Sets
DEFINITION 1 DEFINITION 2
A set is a well-defined collection of Let A and B be sets. Then A is a subset
distinct objects. The objects in the collection of B, written as A ⊆ B, if and only if every
are called elements of the set. element of A is an element of B.
Not well-defined We write
Well-defined Sets
Sets 𝒂 ∈ {𝒂, 𝒃, 𝒄} or {𝒂} ⊆ {𝐚, 𝐛, 𝐜}
The set of vowels in The set of good
English Alphabet. students. However,
The set of months The set of beautiful 𝒂 ⊆ {𝐚, 𝐛, 𝐜} and {𝒂} ∈ {𝒂, 𝒃, 𝒄}
in a year. flowers.
The set of even are both incorrect uses of set notation.
The set of popular
integers from 0 to
actor.
20.
A = {0, 1, 2, 3} B = {0, 2, 4, 6,…}
DEFINITION 3
The set A is called finite set containing Two sets are equal, written as 𝑨 = 𝑩, if
four elements, while the set B is called and only if they contain exactly the same
infinite set containing infinitely many elements.
elements. The three dots indicate that a
pattern continues forever. NOTE THAT:
To express that 2 is an element of set A, {𝟏, 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟐, 𝟑} = {𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑} = {𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟏}
we write 2 ∈ 𝐴 and read this as “2 is an
element of A”. We also have 0 ∈ 𝐴, 1 ∈ 𝐴
and 3 ∈ 𝐴, but 5 ∉ 𝐴, the last expression is DEFINITION 4
read as “5 is not an element of A”.
If A and B are sets, the union of A and B
is the set 𝑨 ∪ 𝑩, read as “A union B”, given by
Ways of Describing Sets
𝑨 ∪ 𝑩 = {𝒙|𝒙 ∈ 𝑨 𝒐𝒓 𝒙 ∈ 𝑩}.
Describe “the set of even integers from 1
The intersection of A and B is the set 𝑨 ∩
to 7” using:
𝑩, read as “A intersection B”, given by
Set-Builder Method: {𝑥|1 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 7. 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁}
𝑨 ∩ 𝑩 = {𝒙|𝒙 ∈ 𝑨 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒙 ∈ 𝑩}.
Roster/Listing Method: {1,2,3,4,5,6,7}
Supposed 𝑨 = {𝟐, 𝟒, 𝟔} and 𝑩 = {𝟒, 𝟓, 𝟔, 𝟕}. Then Let
𝑨 ∪ 𝑩 = {𝟐, 𝟒, 𝟓, 𝟔, 𝟕} 𝑼 = {𝒙|𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒓}
𝑨 ∩ 𝑩 = {𝟒, 𝟔} 𝑨 = {𝒙|𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒓}
𝑩 = {𝒙|𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒓}.
Definition 5 Then
The empty set is the set that has no 𝑩 − 𝑨 = {𝒙|𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒅𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒓}
elements, and denoted by ∅ or { }. Two sets A 𝑩 − 𝑨 = {𝟏, 𝟑, 𝟓, 𝟕, … }
and B are called disjoint if and only if 𝑨 ∩ 𝑩 = ∅.
𝑨 − 𝑩 = {𝒙|𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒓}
𝑨 − 𝑩 = {𝟎, −𝟐, −𝟒, −𝟔, … }
The sets {−𝟏, 𝟏} and {𝟎, 𝟐, 𝟑} are disjoint,
since 𝑨′ = {𝒙|𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒅𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒓}
𝑨′ = {… , −𝟑, −𝟐, −𝟏, 𝟎, 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, … }
{−𝟏, 𝟏} ∩ {𝟎, 𝟐, 𝟑} = ∅.
𝑩′ = {𝒙|𝒙 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒓}
There is only one empty set ∅, and ∅ is a
𝑩′ = {𝟎, −𝟏, −𝟐, −𝟑, −𝟒, … }
subset of every set.
Definition 8
Definition 6
Let A and B be two sets. The symmetric
For any set A, the power set of A, difference of sets A and B, denoted as 𝑨 ⊕ 𝐁, is
denoted by 𝒫(A}, is the set of all subsets of A the set (𝑨 ∪ 𝑩) − (𝑨 ∩ 𝑩).
and is written
Let
𝒫(A} = {X|X ⊆ 𝐀}
For 𝐀 = {𝐚, 𝐛, 𝐜}, the power set of A is 𝐴 = {𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟒} and 𝑩 = {𝟑, 𝟒, 𝟓, 𝟔}
𝓟(𝐀} = {∅, {𝒂}, {𝒃}, {𝒄}, {𝒂, 𝒃}, {𝒂, 𝒄}, {𝒃, 𝒄}, 𝑨} Then
𝑨 ∪ 𝑩 = {𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟒, 𝟓, 𝟔}
𝑨 ∩ 𝑩 = {𝟑, 𝟒}
DEFINITION 7
𝑨 ⊕ 𝐁 = (𝑨 ∪ 𝑩) − (𝑨 ∩ 𝑩)
For arbitrary subset A and B of the 𝑨 ⊕ 𝐁 = {𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, 𝟒, 𝟓, 𝟔} − {𝟑, 𝟒}
universal set U, the complement of B in A is 𝑨 ⊕ 𝐁 = {𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟓, 𝟔}
𝑨 − 𝑩 = {𝒙 ∈ 𝑼|𝒙 ∈ 𝑨 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒙 ∉ B}
𝑨′ = 𝑼 − 𝑨 = {𝒙 ∈ 𝑼|𝒙 ∉ A}
We read 𝑨′ simply as “the complement of A”.
