Discrete Mathematics

Set Theory

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 Venn Diagram
• Venn diagram, invented in 1880 by John Venn, is a schematic diagram
representing mathematical or logical sets pictorially as circles or closed
curves within an enclosing rectangle (the universal set), common elements
of the sets being represented by intersections of the circles.

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 Set Operations
Set Operations include :-
Set Union,
Set Intersection,
Set Difference,
Complement of Set and
Cartesian Product.
 Set Union
The union of sets A and B (denoted by A ∪ B) is the set of
elements that are in A, in B, or in both A and B. Hence, A ∪ B = {
x | x ∈ A OR x ∈ B }.
Example − If A = { 10, 11, 12, 13 } and B = { 13, 14, 15 }, then
A ∪ B = { 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 }. (The common element occurs
only once)

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 Set Intersection
The intersection of sets A and B (denoted by A ∩ B) is the set of elements
which are in both A and B. Hence, A ∩ B = { x | x ∈ A AND x ∈ B }.
Example − If A = { 11, 12, 13 } and B = { 13, 14, 15 }, then A ∩ B = { 13 }.
Two sets that have no common elements are called Disjoint sets.

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 Set Difference/ Relative Complement
The set difference of sets A and B (denoted by A – B) is the set of
elements that are only in A but not in B. Hence, A - B = { x | x ∈ A
AND x ∉ B }.
Example − If A = { 10, 11, 12, 13 } and B = { 13, 14, 15 }, then
(A - B) = { 10, 11, 12 } and (B - A) = { 14, 15 }. Here, we can
see (A - B) ≠ (B - A)

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 Complement of a Set
The complement of a set A (denoted by A’) is the set of elements which are not in set
A. Hence, A' = { x | x ∉ A }.
More specifically, A'= (U - A) where U is a universal set that contains all objects.
Example: If A = { x | x belongs to set of odd integers } then A' = { y | y does not
belong to set of odd integers }

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 Symmetric Difference
The symmetric difference of two sets A and B is the set (A – B) ∪ (B
– A) and is denoted by A △ B or A ⊕ B.
Thus, A △ B = (A – B) ∪ (B – A) = {x : x ∉ A ∩ B}
or, A △ B = {x : [x ∈ A and x ∉ B] or [x ∈ B and x ∉ A]}
Example: A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8} and B = {1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9}, then A – B = {2, 4}, B – A = {9} and A △ B = {2, 4, 9}.

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Try It Yourself

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A few things about Set
For two sets A and B,
• n(AᴜB) is the number of elements present in either of the
sets A or B.
• n(A∩B) is the number of elements present in both the sets
A and B.
• n(AᴜB) = n(A) + (n(B) – n(A∩B)
For three sets A, B and C,
• n(AᴜBᴜC) = n(A) + n(B) + n(C) – n(A∩B) – n(B∩C) –
n(C∩A) + n(A∩B∩C)

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A solved example
Question: In a class of 100 students, 35 like science and 45 like math.
10 like both. How many like either of them and how many like neither?
Solution:
• Total number of students, n(U) = 100
• Number of science students, n(S) = 35
• Number of math students, n(M) = 45
• Number of students who like both, n(M∩S) = 10
• Number of students who like either of them,
• n(MᴜS) = n(M) + n(S) – n(M∩S)
• → 45+35-10 = 70
• Number of students who like neither = n(µ) – n(MᴜS) = 100 – 70 = 30

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 Solving with the help of Venn
Diagram
The easiest way to solve problems on sets is by drawing Venn diagrams, as shown
below. Here the universal set is represented by the symbol ‘µ’, pronounced as ‘mu’.

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