GROUP 9: SUBSETS AND PROPER SUBSETS
SUBSETS
Reporter: Wilson A. Dianco
A basic relation between sets is that of subset.
Subset
If A and B are sets, then A is called a subset of B, written A subset B, if, and only if, every
element of A is also an element of B.
Symbolically:
A ⊆ B means that for 'all elements x, if x ∈ A then x ∈ B
The phrases A is contained in B and B contains A are alternative ways of saying that A is
a subset of B.
It follows from the definition of subset that for a set A not to be a subset of a set B means
that there is at least one element of A that is not an element of B. Symbolically:
A ∉ B means that There is at least one element x such that x ∈ A and x ∉ B
PROPER SUBSET
Reporter: Rojelyn May Jereza
Let A and B be sets. A is a proper subset of B if, and only if, every element of B is in B but
there is at least one element of B that is not in A.
EXAMPLE 3: SUBSETS
Reporter: Hannah May Grace M. Lagua
Let A =Z+, B= {n ∈ Z| 0 < n <100}, and C = {100, 200, 300, 400, 500}. Evaluate the
truth and falsity of each of the following statements.
a. B ⊆ A
b. C is a proper subset of A
c. C and B have at least one element in common
d. C ⊆ B
e. C ⊆ C
Solution
a. False. Zero is not a positive integer. Thus, zero is in B but zero is not in A, and so B ∉ A
b. True. Each element in C is a positive integer and, hence, is in A, but there are elements
in A that are not in C. For instance, 1 is in A and not in C.
c. True. For example, 100 is in both C and B.
d. False. For example, 200 is in C but not in B.
e. True. Every element in C is in C. In general, the definition of subset implies that all sets
are subsets of themselves.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 3
Let A= {2}, {2}, (√2) 2), B = {2}, {2}, {{2}}} and C = {2} Evaluate the truth and falsity of
the following statements.
a. A ⊆ B
b. B ⊆ A
c. A is a proper subset of B
d. C ⊆ B
e. C is a proper subset of A
Solution
a. A⊆B (A is a subset of B): True
A has only one element, which is 2.
B also has 2 as its only element.
Since A's element is also present in B, A is a subset of B.
b. B⊆A (B is a subset of A): False
B has an additional set with {2} as its element.
A does not have this extra set, so B is not a subset of A.
c. A is a proper subset of B: False
A is not a proper subset of B because A is equal to B in this case.
d. C⊆B (C is a subset of B): True
C has only one element, which is 2.
B also has 2 as its only element.
Since C's element is also present in B, C is a subset of B.
e. C is a proper subset of A: True
C has only one element, which is 2.
A has 2 as its only element, but in a different form (√2×2).
Since C's element is in A, but C is not equal to A, C is a proper subset of A.
EXAMPLE 4: DISTINCTION BETWEEN ∈ AND ⊆
Reporter: Kyla Andrin Tura
Which of the following are true statements?
a. 2 ∈ {1, 2, 3}
b. {2} ∈ {1, 2, 3}
C. 2⊆ {1, 2, 3}
d. {2} ⊆ {1, 2, 3}
e. {2} ⊆ {{1},{2}}
f. {2} ∈ {{1}, {2}}
Solution
Only (a), (d), and (f) are true. For (b) to be true, the set {1, 2, 3} would have to contain
the element {2}. But the only elements of {1, 2, 3} are 1, 2, and 3, and 2 is not equal to
{2}. Hence (b) is false. For (c) to be true, the number 2 would have to be a set and every
element in the set 2 would have to be an element of {1, 2, 3} This is not the case, so (c) is
false.
For (e) to be true, every element in the set containing only the number 2 would have to
be an element of the set whose elements are {1} and {2}. But 2 is not equal to either {1}
or {2}, and so (e) is false.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 4
Which of the following are true statements?
a. x ∈ {x, y, z}
b. x ⊆ {{x}, {y}, {z}}
c. x ⊆ {x, y, z}
d. {x}⊆ {{x}, {y}, {z}}
e. {x} ∈ {x, y, z}
Solution
a. x∈ {x, y, z}: This statement is true. It asserts that
x is an element of the set {x, y, z}
b. x⊆{{x}, {y}, {z}}: This statement asserts that x is a subset of the set {{x}, {y}, {z}}.
However, x is not a set of sets in this context; it's just an element. Therefore, this
statement is false.
c. x⊆ {x, y, z}: Similar to statement b, this statement is also asserting that x is a
subset of the set {x, y, z}, which is not correct (false). x is an element, not a set, so
it cannot be a subset of another set in this manner.
d. {x}⊆{{x}, {y}, {z}}: This statement is saying that the set {x} is a subset of the set
{{x}, {y}, {z}}. This is true because the set {x} is one of the elements of the larger
set, making it a valid subset.
e. {x}∈ {x, y, z}: This statement is asserting that the set {x} is an element of the set
{x, y, z}. However, the elements of the set on the right side are x, y, and z (not sets
themselves). So, this statement is false.
statements a and d are true, while statements b, c, and e are false.
QUIZ!!
A. Let A= {100,200,300} and B= {100,200,300,400,500}. Determine whether the
following statements are true or false:
a. A ⊆ B.
b. {400,500} ⊆ B.
c. {100,200,300} is a proper subset of B.
Answer Key:
1. TRUE
2. TRUE
3. FALSE
Solution:
4. A ⊆ is a set where every element of the first set is also an element of the second
set. In this case, A is {100, 200, 300} and B is {100, 200, 300, 400, 500}. Since
every element of A is also in B, A is indeed ⊆ of B. Therefore, statement a is true.
5. {400, 500} is a ⊆ of B if every element of {400, 500} is also an element of B. In
this case, both 400 and 500 are elements of B, so {400, 500} is ⊆ of B. Therefore,
statement b is true.
6. A proper subset is a subset that is not equal to the original set. In this case, {100,
200, 300} is a subset of B because every element of {100, 200, 600} is also in B.
However, it is not a proper subset because it is equal to B (both sets have the
same elements). Therefore, statement c is false.
