The Language of Sets
Definitions
A set is a collection of objects.
Objects in the collection are called
elements of the set.
Examples - set
The collection of counting numbers is
a set.
Each counting number is an element of the
set.
The collection of pencils in your
briefcase is a set.
Each pencil in your briefcase is an element of
the set.
Notation
The roster method of specifying a
set consists of surrounding the
collection of elements with braces.
Example – roster method
For example the set of counting
numbers from 1 to 5 would be written
as
{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}.
Example – roster method
A variation of the simple roster method
uses the ellipsis ( … ) when the pattern
is obvious and the set is large.
{1, 3, 5, 7, … , 9007} is the set of odd
counting numbers less than or equal to
9007.
{1, 2, 3, … } is the set of all counting
numbers.
Notation
Set builder notation has the general
form
{variable | descriptive statement }.
The vertical bar (in set builder notation) is always
read as “such that”.
Set builder notation is frequently used when the
roster method is either inappropriate or
inadequate.
Example – set builder notation
{x | x < 6 and x is a counting number}
is the set of all counting numbers less
than 6. Note this is the same set as
{1,2,3,4,5}.
Set builder notation will become much more concise and
precise as more information is introduced.
Notation – is an element of
If x is an element of the set A, we
write this as x A. x A means x is
not an element of A.
If A = {3, 17, 2 } then
3 A, 17 A, 2 A and 5 A.
If A = { x | x is a prime number } then
5 A, and 6 A.
Definition
The set with no elements is called the
empty set or the null set and is
designated with the symbol .
Definition - subset
The set A is a subset of the set B if
every element of A is an element of
B.
If A is a subset of B and B contains
elements which are not in A, then A is
a proper subset of B.
Notation - subset
If A is a subset of B we write
A B to designate that relationship.
If A is a proper subset of B we write
A B to designate that relationship.
If A is not a subset of B we write
A B to designate that relationship.
Example - subset
The set A = {1, 2, 3} is a subset of the set
B ={1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} because each
element of A is an element of B.
We write A B to designate this
relationship between A and B.
We could also write
{1, 2, 3} {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Example - subset
The set
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} is a subset of the set
B = {x | x < 6 and x is a counting number}
because every element of A is an element
of B.
Notice also that B is a subset of A because every
element of B is an element of A.
Definition
Two sets A and B are equal if A B
and B A. If two sets A and B are
equal we write A = B to designate
that relationship.
Example - equality
The sets
A = {3, 4, 6} and B = {6, 3, 4} are
equal because A B and B A.
The definition of equality of sets shows that the
order in which elements are written does not
affect the set.
Example - equality
If A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and
B = {x | x < 6 and x is a counting number}
then A is a subset of B because every element
of A is an element of B and B is a subset of A
because every element of B is an element of A.
Therefore the two sets are equal and
we write A = B.
Example - equality
The sets A = {2} and B = {2, 5} are not
equal because B is not a subset of A. We
would write A ≠ B. Note that A B.
The sets A = {x | x is a fraction} and
B = {x | x = ¾} are not equal because A
is not a subset of B. We would write
A ≠ B. Note that B A.
Definition - intersection
The intersection of two sets A and
B is the set containing those elements
which are
elements of A and elements of B.
We write A B
Example - intersection
If A = {3, 4, 6, 8} and
B = { 1, 2, 3, 5, 6} then
A B = {3, 6}
Example - intersection
If A = { , , , , , , , , }
and B = { , , , @, , } then
A ∩ B = { , }
If A = { , , , , , , , , }
and B = { , , , } then
A ∩ B = { , , , } = B
Definition - union
The union of two sets A and B is the set
containing those elements which are
elements of A or elements of B.
We write A B
Example - Union
If A = {3, 4, 6} and
B = { 1, 2, 3, 5, 6} then
A B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}.
Example - Union
If A = { , , , , , }
and B = { , , , @, , } then
A B = {, , , , , , , , @, }
If A = { , , , , }
and B = {, , } then
A B = {, , , , } = A
A. Write each of the following in set builder notation.
a. {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7} ___________________________________________
b. {January, February, March, April, May} ______________________________
c. {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} _________________________________________________
B.) Write all the subsets for the following.
(a) {3} (b) {2, 5, 9} (c) {1, 2, 6, 7}
c. ) Write all the union sets for the following.
If A = {2, 3, 4, 5} B = {4, 5, 6, 7} C = {6, 7, 8, 9}
D = {8, 9, 10, 11},
find:
(a) A ∪ B (b) A ∪ C (c) B ∪ C (d) B ∪ D
D. ) Write all the intersections of sets for the following.
If A = {4, 6, 8, 10, 12} B = {8, 10, 12, 14} C = {12, 14, 16}
D = {16, 18}, find
(a) A ∩ B (b) B ∩ C (c) A ∩ C (d) B ∩ D
