Sets - 1
1 A set is a collection of items called elements or objects and is represented by the curly brackets.
Example: Set A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
2 All the elements of a set are unique.
Thus, there is no repetition of elements. If A = {1, 1, 2}, then it is not a set; but if it is = {1, 2}, then it is a set.
3 The order of elements in a set does not matter.
Thus, the set {1, 2, 3} is equivalent to the set {2, 3, 1}.
4 A set can either be empty or non-empty.
• An empty set has no element and is represented by Ø.
• A non-empty set has at least one element.
o If it has finite elements, it is a finite set, for example, a set of all letters of the English alphabet.
o If it has infinite elements, it is an infinite set, for example, a set of all positive integers.
© Copyright YPS Corporation
Sets - 2
5 If a set P is a subset of S, then all the elements of P are also the elements of S.
Corollary:
• An empty set is a subset of all the sets.
• All sets are subsets of themselves.
Example:
S = {1,2,3,4,5}
P = {1,2,3} Q = {3} R = {2,4,5} X = {2,3,-7}
• Is X ⊂ S? • All the element in each P, Q, R are present in S.
Because -7 is not a part of S. P, Q, R are subsets of S
P⊂S
• A = {1,2,4,5} Q⊂S
A⊂S R⊂S
• All sets are subset of themselves
Ø ⊂ all sets
© Copyright YPS Corporation
Sets - 3
6 The total number of subsets of a set having n elements is 2n.
• The number 2n includes an empty set too.
Thus, a number of non-empty subsets = 2n – 1.
o Non-empty subsets are the subsets that have at least one element.
• Example: If S = {1, 2, 3}:
o The total number of subsets of S = 23 = 8.
o The number of non-empty subsets = 2n – 1 = 7.
7 The intersection of two sets is a set of elements that are common to both the sets.
• If S = {1, 2, 3}, T = { 2, 3}, S ⋂ T = {2, 3}, if S = {1, 2, 3}, P = {a, b}, S ⋂ P = Ø
• If S = {1, 2, 3}, S ⋂ S = S
© Copyright YPS Corporation
Sets - 4
8 The union of two sets is a set of elements that are present in either of the two sets or both the sets.
• If S = {1, 2, 3}, P = {a, b}, S ⋃ P = {1, 2, 3, a, b}, If S = {1, 2, 3}, Q = {a, 2, 3}, S ⋃ T = {1, 2, 3, a}.
• Note that since a set contains only unique elements, we should be careful to not write the common elements multiple times.
9 The disjoint sets are sets that do not have any common element.
• Example: If S = {1, 2, 3}, P = {a, b}, both S and P are disjoint as there is no common element between the two.
• Thus, S ⋂ P = Ø for all disjoint sets.
• Disjoint sets are also referred to as mutually exclusive sets.
© Copyright YPS Corporation
Skills to Master GMAT Quant
Apply Constraints
Consider
Visualize All Cases
Process
Infer Translate
Skills
Manipulate
Simplify
PS & DS Strategy
Know More
unauthorized copying and re-distribution
© Copyright YPS Corporation is prohibited
Make learning more enjoyable & impactful
Know More
unauthorized copying and re-distribution
© Copyright YPS Corporation is prohibited
