Discrete Structures

Lecture - 9
Set
Operations
Set Operations

• Two sets can be combined in many different

ways.

• Set operations can be used to combine sets.

Unio
n
• Let A and B be sets.

• The union of A and B, denoted by A ⋃ B, is the set

containing those elements that are either in A or
in B, or in both.

• A ⋃ B = {x | x ∈ A ˅ x ∈ B}
Intersection

• Let A and B be sets.

• The intersection of A and B, denoted by A ∩ B, is

the set
containing those elements in both A and B.

• A ∩ B = {x | x ∈ A ˄ x ∈ B}
Union (example)
• Let A = {1,2,3}

A⋃B
B = {2,4,6,8}
=
{1,2,3,4,6,8}

• Let A = {x | x ∈ Z ˄ x is
B = {x |x ∈ Z
˄ x is odd} A ⋃ B
even}
=
Z
Intersection (example)

• Let A = {1,2,3}
B=
{2,4,6,8} A
∩B =
{2}

• Let A=Z

∈ Z ˄ x is
B = {x |x

odd}
A∩B
Disjoint
Sets
• Two sets are called disjoint if their intersection is
empty.

A = {x | x ∈ Z ˄ x is
B = {x |x ∈ Z
• Let
even}
˄ x is odd} A ∩ B = Ø
The Cardinality of the Union
• |A ⋃ B|
of Sets
=?
Solution:
• Let A = {1,2,3}

A⋃B=
B = {2,3,4}

{1,2,3,4} |A ⋃ B|
• |A| = 3 |B| = =4
3 ⋃ B| = |A| + |B| - |A ∩
• |A
B|
Difference

• Let A and B be sets.

• The difference of A and B, denoted by A - B, is the

set containing those elements that are in A but
not in B. (also called complement of B with respect
to A).

• A - B = {x | x ∈ A ˄ x ∉ B}
Difference (example)

• Let A = {1,2,3}
B = {2,4}
A – B = {1,3}

• Let A = Z
B = { x | x ∈ Z ˄ x is odd }
A – B = { x | x ∈ Z ˄ x is
even }
Complement

• Let U be the universal set and A be a set.

• The complement of A, denoted by A, is the

complement
of A with respect to U (which is U - A).

•A = x x∉A+
Complement (example)

• Let A = { a, b, c, d } and

A = { e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v,
U is the set of English alphabet

w, x, y, z }

• Let A = { x | x ∈ Z ˄ x is odd } and

A = { x | x ∈ Z ˄ x is even }
U is Z
Summary Set Operations

Operation Notation
Union A ⋃ B = {x | x ∈ A ˅ x ∈ B}
Intersection A ∩ B = {x | x ∈ A ˄ x ∈ B}
A - B = {x | x ∈ A ˄ x ∉ B}
A= x x∉A+
Difference
Complement (U - A)
Set Identities
A∪∅= Identity

A∩U=
A Laws

A∪U=
A Domination

A∩∅=
U Laws

∅
A∪A= Idempotent

A∩A=
A Laws

(A) =
A Complementation

A∪ A=
A Law
Complement

A∩A=
U Laws
Set Identities

A∪B=B∪
AA∩B=B
Commutative
Laws
∩A
Associative
A ∪ (B ∪ C) = (A ∪ B) Laws
∪ C A ∩ (B ∩ C) = (A
∩ B) ∩ C Absorption
Laws
A ∪(A ∩ B)
= A A ∩(A ∪
B) = A
Set Identities

A ∪B=A∩ De Morgan’s
BA Law
∩ B=A∪
B Distributive
Law
A ∩ (B ∪ C)
= (A ∩ B) ∪
(A ∩ C)
A ∪ (B ∩ C)
= (A ∪ B) ∩
How to Prove a Set Identity

• Four methods:
• Use the basic set identities
• Use membership tables
• Prove each set is a subset of each other
• Use set builder notation and logical
equivalences
Set Identities
• Show A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (C ∪
(example)
B) ∩ A
Solution:

=
A∪ A (B
∩ B∩∩C) By DeMorgan′s
C Law By DeMorgan
=A A∩∩ (C
B ∪∪ ′
s Law (By
C
B) = (C ∪ B) CommutativeLaw)
(By Commutative
∩A Law)
What is a membership
table
•Membership tables show all the combinations of
sets an
element can belong to
• 1 means the element belongs, 0 means it does not
• Consider the following membership table:

A B A∪ B A∩ B A-B
1 1 1 1 0
1 0 1 0 1
0 1 1 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
 Membership
A ∩ (B ∪ C) = (A ∩ B) ∪ (A
∩ C)
Table
A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (A ∪ B) ∩ (A
∪ C)
B∩C A ∪ (B ∩ C) A ∪ B
A B C
Distributive LawA ∪ C (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1
1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Proof by showing each set is a
subset of the other

• Assume thatan element is a

member of one of the identities
• Then show it is a member of the other
Example
• Show 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶 = ∪ 𝐴∩𝐶
𝐴∩𝐵
Solution:
Part 1: 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶⊆ ∪ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶
𝐴∩𝐵
Ass𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶
)
Definition of

𝑥∈𝐴˄𝑥 (𝑥∈∈𝐵𝐵 𝗏 𝑥 𝗏 (𝑥 Definition

∈ 𝐴 ˄ 𝑥 of Union
Intersection

∈
𝑥∈𝐶)(𝐴∩ 𝐵) 𝗏 (𝑥 ∈ (𝐴 Law Definition of
∩ 𝐶))
Distributive

𝑥 ∈ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) ∪ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐶)
Intersection

𝑆𝑜, 𝐴 ∩𝐵 ∪ 𝐶 ⊆ 𝐴 ∪ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶
Definition of Union
Exampl
• Show 𝐴 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶= 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪
e
∩ 𝐴∩𝐶
2:𝐴 ∩ 𝐵
Solution: ∪ ⊆𝐴∩
𝐴∩𝐶
Part

Ass𝑢𝑚𝑒
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩𝑥𝐵∈ 𝗏 (𝑥 𝐵
∈ ∪ 𝐶 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶)
Definition of𝐴Union
∩𝐵 ∪ 𝐴∩𝐶
𝑥𝑥∈∈𝐴𝐴˄˄(𝑥𝑥∈ ∈𝐵 𝐵𝗏 𝑥 𝗏 (𝑥 Distributive
∈𝐴˄𝑥 ∈ 𝐶)
Law

∈ 𝐶)
Definition of Intersection Definition of Union

𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ (𝑥
𝑆𝑜, 𝐴 ∈ 𝐵∪∪ 𝐴 ⊆ 𝐴 Intersection
Definition of

𝐶)
∩𝐵 𝐵∪∩ 𝐶=
𝐶 𝐴∩ ∩𝐵 𝐵∪𝐶
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩𝐴
𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑠, (𝐵∩∪ 𝐶) ∪ 𝐴∩𝐶
Exercise Questions

Chapter # 2
Topic # 2.2
Question # 1, 2, 3,4,5,6,15,16,17,18,
19,20,21,22,23,24,25