CSD101 - Discrete Structures

(Discrete Mathematics)
Fall 2016

Lecture - 9
Set Operations
Set Operations

• Two sets can be combined in many different ways.

• Set operations can be used to combine sets.

Union
• 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}
B = {2,4,6,8}
A ⋃ B = {1,2,3,4,6,8}

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

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

• Let A = Z
B = {x |x ∈ Z ˄ x is odd}
A ∩ B = {x |x ∈ Z ˄ x is odd}
Disjoint Sets

• Two sets are called disjoint if their intersection is empty.

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

Solution:
• Let A = {1,2,3}
B = {2,3,4}
A ⋃ B = {1,2,3,4}
• |A| = 3 |B| = 3 |A ⋃ B|=4

• |A ⋃ B| = |A| + |B| - |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
U is the set of English alphabet
A = { e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z }

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

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

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

A∪U=U Domination Laws

A∩∅=∅

A∪A=A Idempotent Laws

A∩A=A

(A) = A Complementation Law

A∪ A=U Complement Laws

A∩A=∅
Set Identities

A∪B=B∪A Commutative Laws

A∩B=B∩A

A ∪ (B ∪ C) = (A ∪ B) ∪ C Associative Laws
A ∩ (B ∩ C) = (A ∩ B) ∩ C

A ∪(A ∩ B) = A Absorption Laws

A ∩(A ∪ B) = A
Set Identities

A ∪ B=A∩ B De Morgan’s Law

A ∩ B=A∪ B

A ∩ (B ∪ C) = (A ∩ B) ∪ (A ∩ C) Distributive Law
A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)
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 (example)
• Show A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (C ∪ B) ∩ A
Solution:

A ∪ (B ∩ C)
=A∩ B∩C By DeMorgan′ s Law
= A∩ B∪C By DeMorgan′ s Law
= A ∩ (C ∪ B) (By CommutativeLaw)
= (C ∪ B) ∩ A (By Commutative 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 Table
A ∩ (B ∪ C) = (A ∩ B) ∪ (A ∩ C)
A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)
Distributive Law

A B C B∩C A ∪ (B ∩ C) A∪B A∪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 that an element is a member of one of

the identities
• Then show it is a member of the other
Example
• Show 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶 = 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶
Solution:

Part 1: 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶 ⊆ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶
Ass𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶 ) Definition of Intersection
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐵 ˅ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶) Definition of Union
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐵 ˅ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶) Distributive Law
𝑥 ∈ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) ˅ (𝑥 ∈ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐶)) Definition of Intersection
𝑥 ∈ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) ∪ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐶) Definition of Union
𝑆𝑜, 𝐴∩ 𝐵∪𝐶 ⊆ 𝐴∩𝐵 ∪ 𝐴∩𝐶
Example
• Show 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶 = 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶
Solution:
Part 2: 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶 ⊆ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶
Ass𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ˅ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐶 ) Definition of Union
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐵 ˅ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶) Definition of Intersection
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐵 ˅ 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶) Distributive Law
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ˄ (𝑥 ∈ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶) Definition of Union
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∩ (𝐵 ∪ 𝐶) Definition of Intersection
𝑆𝑜, 𝐴∩𝐵 ∪ 𝐴∩𝐶 ⊆𝐴∩ 𝐵∪𝐶
𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑠, 𝐴∩ 𝐵∪𝐶 = 𝐴∩𝐵 ∪ 𝐴∩𝐶
Proof by set builder notation and logical
equivalences

• First, translate both sides of the set identity into

set builder notation

• Then use one side (or both) to make it identical to

the other
• Do this using logical equivalences
Set Builder Notation and Logical Equivalences
(Example)
• Show A ∩ B = A ∪ B
Solution:

𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 = *𝑥|𝑥 ∉ 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 + Definition of Complement

= 𝑥 ¬ 𝑥 ∈𝐴∩𝐵 Definition of does not belong symbol
= 𝑥¬ 𝑥∈𝐴 ∧ 𝑥∈𝐵 Definition of intersection
= 𝑥 ¬ 𝑥 ∈𝐴 ∨¬ 𝑥 ∈𝐵 DeMorgan’s Law
= 𝑥 𝑥∉𝐴 ∨ 𝑥∉𝐵 Definition of does not belong symbol
= 𝑥 𝑥∈𝐴 ∨ 𝑥∈𝐵 Definition of Complement
= *𝑥|𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 ∪ 𝐵+ Definition of Union
=𝐴∪𝐵 By meaning of Set Builder Notation
2 and 3 - Set Venn Diagram
|A ⋃ B| = |A| + |B| - |A ∩ B|
|A ⋃ B ⋃ C | = |A| + |B| +|C| - |A ∩ B| - |A ∩ C| - |B ∩ C| +
|A ∩ B ∩ C |
Example
Suppose a list A contains the 30 students in a mathematics
class, and a list B contains the 35 students in an English
class, and suppose there are 20 names on both lists.
Find the number of students:
• only on list A
• only on list B
• on list A or B (or both),
• on exactly one list.
Example
Solution:
• 30 − 20 = 10 names are only on list A.
• 35 − 20 = 15 are only on list B.
• |A ∪ B|= |A|+ |B| − |A ∩ B| = 30 + 35 − 20 = 45.
• 10 + 15 = 25 names are only on one list; that is,
|A ⊕ B| = 25.
Example
Consider the following data for 120 mathematics students
at a college concerning the languages French, German,
and Russian:
65 study French, 45 study German,
42 study Russian , 20 study French and German,
25 study French and Russian,
15 study German and Russian.
8 study all three languages.
Determine how many students study exactly 1 subject and
fill the correct numbers of students in each eight region of
Venn diagram shown in figure.
Example
• Total number of students exactly registered in one course
= 28+18+10=56
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