3, 4}, T = {1, 3}, then S − T = {2, 4} and T – S = {} = .

Note:
1. If we subtract an empty set  from a non-empty set A, then we get A again, that is, A –  = A.
2. If A is non-empty set, then A – A = 

2.3.4 Symmetric Difference

The symmetric difference of two sets S and T is the set of elements that are either present in S or present
in T but cannot present in the intersection of both sets.

The symmetric difference of two sets S and T is written as S∆T. One can find the symmetric difference of
two sets by using the formulae;
AΔT = (S-T)  (T-S)
or
SΔT = (S  T) - (S  T)
Set-builder notation for the symmetric difference of sets S and T is:
S∆T = {x: x  S − T or x T − S}
or
S∆T = {x: x  S  T but x  S  T}

For example, let S = {2x: 1≤ x ≤ 12} and T = {3x: 1≤ x ≤ 8}, then S - T = {2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 20, 22} and T - S = {3,
9, 15, 21}, this implies S∆T = {2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22}.

Note: Symmetric difference of two sets is commutative, that is, ST = TS for any two sets S and T.

2.3.5 Complement of Set

The complement of a set S is the collection of elements in the universal set that are not present in the
given set S. The complement of set S is denoted by Sc or S’. In set-builder notation, it can be written as
Sc = {x : x  U and x  S} or more compactly as Sc = {x : x  S} however it should be apparent that the
complement of a set always depends on the universal set.

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For example,
i. Consider the universal set to be the set of integers . Then the complement of the set of even integers
is the set of odd integers.
ii. Suppose {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} is the universal set, then the complement of set S = {1, 2, 3} is Sc = {4, 5} while the
complement of set T = {1, 3, 5} is Tc = {2, 4}.

Note:
1. If U is considered as a universal set, then the complement of U will be a null set, that is, Uc= ø.
Similarly,øc = U.
2. If U is the universal set and A is any set then complement of set A is U – A, that is, remove all the
elements that are present in set A from universal set.

2.4 POSSIBLE VENN DIAGRAMS FOR SETS

We have already discussed that we represent a set by a circle in the Venn diagram. There are some
possible Venn diagrams for two sets, which are as follows:
i. If there are two sets A and B having some common elements then its Venn diagram will be as in
figure 3. The common region in both sets is shown in the left side figure coloured (Violet), which is
denoted as AB. And, the coloured region (pink) in the right-side figure represents the set operation
AB.

A B A B
A

A A 

Figure 3: Venn Diagram of joint sets A and B

ii. If there are two sets A and B having no common elements, then such sets are called disjoint sets.
Venn diagram for two disjoint sets will be as in Figure 4.

A B

Figure 4: Venn Diagram of disjoint set A and B

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iii. Consider the two sets A and B, if set B is contained in set A, then its Venn diagram will be as shown
in figure 5.

U
A
B

Figure 5: Venn Diagram when B is contained in A

iv. Venn diagram that represents the difference of two sets A and B is shown as in figure 6.

A-B
A-B

Figure 6: Venn Diagram representing the region for the difference of sets
v. Let A be a set. The Venn diagram that represents the complement of set A is shown in Figure 7. The
shaded coloured region is representing the region for the complement of set A.

Figure 7: Venn Diagram for the complement of set A

2.5 COUNTING OF ELEMENTS IN UNION OF TWO SETS

If there are two sets A and B, then the number of elements in the union of sets A and B can be calculated
using the following formulae:
n(A  B) = n(A) + n(B) – n(A  B)
Or
n (A  B) = n (A – B) + n (B – A) + n (A  B)

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Where, n(A) = number of elements in set A

n(B) = number of elements in set B
n (A  B) = number of elements in intersection of set A and B
n (A – B) = number of elements in set A – B
n (B – A) = number of elements in set B – A

Similarly, if we have three sets A, B and C, then counting formulae will be;
n(ABC) =n(A) + n(B) +n(C) -n(A  B) -n(B  C) -n(C  A) +n(A  B  C)

2.6 LAWS OF ALGEBRA OF SETS

If U is considered as a universal set, these are some properties for the sets under some set operations,
I. Idempotent Law: Let A be a set then idempotent law implies:
i. AA=A
ii. A  A = A
II. Identity Law: Let A be a set then identity law implies:
i. A=A
ii. A  U = A
III. Commutative Law: For two sets A and B, commutative law implies:
i. AB=BA
ii. A  B = B  A
IV. Associative Law: If A, B and C are any three sets, then these sets follow the associative property
under the operations union and intersection of sets. That is,
i. (A  B)  C = A  (B  C)
ii. (A  B)  C = A  (B  C)
V. Distributive Law: If A, B and C are any three sets, then distributive law implies;
i. A  (B  C) = (A  B)  (A  C)
ii. A  (B  C) = (A  B)  (A  C)
VI. De Morgan’s Law: De Morgan’s law is the most useful property of set theory. It is the combination of
two properties.
Statement: If S and T are two sets. De Morgan’s Law states that
i. (S  T)c = Sc  Tc,
ii. (S  T)c = Sc  Tc
Proof:
1. Let x  (S  T)c, this implies x is not an element of S  T.
Since x is neither an element of S nor T, it implies x  Sc and x  Tc. As x is a member of both set Sc
and Tc, one can write as x  Sc  Tc.
As we started from x  (S  T)c and got x  Sc  Tc this implies the result
(S  T)c  Sc  Tc ----------(i)

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Let y  Sc  Tc, this implies y is an element of both sets Sc and Tc i.e., y  Sc and y  Tc, and this implies
that y is neither a member of S nor a member of T i.e., y is not a member of S  T. From here, we can
say that y  (S  T)c. This demonstrates that
Sc  Tc  (S  T )c ---------- (ii)
From equations (i) and (ii) we got the result (S  T)c = Sc  Tc.
2. Let x  (S  T)c, this implies x is not an element of S and T both, and this directs to the result either
x  Sc or x  Tc i.e. x  Sc  Tc.
As we started from x  (S  T)c and got x  Sc  Tc this implies the result
(S  T)c  Sc  Tc ----------- (i)
Let y  Sc  Tc, by the definition of intersection it implies either y  Sc or y  Tc, and this directs to
the result that y is neither a member of S nor a member of T i.e., y  S  T. By the definition of the
complement of a set, y  (S  T)c. This demonstrates that
Sc  Tc  (S  T)c ------------(ii)
From equations (i) and (ii) we got the result Sc  Tc = (S  T)c.

2.7 PROBLEMS
Earlier, we have discussed the Venn diagram, set operations, counting several elements in the union of
sets and laws of the algebra of sets. Further, we will discuss some problems and their solutions related
to the above-mentioned topics.
Example 1: Consider the set P={ x : 5 < x < 15} and Q = {x : 5x = 10}. Find the union of both set P and Q.
Solution: First, represent the given set into roaster form.
P ={ 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14}
Q ={2}
Thus, union of both sets will contain the elements that are present either in set P or in set Q.
PQ={ 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14}
Example 2: Find the union of set A = {a,b,c,h,w}and B = {a,e,i}.

Solution: Union of two sets A and B is the set containing all the elements that are either present in set
A or in set B.
AB = {a,b,c,h,w }{a,e,i }
= { a,b,c,e,h,i,w}

Example 3: Consider the interval (2,5) and set {0, 2, 3,7, 9}. Find the intersection of these two sets.
Solution: It is known that interval (2, 5) contains all the real numbers between 2 to 5 except endpoints 2
and 5. And, intersection of two sets has all common elements present in both sets.
Thus, intersection of both sets will be {3} as 3 is the element that is present in both sets. That is, (2,5) 
{0,2,3,7,9} = {3}.
Example 4: Consider the two sets P = {2n : n  } and Q = {6n : n  1 ≤ n ≤ 10}. Find the intersection of
these two sets.

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Solution: Set P contains all the even natural number, and set Q contains natural number which are
multiple of 6 and less than or equal to 60. That is,
P = {2, 4, 6, …}
Q = {6, 12, 18, 24, …, 60}

After listing all the elements of both sets, it is clear that all the elements present in set Q are also present
in set P. Thus, intersection of both sets will be;
PQ ={ 2,4,6,...}{ 6,12,18,...,60}
={ 6,12,18,...,60}
={6n:n  , 1  n  10}

Note:
1. If P  Q then PQ=P for any two sets P and Q.
2. If P  Q then PQ=Q for any two sets P and Q.
Example 5: Find the symmetric difference A∆B for the set A = {2,4,6,8,10} and B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}.
Solution: Symmetric difference of two sets A and B can be found using the formulae: A ∆ B = (A  B) –
(A  B).
Union of set A and B , that is, A  B = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10}
Intersection of set A and B, that is, A  B ={2,4,6,8}
Thus, symmetric difference is A∆B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10} – {2, 4, 6, 8} = {1, 3, 5, 7, 10}.
Example 6: Consider the sets A = {} and B = {4, 7, 9}. Find the symmetric difference A∆B for these sets.
Solution: Symmetric difference of two sets A and B can be found using the formulae: A∆B=(AB)-(A  B)
Union of two sets A and B is AB={}=
Intersection of two sets A and B is AB={}= 
Thus, symmetric difference of two sets A and B is AB = {4, 7, 9} – {} = {4 ,7, 9}.

Example 7: Find the complement of the set {2, 5, 7} when considering the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} as a
universal set.
Solution: Complement of a set contains all the elements that are not present in that set. Thus, complement
of set {2, 5, 7} is;
{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} - {2, 5, 7} = {1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9}
Therefore, {1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9} is the complement of the given set.
Example 8: Consider the interval (1, 6). Find the complement of interval considering set of real numbers
as universal set.
Solution: Since set of real numbers is =(–, ) and complement of any set contains all that element
that are not present in that set. Thus, Complement of interval (1, 6) is; (–, )- (1, 6) = (–, 1] )
Therefore, complement of (1, 6) is (–, 1][6, ).

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Example 9: Consider the set A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {2, 5, 7} and C = {3, 4, 5, 6, 7}. Find the following sets:
i. AB
ii. AC
iii. A(BC)
iv A(BC)

Solution:
i. AB = {1, 2, 3, 4}  {2, 5, 7} = {2}
ii. AC = {1, 2, 3, 4}  {3, 4, 5, 6, 7} = {3, 4}
iii. Since B  C = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}, thus, A(B  C) = {1, 2, 3, 4}{2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7} = {2, 3, 4}.
iv. Since B  C = {5, 7}, thus, A(B  C) = {1, 2, 3, 4}  {5, 7} = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7}.

Example 10: Consider the two sets that are set of rational numbers and set of irrational numbers. Make
a Venn diagram to show their relationship.
Solution: As we know that all the real numbers that are not rational are called irrational numbers. Thus,
it is clear that both sets are disjoint, that is, there will be no common elements in both sets. Therefore,
the Venn diagram for both sets will be as in Figure 8.

Q I

Figure 8: Venn Diagram for set Q and I

Where Q is the set of rational numbers and I is the set for irrational numbers.
Example 11: Consider the set A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} and B = {3, 6, 9, 12}. Find the difference A – B. Also, make a
Venn diagram to represent the set A – B.
Solution: Elements in the difference set A – B are those elements that are present in set A but not present
in set B. That is,
A – B = {2, 4, 8, 10}

Venn diagram for set A – B is shown in Figure 9.

A B

2
4 3
8 2 9
10
12

Figure 9: Venn Diagram for difference set A - B

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The shaded region with yellow colour is representing set A - B.

Example 12: In a survey of 600 employees in a company, 150 employees were found to be drinking Tea and
225 drinking Coffee, 100 were drinking both Tea and Coffee. Find how many employees were drinking
neither Tea nor Coffee.
Solution: Firstly, consider that T denotes the number of employees who drink Tea, C denotes the
employees who drink Coffee.
Given,
Total number of employees = 600
Number of employees who were drinking Tea = n (T) = 150
Number of employees who were drinking Coffee = n(C) = 225
Number of employees who were drinking both Tea and Coffee = n (T  C) = 100
Find the number of employees who are drinking either Tea or Coffee can be found by using the formulae:
n (T U C) = n (T) + n (C) – n (T  C)
= 150 + 225 -100
= 375 – 100
= 275

Hence, the number of employees who are drinking neither Tea nor Coffee = 600 – 275 = 325.
Example 13: Consider the Set of natural numbers and set of whole numbers W. Find the difference
W- .
Solution: List the elements of the set of natural numbers and the set of whole numbers. That is,
= {1, 2, 3, 4, …}
W = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, …}

From the roaster form of both sets, it is clear that set of whole number contained all the elements of set
of natural number. Thus,
W - = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, …}- {1, 2, 3, 4, …}
= {0}
Thus, difference W-N is a singleton set {0}.

Example 14: For set A and B, n(A) = 6, n(B) = 8 and n (A  B) = 0, then find the number of elements in set
AB?
Solution: As we know the counting formulae; n(AB)=n(A)+n(B)-n(A  B).
Thus, number of elements in union of set A and B is;
n (AB) = 6 + 8 – 0 = 14
Example 15: In a company, 50 of the employees read Hindi Magazines, 40 read English Magazines and
70 read either Hindi or English Magazines. How many employees read both Magazines? Also, find the
number of employees who read only Hindi Magazines?
Solution: Number of employees who read Magazines in Hindi = n(H) = 50

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Number of employees who read Magazines in English = n(E) = 40

Number of employees who read either Hindi or English Magazines = n (HE) = 70
Thus, the number of employees who read both magazines is;
n(HE) = n(H) +n(E) - n(HE)
70 = 50 + 40 - n(HE)
n(HE) = 50 + 40 - 70
= 20
Thus, there are total of 20 employees who read both magazines.
Venn diagram that shows the relation between H – E and HE is shown in Figure 10.

B E

H-E 20

Figure 10: Venn Diagram showing the region of set H – E and H  E

One can observe that set representing the employees who read Hindi Magazines (shaded by yellow and
green colour) is combination of employees who read only Hindi Magazines (shaded by yellow colour)
and employees who read both magazines (shaded by green colour). That is,
H = (H–E)(HE)
n(H)=n(H–E)+n(HE)
n(H–E)=n(H)-n(HE)
Thus, a number of employees who read only Hindi Magazines is = 50 – 20 = 30.

Example 16: Consider the following Venn diagram. List all the elements of set A, B, A  , A – B and B – A
and highlight the region in Venn diagram for these sets.

A 6 B
3 1 7 15
8 4
14
2 9 12
13
5 18
11
20

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Solution: It is clear that each circle represents a set, and since both circles are intersecting to each other,
there will be some common element. Elements inside the coloured region in figure 11 are the elements of
set A. Thus, set A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12}.

A B
6 7
3 1 4 15
8 12 14
2 9 18 13
5
11 20

Figure 11: Representation of elements of set A

Elements inside the coloured region in figure 12 are the elements of set B. Thus, set B = {4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14,
15, 18, 20}.

A B
6 7
3 1 4 15
8 12 14
2 9 18 13
5
11 20

Figure 12: Representation of elements of set B

Intersection of set A and B has all those elements that are present in both sets. Elements inside the
coloured region in figure 13 are the elements of set A  B . Thus, A  B = {4, 5, 12}.

A B
6 7
3 1 4 15
8 12 14
2 9 18 13
5
11 20

Figure 13: Representation of elements of set A  B

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Difference set A – B has the elements that are present in set A but not present in set B. elements of set
A – B are shown by the coloured region in figure 14. Thus, A – B = {1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11}.

A B
6 7
3 1 4 15
8 12 14
2 9 18 13
5
11 20

Figure 14: Representation of elements of set A - B

Difference set B - A has the elements that are present in set B but not present in set A. Elements of set
A – B are shown by the coloured region in figure 15. Thus, B – A = {7, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20}.

A B
6 7
3 1 4 15
8 12 14
2 9 18 13
5
11 20

Figure 15: Representation of elements of set B - A

Example 17: In a poll of university students, 60 said they had taken mathematics, 97 said they had taken
chemistry, 52 said they had taken physics, 23 said they had taken mathematics and physics, 29 said they
had taken mathematics and chemistry, 20 said they had taken chemistry and physics, and 17 said they
had taken all three. Determine how many people only took one course.
Solution: Let M denote the students of Mathematics; C denote the students of Chemistry and P denotes
the students of Physics.
We are given,
n(M) = number of students who choose mathematics = 60
n(P) = number of students who choose physics = 52
n(C) = number of students who choose chemistry = 97
n(M  P) = number of students who choose mathematics and physics = 23
n(C  P) = number of students who choose chemistry and physics = 20
n(M  C) = number of students who choose mathematics and chemistry = 29
n(M  C  P) = number of students who choose mathematics, physics and chemistry = 17

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One needs to find the students who have chosen only one subject.
Figure 16 is representing the Venn diagram of students, which is as follows;

M C
60 29 97

23 20

52
P

Figure 16: Venn diagram of students

From Venn diagram, it is clear that one has to remove all those students from set M who are present in
set MP and MC to find the number of students who chose mathematics only. Since students who took
all the three subjects were also removed two times when we removed students of set MP and MC,
thus, one has to include the students of set MCP .
Number of students who have taken only mathematics is;
n(M)-n (M  P)-n (M  P)+n (M  C  P)= 60 - 23 - 29 + 17 = 25

Similarly, number of students who have taken only Physics is;

n(P)-n (M  P)-n (P  C)+n (M  C  P) = 52 - 23 - 20 + 17 = 26

Number of students who have taken only Chemistry is;

n(C)-n (M  C)-n (P  C)+n (M  C  P) = 97 - 29 - 20 + 17 = 65

Therefore, total number of students who chose only one subject = 25 + 26 + 65 = 116
Example 18: In a city, 80% of residents speak French, 30% English, and 50% Hindi, in which 35% residents
are speaking French and English, 16% are speaking French and Hindi, and 10% are speaking English and
Hindi. What n percentage of residents are living there who can speak all the three languages?
Solution: Since we are finding the number of residents in percentage, consider there are total 100
residents living in the city. Let ‘F’ denote the residents who speaks French, ‘E’ denote the residents who
speak English, and H denote the residents who speak Hindi.
We are given,
n(F) = number of residents who speak French = 80
n(E) = number of residents who speak English = 30
n(H) = number of residents who speak Hindi = 50
n(F  E) = number of residents who speak French and English = 35
n(F  H) = number of residents who speak French and Hindi = 16
n(H  E) = number of residents who speak Hindi and English = 10
n(F  E  H) = total number of residents who speak French, Hindi and English = 100

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One needs to find the residents who speak all the three languages.
To find the numbers of residents who speak all three languages, use the formulae;
n(F E H) = n(F) + n(E) + n(H) – n(FE) – n(FH) – n(EH) + n(FEH)
100 = 80 + 30 + 50 – 35 – 16 – 10 + n(FEH)
100 = 99 + n(FEH)
n(FEH) = 100 – 99
n(FEH) = 1
Thus, only 1% of residents speak French, English, and Hindi.

Example 19: There are 20 Indian females and 33 Indian males at a 90-person meeting. Ten of the Indians
are writers, while the remaining 44 are either men or writers. There are no foreign writers in the meeting.
Determine the number of female writers that will be attending the meeting.
Solution: Let W denote the writers and M denote the men in the meeting. Given information is n(W) = 10,
n(M) = 33 and n(M  W) = 44.
First, we will find the number of Indians who are males and writer both. Thus,
n(MW) = n(M) + n(W) – n(MW)
44 = 33 + 10 – n(MW)
n(MW) = 44 – 43
n(MW) = 1

Thus, there is 1 Indian male writer. Since there are total 10 writers attending the meeting, 9 female
writers are joining the meeting.

Conclusion 2.8 CONCLUSION

⚫ A diagram that helps us visualise the logical relationship between given sets and their elements is
known as the Venn diagram.
⚫ The union of two sets S and T is the collection of all elements that are present in either set S or set T.
⚫ The intersection of two sets S and T is the collection of all objects that are present in both sets S and
T. It is denoted as S  T.
⚫ The difference S − T of two sets S and T is the collection of all elements in S that are not present in T.
⚫ The symmetric difference of two sets S and T is the set of elements that are either present in S or
present in T but cannot be present in the intersection of both sets.
⚫ If two sets are disjoint then their intersection will be ø.
⚫ If we subtract an empty set ø from a non-empty set A, then we get A again, that is, A – ø = A.
⚫ If there are two sets A and B then n (A  B)=(A)+n(B)-n(A  B).
⚫ If we have three sets A, B and C then n (A  B  C)=n(A)+n(B)+n(C)-n(A  B)-n(B  C) – n(C  A)+n
(A  B  C).
⚫ According to the De Morgan’s Law, if S and T are two sets, then (i) (S  T)c = Sc  Tc and (ii) (S  T)c
= Sc  Tc

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⚫ If U is considered as a universal set, then the complement of U will be a null set, that is, Uc = ø.
Similarly, øc =U.
⚫ If U is the universal set and A is any set, then complement of set A is U – A, that is, remove all the
elements that are present in set A from universal set.
⚫ Symmetric difference of two sets is commutative, that is, ST = TS for any two sets S and T.

2.9 GLOSSARY

⚫ Union of sets: The union of two sets S and T is the collection of all elements that are present in either
set S or set T. It is denoted by S  T.
⚫ Intersection of sets: Intersection of two sets is the collection of elements that are present in both
sets.
⚫ Symmetric Difference of sets: The symmetric difference of two sets S and T is the set of elements
that are either present in S or T but cannot be present in the intersection of both sets.
⚫ Identity Law: According to this law, if A is the set and U is the universal set then;
I. A=A
II. A  U = A
I imply that the null set is the identity for set A under the operation union. II implies that universal
set U is the identity for set A under the operation intersection.

2.10 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

A. Essay Type Questions

1. Define Venn diagram. If there are two sets A and B, then make a Venn diagram AB.
2. Describe the difference of the two sets with an example.
3. State and proof De Morgan’s Law.
4. For set A and B, n(A) = 45, n(B) = 23 and n (A  B) = 16, then find the number of elements in set AB.
5. In a school, 65 of the students read Hindi books, 40 read English books and 70 read either Hindi or
English books. Explain how many students read both books. Also, find the number of students who
read only Hindi books.
6. There are 60 students in a class, in which 40 students choose math, 36 choose physics, and 24 choose
both subjects. Determine the number of students who choose (i) Math only (ii) Neither maths nor
physics.

2.11 ANSWERS AND HINTS FOR SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

A. Hints for Essay Type Questions

1. Venn diagram is used to show the relationship between two or more sets. Refer to Section Venn
Diagram

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2. If A and B are two sets, then difference of two sets A - B is the set containing those elements which
are present in set A but not in set B. Refer to Section Set Operations
3. De Morgan’s law is the most useful property of set theory. It is the combination of two properties.
Refer to section Laws of Algebra of Sets
4. 52, Refer to Section Counting of Numbers in Union of Two Sets
5. 35 students read both books; 30 students read-only Hindi.
6. (i) 16 students
(ii) 8 students

@ 2.12 POST-MODULE READING MATERIAL

⚫ https://www.toppr.com/guides/business-mathematics-and-statistics/business-mathematics/
⚫ https://www.vedantu.com/maths/business-mathematics

2.13 TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION FORUMS

⚫ Along with your classmate, discuss the different set operations, also try to solve as many questions
as you can.

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