Laws of the Algebra of sets

Idempotent laws
1a. A [ A = A
1b. A \ A = A

Associative laws
2a. (A [ B) [ C = A [ (B [ C)
2b. (A \ B) \ C = A \ (B \ C)

Commutative laws
3a. A [ B = B [ A
3b. A \ B = B \ A

Distributive laws
4a. A [ (B \ C) = (A [ B) \ (A [ C)
4b. A \ (B [ C) = (A \ B) [ (A \ C)

Identity Laws
5a. A [ ; = A
5b. A \ U = A
6a. A [ U = U
6b. A \ ; = ;

Involution Law
7. (Ac )c = A

Complement Laws
8a. A [ Ac = U
8b. A \ Ac = ;
9a. U c = ;
9b. ;c = U

De Morgans Laws
10a. (A [ B)c = Ac \ B c
10b. (A \ B)c = Ac [ B c

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Worked examples
Problem 1: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that C [ (B [ A) = (C [ B) [ A

Solution: For any choice of sets A, B and C, (A [ B) [ C = A [ (B [ C) according to law 2a. If

we substitute A with C and C with A in law 2a we get C [ (B [ A) = C [ (B [ A).
We can write this in a more compact form as the following annotated derivation

C [ (B [ A) =2a C [ (B [ A)

The annotated derivation provide a model answer to the problem.

Problem 2: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that all sets X, Y and Z, we have

(X \ Y ) [ (Z \ X) = X \ (Y [ Z)

Solution: Notice that law 4b shows that

X \ (Y [ Z) = (X \ Y ) [ (X \ Z)

Since W = V is equivalent to V = W for any expressions W and V this shows that

(X \ Y ) [ (X \ Z) = X \ (Y [ Z)

This is ”almost” what we want. Now X \ Z = Z \ X according the commutative law 3b. Thus

(X \ Y ) [ (Z \ X) = X \ (Y [ Z)

We can write this argument as the following annotated derivation

(X \ Y ) [ (Z \ X) =3b (X \ Y ) [ (X \ Z) =4b X \ (Y [ Z)

The annotated derivation provide a model answer to the problem.

Problem 3: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that all sets X, Y and Z, we have

X \ (Y [ Z)c = (X \ Y c ) \ Z c

Solution: Annotated derivation:

X \ (Y [ Z)c =10a X \ (Y c \ Z c ) =2b (X \ Y c ) \ Z c

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Problems
For each problem use venn diagrams to prove the identity, before you provide a derivation that
uses the law of Algebra of Sets to derive the identity. An asterisk indicates that the question is
challenging.

Problem 4: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that all sets A and B , we have

A [ (B [ A) = A [ B

Problem 5: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that all sets X, Y and Z, we have

X [ (Y \ Z)c = (X [ Y c ) [ Z c

Problem 6: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that all sets X, Y and Z, we have

(X \ Y ) [ (Z \ X) = X \ (Y [ Z)

Problem 7*: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that all sets X, Y, Z and W , we have

X \ (Y \ (Z \ W )) = U \ ((X c [ Y c ) [ (Z c [ W c ))c

Problem 8*: Use the Laws of Algebra of sets to show that all sets A and B,

A \ B c = ; implies A \ B = B