Analysis of Set Theory Problem

1. Introduction: Unveiling the Language of Sets

The concept of a set is fundamental in mathematics, serving as a building block for
more advanced theories and applications across diverse fields such as logic,
probability, and computer science. A set is defined as a well-defined collection of
distinct objects or elements. Understanding how to define, describe, and operate on
sets is crucial for organizing and reasoning about collections of information. The
problem at hand involves several sets defined under specific conditions within a
universal set of natural numbers. The objective is to describe these sets in roster form,
perform various set operations on them, and visually represent one of these
operations using a Venn diagram. This systematic exploration of set theory principles
will provide a clear understanding of the relationships and properties of the given
sets.

2. Defining the Universal Set U

The universal set U is defined as the set of all elements under consideration in a
particular context. In this problem, the universal set U is given by the condition {x | x ∈
ℕ and x ≤ 10}. This notation signifies that U contains all elements 'x' such that 'x'
belongs to the set of natural numbers (denoted by ℕ) and 'x' is less than or equal to
10. Natural numbers are typically considered to be the positive integers starting from 1
(i.e., 1, 2, 3, ...). Therefore, based on the given condition, the elements of the universal
set U are the natural numbers from 1 to 10, inclusive. This can be expressed in roster
form as: U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}. The universal set acts as a boundary, meaning
that any element belonging to the other sets defined in this problem (A, B, C, and D)
must also be an element of U.

3. Describing Sets A, B, and C

3.1. Set A: Even Numbers within U
Set A is defined as {2n, n ∈ ℤ+}, where ℤ+ represents the set of positive integers {1, 2,
3, ...}. To determine the elements of set A in roster form, we substitute positive integer
values for 'n' into the expression 2n, ensuring that the resulting elements are within
the universal set U.

For n = 1, 2n = 2.
For n = 2, 2n = 4.
For n = 3, 2n = 6.
For n = 4, 2n = 8.
For n = 5, 2n = 10.
For n = 6, 2n = 12, which is greater than 10 and therefore not in U. We stop here as subsequent
values of 'n' will yield even larger numbers outside of U.
Thus, the roster form of set A is A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}. The characteristic of the elements
in set A is that they are all even numbers that are less than or equal to 10. This set
represents a specific subset of the universal set containing all even numbers within
the defined range.

3.2. Set B: Odd Numbers within U

Set B is defined as {2n + 1, n ∈ ℤ+}. Similar to set A, we substitute positive integer
values for 'n' into the expression 2n + 1 and list the elements that are also present in
the universal set U.

For n = 1, 2n + 1 = 3.
For n = 2, 2n + 1 = 5.
For n = 3, 2n + 1 = 7.
For n = 4, 2n + 1 = 9.
For n = 5, 2n + 1 = 11, which is greater than 10 and therefore not in U. We stop here.
Therefore, the roster form of set B is B = {3, 5, 7, 9}. The characteristic of the elements
in set B is that they are all odd numbers that are less than or equal to 10. The formula
2n + 1 inherently generates odd numbers because adding 1 to any even number (2n)
will always result in an odd number. This set represents another subset of U,
containing all odd numbers within the specified range.

3.3. Set C: Multiples of 3 within U

Set C is defined as {3n, n ∈ ℤ+}. We substitute positive integer values for 'n' into the
expression 3n and list the elements that are within the universal set U.

For n = 1, 3n = 3.
For n = 2, 3n = 6.
For n = 3, 3n = 9.
For n = 4, 3n = 12, which is greater than 10 and therefore not in U. We stop here.
Thus, the roster form of set C is C = {3, 6, 9}. The characteristic of the elements in set
C is that they are all multiples of 3 that are less than or equal to 10. This set contains
numbers divisible by 3 within the specified range of the universal set.

The elements of the universal set and sets A, B, C, and D in roster form are
summarized in Table 1 for easy reference.

Table 1: Elements of Sets

| Set | Elements |
| :-- | :--------------------------------------- |
| U | {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10} |
| A | {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} |
| B | {3, 5, 7, 9} |
| C | {3, 6, 9} |
| D | {1, 5, 6, 9, 10} |
4. Performing Set Operations
4.1. i) A ∪ B: The Union of A and B
The union of two sets A and B, denoted by A ∪ B, is the set containing all elements
that are in A, or in B, or in both. Given A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} and B = {3, 5, 7, 9}, we
combine all the unique elements from both sets.

A ∪ B = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} ∪ {3, 5, 7, 9} = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}.

The union of set A (even numbers in U) and set B (odd numbers in U) results in almost
the entire universal set U. The only element missing from U is 1. This occurs because
set A is defined by 2n where n starts from 1, generating even numbers from 2 onwards.
Set B is defined by 2n+1 where n starts from 1, generating odd numbers from 3
onwards. If the definition of natural numbers included 0, or if the formulas for A and B
were slightly different, the composition of these sets and their union might change.
This highlights the importance of precise definitions in mathematics.

4.2. ii) A ∩ B: The Intersection of A and B

The intersection of two sets A and B, denoted by A ∩ B, is the set containing all
elements that are common to both A and B. Comparing the elements of A = {2, 4, 6, 8,
10} and B = {3, 5, 7, 9}, we can see that there are no elements present in both sets.

Therefore, A ∩ B = {} (the empty set or null set, denoted by ∅). Sets A and B are
disjoint sets because they have no elements in common. This is consistent with the
fundamental property that no integer can be both even and odd simultaneously.

4.3. iii) B': The Complement of B

The complement of a set B, denoted by B', is the set containing all elements in the
universal set U that are not in B. Given U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10} and B = {3, 5, 7, 9},
we identify the elements in U that are not present in B.

B' = {1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10}.

The complement of the set of odd numbers within U (set B) is the set of even numbers
within U plus the number 1. The inclusion of '1' in B' but not in A arises from the
definition of A using 2n where n starts from 1, which generates even numbers starting
from 2. If the definition of A were different, for instance, if it included 2*0, or if the
universal set were defined differently, the relationship between A and B' would be
affected. This underscores the need for careful interpretation of set definitions.

4.4. iv) B ∩ C ∩ D: The Intersection of B, C, and D

The intersection of three sets B, C, and D is the set containing all elements that are
common to all three sets. We have B = {3, 5, 7, 9}, C = {3, 6, 9}, and D = {1, 5, 6, 9, 10}.
To find the common elements, we first identify the elements common to B and C, and
then find the elements common to that result and D.

The common elements in B and C are {3, 9}.

Now, we find the elements common to {3, 9} and D = {1, 5, 6, 9, 10}. The only element present
in both is 9.
Therefore, B ∩ C ∩ D = {9}. The element 9 is the only number within the universal set
that satisfies the conditions of being odd (from B), a multiple of 3 (from C), and
present in the explicitly defined set D.

The results of the set operations are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2: Results of Set Operations

Operation Result

A∪B {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}

A∩B {}

B' {1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10}

B∩C∩D {9}

5. Depicting (C ∪ D)' using a Venn Diagram

A Venn diagram is a visual representation of sets and their relationships within a
universal set. It typically uses overlapping circles to represent sets, enclosed within a
rectangle that represents the universal set.

To depict (C ∪ D)' using a Venn diagram, we follow these steps:

Step 1: Draw the Universal Set: Draw a rectangle to represent the universal set U
and label it 'U'.

Step 2: Draw Sets C and D: Draw two overlapping circles inside the rectangle. One
circle represents set C, and the other represents set D. The overlapping region
represents the intersection of C and D. Label the circles 'C' and 'D'.

Step 3: Determine Elements in Each Region:

●​ Elements in C only: These are elements in C but not in D. C = {3, 6, 9}, D = {1, 5, 6,
9, 10}. The element in C only is {3}.
●​ Elements in D only: These are elements in D but not in C. The elements in D only
are {1, 5, 10}.
●​ Elements in C ∩ D: These are elements in both C and D. The common elements
are {6, 9}.
●​ Elements in neither C nor D (within U): These are elements in U but not in C or
D. U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}. The elements in neither C nor D are {2, 4, 7, 8}.

Step 4: Place Elements in the Diagram: Place the determined elements in their
corresponding regions within the Venn diagram.

Step 5: Identify C ∪ D: The union of C and D (C ∪ D) includes all elements that are
in C, or in D, or in both. In the Venn diagram, this is represented by the combined area
of both circles, including the overlap. The elements of C ∪ D are {1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10}.

Step 6: Identify (C ∪ D)': The complement of (C ∪ D), denoted by (C ∪ D)', includes

all elements in the universal set U that are not in C ∪ D. In the Venn diagram, this is
represented by the area within the rectangle (U) but outside the two circles (C and D).
The elements of (C ∪ D)' are {2, 4, 7, 8}.

Visual Representation Description: The Venn diagram would show a rectangle

labeled 'U'. Inside this rectangle, there are two overlapping circles, one labeled 'C' and
the other labeled 'D'. The number 3 is placed in the part of circle C that does not
overlap with D. The numbers 1, 5, and 10 are placed in the part of circle D that does
not overlap with C. The numbers 6 and 9 are placed in the overlapping region of
circles C and D. The numbers 2, 4, 7, and 8 are placed within the rectangle but outside
both circles. The region representing (C ∪ D)' is the area within the rectangle but
outside the union of the two circles, containing the elements {2, 4, 7, 8}.

Venn diagrams offer a clear visual means of understanding the relationships between
sets, making abstract concepts more tangible. While effective for a small number of
sets, other methods might be more suitable for more complex scenarios involving a
larger number of sets or operations.

6. Conclusion
The analysis of the given set theory problem involved defining sets in roster form,
performing fundamental set operations, and illustrating set relationships using a Venn
diagram. Sets A, B, and C were described in roster form as A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}, B = {3, 5,
7, 9}, and C = {3, 6, 9}, respectively, each exhibiting distinct characteristics based on
their defining conditions. The set operations yielded the following results: A ∪ B = {2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}, A ∩ B = {}, B' = {1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10}, and B ∩ C ∩ D = {9}. Finally, the
complement of the union of sets C and D, (C ∪ D)', was determined to be {2, 4, 7, 8}
and its visual representation in a Venn diagram highlights the elements within the
universal set that do not belong to either C or D. These exercises underscore the
foundational principles of set theory, which are essential for logical reasoning and
problem-solving in various mathematical and computational contexts.