College Algebra

ANNI LOU D. BORDIOS

SETS AND THE REAL
NUMBERS
The Set of Real
Numbers
Integer, Exponents
Polynomials, Operations, Special Products
Binomial Expansion (Binomial Theorem)
Factoring Polynomials

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At the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Explain the different relationships between sets

2. Perform fundamental operations on algebraic
expressions
3. Perform binomial expansion, and factoring of
polynomials

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God created infinity, and man, unable
to understand infinity, created finite
sets
 Set, Set Notations and Operations

Set – a well-defined collection of objects, concrete or abstract of any kind

Basic Notations

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TWO METHODS OF WRITING SETS

1. Roster Method – the elements of the set are enumerated, separated by

a comma, and enclosed in braces { }
2. Rule Method – A descriptive phrase which is enclosed in braces is used
to describe the elements of the set
Examples:
a.1) M = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
a.2) M = {x | x is an even number}
b.1) D = {Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday}
b.2) D = {x | x is a day of the week}

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 TWO METHODS OF WRITING SETS

1. Roster Method – the elements of the set are enumerated, separated by

a comma, and enclosed in braces { }
2. Rule Method – A descriptive phrase which is enclosed in braces is used
to describe the elements of the set
Examples:
a.1) M = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
a.2) M = {x | x is an even number}
b.1) D = {Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday}
b.2) D = {x | x is a day of the week}

Cardinal Number – the number of elements in the set

Examples:
a) A = {H, O, U, S, E} . The cardinal number of A is 5.
It is written in symbols as n(A) = 5 8
 KINDS OF SETS

Examples:
Finite Set – a set whose elements are
limited or countable. A set where we a) M = {L, O, V, E}
b) N = {x | x is a positive integer less than 20}
can identify its last element
Examples:
Infinite Set – a set whose elements
are unlimited or uncountable. We a) P = {0, 1, 2, 3, …}
b) Q = {x | x is a counting number}
denote an infinite set with three dots
Examples:
Unit Set – a set with only one a) S = {9}
element b) R = {x | x is an integer greater than 11 but less
than 13}

Empty or Null Set – a set with no Examples:

elements a) G = {x | x is a penguin found in the Philippines}
b) R = {x | x is an integer less than 12 but greater
than 11}
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 KINDS OF SETS

Examples:
Universal Set – the totality of
elements of sets under a) U = {a, b, c, d, …, z}
b) U = {x | x is a planet in the solar system}
consideration/discussion
Subset – a set whose elements are Examples:
members of a given set. Given sets A a) B = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
and B, if all elements of set A are found b) A = {4, 8}
in B, them A is a subset of B We write: A ⊂ B

Equal Sets – Sets A and B are equal if Examples:

and only if all the elements of set A
are in set B, and all the elements of B
are in A
a) A = {G, R, e, a, t}
b) B = {e, a, G, t, R}
Then A = B

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 KINDS OF SETS

Equivalent Sets – sets where a one-to-one correspondence exists.

A one-to-one correspondence exists between two sets M and N, if we can pair an
element of M with exactly one element of N.
Examples:
a) A = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50} b) X = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
B = {a, b, c, d, e} Y = {7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1}
We write: A ~ B We write: X ~ Y

Disjoint Sets – sets which have no common elements

Examples:
a) W = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
b) Z = {-1, -2, -3, -4, -5}
Then we can say that W and Z are disjoint sets

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 Venn-Euler Diagrams

A Venn Diagram is a geometric representation which illustrates the relationships

between and among sets. It uses circles usually pictured within a rectangle
(universal set)

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 OPERATIONS ON SETS
Union of Sets – given sets A and B, then A ∪ B is called the union of sets A and B.
It is the set of all elements which belong to set A or to set B or to both.
Hence, A ∪ B = {x|x ∈ A or x ∈ B}
Examples:
a) A = {1, 3, 5, 7} b) X = {S, T, A, R}
B = {2, 4, 6} Y = {R, A, T, E}
A ∪ B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7} X ∪ Y = {S, T, A, R, E}

Intersection of Sets – given sets A and B, then A ∩ B is called the intersection of

sets A and B. It is the set which contains all the elements common to sets A and B.
Hence, A ∩ B = {x|x ∈ A and x ∈ B}
Examples:
a) A = {0, 2, 4, 6, 8} b) R = {-1, -2, -3}
B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8} Y = {1, 2, 3}
A ∩ B = {2, 4, 6, 8} R∩Y=∅
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 OPERATIONS ON SETS
Complement of a Set – the complement of set A is a set whose elements
do not belong to A but are found in the universal set. A’ is the symbol used
for the complement of set A and read as “A prime”
Examples:
a) U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
A = {2, 3, 4, 5}
A’ = {1, 6, 7}

Cartesian Product – the cartesian product of sets A and B is defined as

A x B = {(a, b)|a ∈ A and b ∈ B}
Examples:
Let A = {m, n} and B = {2, 4}
Then A x B = {(m, 2), (m, 4), (n, 2), (n, 4)}
B x A = {(2, m), (4, m), (2, n), (4, n)}
Hence, A x B ≠ B x A
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EXERCISE
Given: U = {a, e, i, o, u}, A = {a, e, i} , B = {i, o, u}, C = {o}, D = {e, i}
1. A ∪ B =
2. A ∩ B =
3. A ∪ D =
4. A ∪ C =
5. B ∩ C =
6. A’ =

9/4/20XX Presentation Title 15

EXERCISE
A survey on subjects being taken by 250 college students in Metro Manila revealed the following information:
90 were taking Mathematics 38 were taking Filipino and English
145 were taking Filipino 59 were taking Math and English
88 were taking English 15 were taking all the three subjects
25 were taking Math and Filipino
Solve the following using Venn-Diagram:
1) How many were not taking any of the three subjects?
2) How many students were taking Mathematics as their only subject?
3) How many students were taking Mathematics and Filipino but not English?
4) How many students were taking Filipino and English but not Mathematics?

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 REAL NUMBER SETS
Natural Numbers (ℕ)
Natural numbers are the counting number {1,2,3,…} (positive integers) or the
whole numbers {0,1,2,3,…} (the non-negative integers).

Integers (ℤ)
Integers are the natural numbers and their negatives {…,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,…}

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 REAL NUMBER SETS
Rational Numbers (ℚ)
Rational numbers are the ratios of integers, also called fractions, such as ½=0.5
or 1/3=0.333… Rational decimal expansions end or repeat.

Real Algebraic (𝔸𝑹 )

The real subset of the algebraic numbers: the real roots of polynomials. Real
algebraic numbers may be rational or irrational. ( 2 = 1.41421 … is irrational).
Irrational decimal expansions neither end nor repeat.

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 REAL NUMBER SETS
Real Numbers (ℝ)
Real numbers are all the numbers on the continuous number line with no gaps.
Every decimal expansion is a real number. Real numbers may be rational or
irrational, and algebraic or non-algebraic (transcendental). (𝜋 =
3.14159 … 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒 = 2.71828 … are transcendental) A transcendental number can
be defined by an infinite series.

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REAL NUMBER SETS

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 PROPERTIES OF REAL NUMBERS
Let ℝ be the set of real numbers. For all elements V, X, Y, and Z of the set ℝ, the
following properties hold true:
REFLEXIVE PROPERTY: X = X, Y = Y, Z = Z
SYMMETRIC PROPERTY: if X = Y, then Y = X
TRANSITIVE PROPERTY: If X = Y and Y = Z, then X = Z
ADDITION PROPERTY: if X = Y and V = Z, then X + V = Y + Z
SUBSTITUTION PROPERTY: if X = Y, then X may be replaced by Y and Y by X in
any statement without changing the meaning of the statement
MULTIPLICATION PROPERTY: if X = Y and V = Z, then VX = YZ
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 AXIOMS OF REAL NUMBERS
For all real numbers X, Y, and Z, the following properties hold true
CLOSURE: X + Y is a real number
X * Y is a real number
COMMUTATIVE: X + Y = Y + X
X*Y=Y*X
ASSOCIATIVE: (X + Y) + Z = X + (Y + Z)
(XY)Z = X(YZ)
IDENTITY: There exists a unique number 0 such that X + 0 = 0 + X = X
There exists a real number 1 such that Y * 1 = 1 * Y = Y

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 AXIOMS OF REAL NUMBERS
For all real numbers X, Y, and Z, the following properties hold true
INVERSE: There exists a unique real number –X such that
X + (-X) = 0 and (-X) + X = 0.
1
If X ≠ 0, there exists a unique real number 𝑋
such that
1 1
𝑋∙ = ∙𝑋 =1
𝑋 𝑋
DISTRIBUTIVE: Left hand: X(Y + Z) = XY + XZ
Right hand: (Y + Z)X = YX + ZX

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9/4/20XX Presentation Title 24