Sets and Venn Diagram

GED0103 Math in the Modern World

Set terminology
 A set is a clearly defined collection of objects that have something in common.
 An element is a member of or an object within a set.
 The intersection of two sets A and B is the list of elements common to both sets.
 The union of two sets A and B is the list of all the elements in both sets.
 The universal set is the collection of all possible objects.

Example:
A = {coat, hat, scarf, gloves, boots} - set of winter clothes
P = {thumb, index, middle, ring, little} - set of all fingers
Q = {2,4,6, 8} - set of numbers between 0 and 10

 Set notation uses curly braces with elements separated by commas.

 Every object in a set is unique; the same object cannot be included in the set more than once.
 Capital letters are used to denote sets
 Lowercase letters are used to denote elements of a set
 Curly braces { } denote a list of elements in a set.

Basic Notation Examples:

Types of Set

1. Finite Set
Example: A = {2,4,6,8}
B = {1,2,3, … , 97,98,99}

 A is the list of all numbers between 0 and 10

 B is the list of all numbers between 0 and 100)
 The three dots are called an ellipsis. We use ellipsis in the middle of a set as a shortcut for
listing many elements.
 Note that the number of elements in set A and set B is countable.

2. Infinite Set
Example: C = {2,3,5,7,11,13,17, …}

 List of all prime numbers

 ellipsis at the end of the list to indicate that the set goes on forever, and that it is not possible to
explicitly list all the elements.

3. Empty set
Example: D={} - The set of triangles with 4 sides
E=Ø - the set of months with 32 days

 We call a set with no elements the null or empty set.

 It is represented by the symbol { } or Ø .

Intersection
Example: Let X = {1,2,3} Y = {3,4,5}
X  Y = {3}

Union
Example: Let X = {1,2,3} Y = {3,4,5}
X  Y = {1,2,3,4,5}
Universal Set
A Universal Set is the set of all elements under consideration or everything that is relevant to the
problem, denoted by capital . All other sets are subsets of the universal set.
Example:
U = {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
P = ( 3,6,9}
Q = { 2, 4,6,8}

Where:
U are whole numbers less than 10
P are multiples of 3
Q are even numbers less than 10

Complement
Given set A, the complement of A or A’ is the set of all elements in the universal set , that are not
in A.
Example:
U = {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
B = {0,1,4,5,6,7,8}
What Is B’?
B’ = { 2,3,9}

Venn diagram.
A diagram where sets are represented as simple geometric figures, with overlapping and similarity of
sets represented by intersections and unions of the figures. First developed by John Venn in the 1880s.
In a Venn diagram, sets are represented usually by circles or ovals. The elements of a set are labeled
within the circle.
 Example:
A set of counting numbers less than 7 A set of primary colors
R = {1,2,3,4,5,6} C = {red, yellow, blue}

HOW TO SOLVE WORD PROBLEMS IN SETS

Sample Problem #1: Sample Problem #2:

In a group of 60 people, 27 like cold drinks and 42 like hot In a class of 60 students, 40 students like math, 36 like
drinks and each person likes at least one of the two science, 24 like both the subjects. Find the number of
drinks. How many like both coffee and tea? students who like:
(i) Math only,
Solution: (ii) Science only
Let A = Set of people who like cold drinks. (iii) Either Math or Science
B = Set of people who like hot drinks. (iv) Neither Math nor science

Given Solution:
(A ∪ B) = 60 ---> group of 60 people n(M) = 40 --> likes math
n(S) = 36 ---> like science
n(A) = 27 --- > people who like cold drinks
n(MnS) = 24 ---> likes both math and science
n(B) = 42 ---> people who like hot drinks
(i) Math only (ii) Science only
what is asked? = n(M) - n(MnS) = n(S) - n(MnS)
= 40 – 24 = 16 = 36 – 24 = 12
n(A ∩ B) ---> How many like both hot and cold
drinks? (iii) Either Math or Science
= n(M or S)
then; = n(MuS)
= n(M) + n(S) - n(MnS)
n(A ∩ B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A ∪ B) = 40 + 36 – 24 = 52

= 27 + 42 - 60 (iv) Neither Math nor science

= 60 – n(MuS)
= 69 - 60 = 9 = 60 – 52 = 8

n(A ∩ B) = 9

Therefore, 9 people like both tea and coffee.