Basic Concepts of

Mathematical Language:
Sets, Functions, Relations, and Binary Operations
Basic Concepts
The mathematical language is full of
terminologies and mathematical notations, and
has very precise and powerful meaning.
Notations are very important in understanding the
mathematical language which may include the
use of sets, functions, relations and binary
operations.
Set Theory
1. A set is any well-defined list, group, class or collection
of objects.
The objects in the sets can be anything:
numbers, people, letters, toys, etc.
These objects are called the elements, or members of
the set.
Notation: Sets will be denoted by capital letters
A, B, Q, R, S, T, X, Y, . . . .
The elements in our sets will usually be represented by
lower case letters
a, b, q, r, s, t, x, y, . . . . . . .
Set Theory
If we define a particular set by actually listing its
members, for example,
A = {1, 5, 8, 12}
that is, the elements are separated by commas
and enclosed in braces { }.
We call this the tabular form of a set or the
roster method.
Set Theory

But if we define a particular set by stating properties

which its elements must satisfy, for example,
B = {x  x is even}
which reads “B is the set of number x such that x is
even”.
We call this the set-builder form of a set.
Notice that the vertical line “  ” is read “such that”.
2. FINITE AND INFINITE SETS
Sets can be finite or infinite.
A set is finite if it consists of a specific number of
different elements,
i.e. if in counting the different members of the set the
counting process can come to an end.
Otherwise a set is infinite.
Examples:
Let M be the set of days of the week.
Then M is finite.
Let N = {2, 4, 6, 8, ….}.
Then N is infinite.
3. NULL SETS
Empty set is a set which contains no elements.
This is sometimes called the null set.
We say that a set is void or empty,
and we denote it by the symbol .
Examples:
1. Let A be the set of people in the world who are older than
200 years.
According to known statistics A is the null set.
2. Let B = { x  x2 = 4, x is odd}.
Then B is the empty set.
4. CARDINALITY
The cardinality of a set A, denoted |A|,
is the number of members of A.
Example: Let B = {blue, white, red},
then |B| = 3.
Note that repeated members in roster notation are not
counted,
so |{blue, white, red, blue, white}|
= 3, too.
The cardinality of the empty set is zero.
5. EQUALITY OF SETS
Set A is equal to set B if they both have the same members,
i.e. if every element which belongs to A also belongs to B
and if every element which belongs to B also belongs to A.
We denote the equality of sets A and B by
A=B
Ex. 1. Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4} and B = {3, 1, 4, 2}.
Then A = B, that is, {1, 2, 3, 4} = {3, 1, 4, 2},
since each of the elements 1, 2, 3, and 4 of A belongs B
and each of the elements 3, 1, 4, and 2 of B belongs to A.
5. EQUALITY OF SETS
Examples:
1. Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4} and B = {3, 1, 4, 2}.
Then A = B, that is, {1, 2, 3, 4} = {3, 1, 4, 2},
since each of the elements 1, 2, 3, and 4 of A belongs B
and each of the elements 3, 1, 4, and 2 of B belongs to A.

Note therefore that a set does not change if its elements

are rearranged.
5. EQUALITY OF SETS
Ex. 2. Let C = {5, 6, 5, 7} and D = {7, 5, 7, 6}.
Then C = D, that is, {5, 6, 5, 7}= {7, 5, 7, 6},
since each elements of C belongs to D and each element of D
belongs to C.
Note that a set does not change if its elements are repeated.
Also, the set {5, 6, 7} equals C and D.
Ex. 3. Let E = {x  x2 + 3x = 10},
F = {–5, 2} and G = {–5, 2, 2, –5}.
Then E = F = G.
6. SUBSETS

If every element in a set A is also a member of a set B,

then A is called subset of B.
More specifically,
A is a subset of B if x  A implies x B.
We denote this relationship by writing A  B
Which can also be read “A is contained in B”.
Examples:
1. The set C = {1, 3, 5} is a subset of D = {5, 4, 3, 2, 1},
since each number 1, 3, and 5 belonging to C also belongs to D.
2. The set E = {2, 4, 6} is a subset of F = {6, 2, 4},
since each number 2, 4, and 6 belonging to E also belongs to F.
Note, in particular, that E = F.

In similar manner it can be shown that every set is a subset of itself.

3. Let G = { x  x is even}, i.e. G = {2, 4, 6, 8, ….},
and let F = {xx is a positive power of 2}, i.e. F = {2, 4, 8, 16, ….}.
Then F  G, i.e. F is contained in G.
7. UNIVERSAL SET
In any application of the theory of sets,
all the sets under investigation will likely be subsets of
a fixed set.
We call this set the universal set or universe of discourse.
We denote this set by U.
Examples:
In plane geometry, the universal set U consists of
all the points in the plane.
In human population studies, the universal set U consists of
all the people in the world.
8. POWER SET
The family of all the subsets of any set S is called
the power set of S.
We denote the power set of S by
S
2.
Examples:
Let M = {a, b}.
Then 2M = {{a, b}, {a}, {b}, }.
9. DISJOINT SETS
If A and B have no elements in common, i.e. if no element of
A is in B and no element of B is in A, then A and B are
disjoint.
Examples:

1. Let A = {1, 3, 7, 8} and B = {2, 4, 7, 9}.

Then A and B are not disjoint since 7 is in both sets,
i.e. 7A and 7B.
2. Let E ={a, b, c} and F = {p, q, r}.
Then E and F are disjoint.
10. VENN-EULER DIAGRAMS
Seatwork
A simple and illustrative way of illustrating the
relationships between sets is in the use of the
so-called Venn-Euler diagrams or, simply, Venn
diagrams.
Here we represent a set by a simple plane area,
usually bounded by a circle.
Examples:

A A B
11. LINE DIAGRAMS
Another useful and instructive way of illustrating
the relationships between sets is by the use of the
so-called line diagrams.
If AB, then we write B on a higher level than A and
connect them by a line. AB and BC
B C

A A
Basic Set Operations
Basic Set Operations:
1. Definition:
The union of sets A and B, denoted by AB, is the set of all
the elements that belong to A or B or to both.

A B

AB is shaded
Example:
Let C = {1, 2, 3, 4} and D = {6, 2, 4, 7}.
Then, CD = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7} .
Basic Set Operations:
2. Definition:
The intersection of sets A and B, denoted by AB, is the set
of elements which are common to A and to B, that is, those
elements which belong to A and which also belong to B.

A  B is shaded
Example:
Let C = {1, 2, 3, 4} and D = {6, 2, 4, 7}.
Then, C  D = {2, 4} .
Basic Set Operations:
3. Difference of Sets:
The difference of sets A and B, denoted by A – B, is the set
of elements which belong to A but which do not belong to B.

A-B is shaded
Example:
Let C = {1, 2, 3, 4} and D = {6, 2, 4, 7}.
Then, C - D = {1, 2, 3, 4} - {6, 2, 4, 7}
C - D = {1, 3}.
Basic Set Operations:
4. The COMPLEMENT of a set A, denoted by A’ or Ac is the
set of elements which do not belong to A, that is the
difference of the universal set U and A.

A’ is shaded.
Basic Set Operations:
We state some facts about set which
follow directly from the definitions, and may easily be
verified by means of Venn diagrams:
Remark 1:
The union of any set A and its complement A’ is the universal
set, i.e.
A  A’ = U.
Furthermore, set A and its complement A’ are disjoint, i.e.
A ∩ A’ = .
Basic Set Operations:
Remark 2:
The complement of universal set is the
null set  , and vice versa, i.e.
U’ =  and
’ = U.
Remark 3:
The complement of the complement
of a set A is the set A itself. More
briefly
(A’)’ = A.