UNIT 9.

SET OPERATIONS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

CONTENT:
9.0: Aims And Objectives
9.1: Introduction
9.2: Set Operations
9.2.1: Union
9.2.2: Intersection
9.2.3: Complements
9.3: Properties Of Set Operations
9.4: Summary
9.5 Answer To Check Your Progress Questions (CYP)
9.6: Model Examination Questions

9.0 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this unit is to let you study the different operations between two or more sets which
leads to the normal operations involved in operation in the set of real numbers.

At the end of this unit, the learner should be able to:

 find the union of two or more sets
 find the intersection of two or more sets
 describe and find relative and absolute complements of a set

9.1 INTRODUCTION

As you have seen that, you can relate sets just like numbers in the above unit, now under this unit
we will discuss how to operate two sets to get a third set as operating numbers using addition,
subtraction, division and multiplication to find some new result. Again depending on the number
and type of elements that sets contain, the union and intersection of sets will be computed and

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considered as operating sets. Having the concept of universal set in unit 8 above, you will learn
how to find absolute complement of a set with respect to it's universal set and also find it's
relative complement with respect to some other set under this unit.

9.2 SET OPERATIONS

9.2.1. Union ()

Definition:

The union of two sets A and B denoted by AB is the set of all
elements which belongs to either A or B or both.

Description: AB: {x/x  A v x  B} - this means every value of x which makes the

disjunction x  A V x  B true in one of the three possible combinations T v T,

T v F or F v T according to logic , belongs to AUB.

Example 1. Let A = {a, b, }

B = {{}, c, f}
then AB = {a, b, , {}, c, f}

Example 2. Let A = {1, 5, 10, 15 }

B = {5, 25, 125}
then AB = {1, 5, 10, 15, 25, 125}

Remarks: For any three sets A, B, and C

(1) A  (AB) and B  (AB)
(2) A  B iff AB =B
(3) A  = A and A U= U

9.2.2 Intersection ()(4) AB =  iff A=B=

Definition:

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 The intersection of two sets A and B denoted by AB is the set
consisting elements which belongs to both A and B.

Description: A  B= {x/xA Λ xB} - means only values which makes x  A Λ x  B true

belongs to A  B and remember that conjunction statement becomes true only in
case of T Λ T .

Example 3
 For sets A and B of example 1 above, A  B=  because they do not have common
elements
 For sets A and B of example 2 above A  B ={5}

Remark: For any three sets A, B and C

1. AB iff AB=A
2. A = 
3. AB= AB iff A=B
4. A (AB) = A and B (AB) = B

Note: n(AB) = n(A) + n(B) - n(AB) provided that A and B are finite.

CYP1. Let the universal set U be the set of positive integers and

A= {xU/x=2y for some integer y}

B= {xU/x=2y+1 for some integer y}

C= {xU/x =3y for some integer y} then describe

(a) AC (b) B C (c) AB
CYP2. For sets A and B, if n (A) = 9 and n(B) = 15 then
(a) Maximum n (A B) = ________
(b) Minimum n (A B) = ________
(c) Maximum n (AB) = ________

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 (d) Minimum n (AB) = ________

9.2.3 COMPLEMENT

I. Absolute complement
- Suppose U is the universal set and A is any subset of U, then the absolute
complement of A usually called "A complement" denoted by A' is the set of
elements in U which are not in A.
Description A' = {x/x U Λ xA}= {xU / xA}

Example4: Let U = {x/xN  x 10}

And A= {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}
then A' = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}

Remarks: For any two sets A and B

(1) AB iff B'A'
(2) AB' iff A∩B=

CYP3. Given that U= {4, 5, 6, 7, 8}

A= {5, 6, 7}
B= {4, 7, 8}
C= {6, 7, 8}
Find each of the following?
(a) A’, B' and C' (b) (AB)' (c) A'B'

II Relative complement
- For any two sets A and B, the relative complement of B with respect to A denoted by A/B or
A-B is a set consisting elements in A which are not in B.

Description: A/B={x/xA Λ xB}

Similarly B/A= {x/xB Λ xA} - is relative complement of A with respect to B.

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Examples Let A= {x/x is a positive factor of 6} = {1, 2, 3, 6}
B = {x/x is a positive factor of 9} = {1, 3, 9}, then find
(a) A/B (b) B/A
Answer a) A/B= {2, 6} b) B/A= {9}
Note: A/B= AB' similarly B/A= BA'

To see how the above relation is obtained see the following

A/B = {x/xA Λ xB} - description of relative complement

= {x/xA Λ xB'} - because xB means xB' by definition of absolute

complement
= {x/x (AB')} - by definition of intersection
= AB'
Similarly check the second.

9.3 PROPERTIES OF SET OPERATION

Some of the important properties of set operations are listed as follows. Observe that properties
of the propositional connectives in the first block has important role in the following properties.
(a) Communicative property
For any two sets A and B,
AB = BA
AB = BA

(b) Associative property

For any three sets A,B and C,
A (BC) = (AB) C
A  (BC) = (AB) C
(c) Distributive property
For any three sets A,B and C

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 A (BC) = (AB)  (AC)
A (BC) = (AB)  (AC)
(d) [Demorgan’s law](AB)' = A'B' and (AB)' = A'B'
(e) [Double complement law] (A')' = A
(f) A'A= U and A'A= , where U is universal set
(g) U'= and '=U

Now, we can make use of the important remarks and properties of set operations above, to
simplify some expression as in example below
Example 6: Simplify the followings
(a) A (B/A)
= ABA') - because B/A=BA'
= A (A'B) - commutative property
= (AA') B - Associative property
= B - because AA'=
=
(b) A-(A-B)
= A-(AB') - because A-B= AB'
= A (AB')' - " " "
= A (A' (B')' - because (AB)'=A'B'
= A (A'B) - because (A')'=A
= (AA')  (AB) - because of distributive property
=   (AB) - because AA=
= AB

CYP4. Simplify the followings

(a) (AB)  (AB')  (A'B)  (A'  B')
(b) [A (A'  B)]  [B (A'B')]

9.4 SUMMARY

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The description of union and intersection above is directly depending on the propositional
connectives disjunction and conjunction respectively. Also complement in some thing related to
negation. So the learner can simply summarize the related concepts of set operations and
propositional connectives of block one above.

9.5 ANSWER CHECK YOUR PROGRESS QUESTIONS (CYP)

CYP1 (a) AC = {xU/x = 6y for some integer y}

(b) BC = {xU/x=2y+1 V x =3y for some integer y}

(c) AB = {}

CYP2 (a) 24
(b) 15
(c) 9
(d) 0

CYP3 (a) A' = {4, 8}

B' = {5, 6}
C' = {4, 5}
(b) (AB)' = A'B'= 
(c) A’B' = 

CYP4 (a) U
(b) AB

Definition:

The symmetric difference of any two sets A and B denoted by

AB is defined as: AB = {x: xB/A  x  A/B}
i.e. AB = A/B  B/A
= (AB)/(AB)

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Example 6: For sets A and B of example 5 above find A  B
Answer A  B = A/B  B/A= {2, 6, 9 }

9.6 MODEL EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

1. If U = {man, woman} and A = {man}, then AA' is

(a) {man, woman} (b) {man} (c) {woman} (d) 
2. Let U= {0, 1, 2, 3, . . . }, A={3x/x is in U} and B= {5x/x is in U} then find
(a) AB (b) A'
3. If A, B and C are sets with AUB= {2, 3, a, b, c} and AC = {3, 4, a, b}
then A (BC) = ________
4. Let A and B be sets which are subsets of a universal set U such that A' B' then the
simplified form of
(a) A  B= ____________
(b) (B/A) A = __________

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