Mathematical

Language and Symbols:

Introduction to Sets
 group objects
Set together
 Georg Cantor

Use of the word set as

a formal mathematical
term was introduced in
1879 by Georg Cantor
(1845 – 1918).
 A set is a collection of well-
defined objects called elements
or members of the set.
Sets
• It is usually represented by
capital letters.
• It can be represented by listing
its elements between braces.
• The elements of a set are
separated by commas.
• A set is said to be well-defined if
the elements in a set are
specifically listed.
Example:
Set 𝐴 consists of the vowels of
the English alphabet.

𝐴 = 𝑎, 𝑒, 𝑖 𝑜, 𝑢
 If 𝑆 is a set,
➢ 𝑥 ∈ 𝑆 means that 𝑥
Notation is an element of 𝑆.
➢ 𝑥 ∉ 𝑆 means that 𝑥
is not an element of
𝑆.
Ways of •Roster form
describing •Set-builder
sets form
Roster form
A set is specified by writing all of its elements
between braces.
Example:
Set 𝐵 consists of the founding members of ASEAN.
𝐼𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑎, 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑎, 𝑃ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠,
𝐵=
𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑒, 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑
Set-builder form
A set is defined by stating a property or properties
that describe all members of the set.
Example:
𝐶 = +, −,×,÷
𝑦 ∣ 𝑦 is a symbol of fundamental
𝐶=
arithemtic operation
It is read as “Set 𝐶 is a set of 𝑦’s such that 𝑦 is a
fundamental arithmetic operation.” the vertical symbol
“∣” is read as “such that”.
Cardinality refers to the number
of elements in a set.
 o The cardinality of set
𝐷 is usually denoted
Cardinality 𝐷.
of a set o It may be alternatively
be denoted by 𝑛 𝐷 ,
ഥ , 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐷 , or #𝐷.
𝐷
Example:
Set Definition Cardinality
𝑦 ∣ 𝑦 is a lowercase 𝐸 = 26
𝐸=
English alphabet
𝐹 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 𝐹 =8
 o Sets that contain a
Finite definite number of
sets different elements.
Example:
𝐺 = 𝑔 ∣ 𝑔 is a day of the week
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
𝐺=
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

𝐻 = 1, 2, 3, 4, … , 12
Infinite o Sets whose elements
sets cannot be counted.
Example:
𝐼 = 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, …
The symbol … is called ellipses
and is read as “and so forth”. It
means that there are other elements
of the set.
 Null set o Sets that has no
or elements.
Empty set o Denoted by ∅ or .
Example:

𝐽 = 𝑗 ∣ 𝑗 > 3 and 𝑗 < 1

𝐽=∅
𝐽=
 o If all the elements of set
𝐴 are also elements of
set 𝐵, then 𝐴 is a subset
of 𝐵.
Subset o In symbol, 𝐴 ⊆ 𝐵 which
is read as “𝐴 is a subset
of 𝐵” or “𝐴 is contained
in 𝐵”.
Example:
𝐿 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
𝑀 = 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
𝑁 = 1,4, 3
𝑂 = 2, 4, 6
𝑃=
𝑀⊆𝐿
𝐿⊆𝑀
 o Let 𝐴 and 𝐵 be sets. If
Equality of both 𝐴 and 𝐵 have the
Sets same elements, then
𝐴 = 𝐵.
Example:

𝐿 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
𝑀 = 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
𝐿=𝑀
 o Set 𝐴 is a proper
Proper subset of 𝐵 if 𝐴 ⊆ 𝐵
Subset and 𝐴 ≠ 𝐵.
o In symbol, 𝐴 ⊂ 𝐵.
Example:
𝐿 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
𝑀 = 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
𝑁 = 1,4, 3
𝑂 = 2, 4, 6
𝑃=
𝑁⊆𝐿
𝑁≠𝐿
𝑁⊂𝐿
 A simple way of illustrating set
relations that may result from a
set operation is referred to as
Venn-Euler diagram or Venn
diagram
 John Venn
Venn diagram was
named after English
logician John Venn. In his
book, Symbolic Logic
(1881), he introduced
this manner of showing
relations among sets.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
 Basic set operations are also
done in a pair of sets to obtain a
new set.
 o In any set operation,
all the sets under
investigation will likely
Universal be subsets of a
set universal set.
o It is usually denoted
by 𝑈.
 o It is represented by a
simple plane area,
Universal usually bounded by a
set rectangle.
o Its subsets are
represented by circles.
Universal
set