Symbol Symbol Name Meaning / definition Example

⋅ and and x⋅y

^ caret / circumflex and x^y

& ampersand and x&y

+ plus or x+y

∨ reversed caret or x∨y

| vertical line or x|y

x' single quote not - negation x'

x bar not - negation x

¬ not not - negation ¬x

! exclamation mark not - negation !x

⊕ circled plus / oplus exclusive or - xor x⊕y

~ tilde negation ~x

⇒ implies

⇔ equivalent if and only if (iff)

↔ equivalent if and only if (iff)

∀ for all

∃ there exists

∄ there does not exists

∴ therefore

∵ because / since
 Meaning /
Symbol Symbol Name Example
definition

A = {3,7,9,14},
{} set a collection of elements
B = {9,14,28}

| such that so that A = {x | x∈ , x<0}

objects that belong to set A

A⋂B intersection A ⋂ B = {9,14}
and set B

objects that belong to set A

A⋃B union A ⋃ B = {3,7,9,14,28}
or set B

A is a subset of B. set A is
A⊆B subset {9,14,28} ⊆ {9,14,28}
included in set B.

A is a subset of B, but A is
A⊂B proper subset / strict subset {9,14} ⊂ {9,14,28}
not equal to B.

set A is not a subset of set

A⊄B not subset {9,66} ⊄ {9,14,28}
B

A is a superset of B. set A
A⊇B superset {9,14,28} ⊇ {9,14,28}
includes set B

proper superset / strict A is a superset of B, but B

A⊃B {9,14,28} ⊃ {9,14}
superset is not equal to A.

set A is not a superset of

A⊅B not superset {9,14,28} ⊅ {9,66}
set B

2A power set all subsets of A

power set all subsets of A

P(A) power set all subsets of A

ℙ(A) power set all subsets of A

A={3,9,14},
both sets have the same
A=B equality B={3,9,14},
members
A=B

all the objects that do not

Ac complement
belong to set A

all the objects that do not

A' complement
belong to set A

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A and
A\B relative complement B = {1,2,3},
not to B
A \ B = {9,14}

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A and
A-B relative complement B = {1,2,3},
not to B
A - B = {9,14}
 Meaning /
Symbol Symbol Name Example
definition

objects that belong to A or A = {3,9,14},

A∆B symmetric difference B but not to their B = {1,2,3},
intersection A ∆ B = {1,2,9,14}

objects that belong to A or A = {3,9,14},

A⊖B symmetric difference B but not to their B = {1,2,3},
intersection A ⊖ B = {1,2,9,14}

element of,
a∈A set membership A={3,9,14}, 3 ∈ A
belongs to

x∉A not element of no set membership A={3,9,14}, 1 ∉ A

(a,b) ordered pair collection of 2 elements

set of all ordered pairs from

A×B cartesian product A×B = {(a,b)|a∈A , b∈B}
A and B

the number of elements of

|A| cardinality A={3,9,14}, |A|=3
set A

the number of elements of

#A cardinality A={3,9,14}, #A=3
set A

| vertical bar such that A={x|3<x<14}

infinite cardinality of natural

ℵ0 aleph-null
numbers set

cardinality of countable
ℵ1 aleph-one
ordinal numbers set

Ø empty set Ø = {} A=Ø

universal set set of all possible values

natural numbers / whole

ℕ0 0 = {0,1,2,3,4,...} 0∈ 0
numbers set (with zero)

natural numbers / whole

ℕ1 1 = {1,2,3,4,5,...} 6∈ 1
numbers set (without zero)

ℤ integer numbers set = {...-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,...} -6 ∈

ℚ rational numbers set = {x | x=a/b, a,b∈

2/6 ∈
and b≠0}

ℝ real numbers set = {x | -∞ < x <∞} 6.343434 ∈

ℂ complex numbers set = {z | z=a+bi, -

6+2i ∈
∞<a<∞, -∞<b<∞}