MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics

Shovan Sourav Datta

BRAC University

Lecture : 01

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 1 / 14

Outline

1 What is Set?

2 Representation of Set

3 Some Examples of Set

4 Classifications of Set

5 Relation Between Sets

6 Cartesian Product

7 Practice Problems

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 2 / 14
 What is Set?

What is Set?

The basic of mathematics is

Set
Function
Set is a well defined class or collection of objects. Where,
objects are the element or members or entries of the set.
collection means a group of some objects.
well defined means that there is a precise way of identifying whether a given
object is in the class or not.

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 3 / 14

Representation of Set

Representation of Set

There are two form of representing (or describing) a set,

Tabular form
Set builder form
Tabular form: In this representation, the elements of the set are listed within
second braces often separating by commas. It is the most precise way of
expressing any set.
Example: A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, .........} or B = {−1, −2, −3, −4}
Set Builder form: In this representation, we represent a set by property or
properties common to all the elements of the set.
Example: The same set A and B can be represented by using this form as follows,
A = {x|x is a natural numbers} and
B = {x|x is a negative integer number greater than -5}

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 4 / 14
 Some Examples of Set

Some Examples of Set

1 Set of Natural numbers, N = {1, 2, 3, 4, .........}

2 Set of Integer numbers, I = {........., −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, .........}
p
3 Set of rational numbers, Q = {........., , .........} where q ̸= 0
q
′
4 Set of irrational numbers, Q = {x|x is a irrational number}
5 Set of real numbers, R = {x|x is a real number} = Q ∪ Q′
6 Set of complex numbers, C = {x|x is a number of the form a + ib}. If b = 0
then, C becomes R.
From these examples we can say,

N ⊂I⊂Q⊂R⊂C

Cardinal Number: The number of elements of a set. For example,

A = {1, 2, 3, 4} has 4 elements then the Cardinal Number of A is 4, as the set A
has a total of 4 elements or objects.

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 5 / 14

Classifications of Set

Classifications of Set

Finite Set: The set in which we have a finite number of elements, or a finite
Cardinal Number.
A = {1, 2, 3, 4} is a finite set as it’s Cardinal number is 4(finite).
Infinite Set: The set in which we have a infinite number of elements, or a infinite
Cardinal Number.
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, .........} is a infinite set as it’s Cardinal number is ∞(infinite).
Null Set: The set in which we have no elements. For example, if we consider the
set A = {x|x2 = 4, x odd} is an empty set or null set as the solution of x2 = 4 is
−2, 2 and both are even. We will denote the empty (or null) set as {} or φ.
Singleton Set: It is a kind of finite set in which the set has only one element, or
the Cardinal Number of the set is one. For example, A = 10 is a singleton set as
the cardinal nuumber is 1.

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 6 / 14
 Relation Between Sets

Relation Between Sets I

Equivalent Set: Two sets are called equivalent if both of them have the same
cardinal number.
For example, A = {1, 2, 3} and B = {4, 5, 8} are equivalent set as both of them
have same cardinal number (Cardinal number=3). But if we consider another set
C = {−5, 3, 5, 6}, then A and C are not equivalent as their cardinal numbers are
not equal.
Subset: A set B is called a subset of another set A, if all the elements of the set
B are elements of the set A, which can be denoted by, B ⊆ A. Thus, the cardinal
number of B can be either equal to or less than the cardinal number of the set A.
Conditions for B having a subset of A,
A∪B =A
A∩B =B

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 7 / 14

Relation Between Sets

Relation Between Sets II

For example, if A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 8} is a set, than B = {1, 2}, C = {},
D = {1, 4, 8}, E = {1, 2, 3, 4, 8} can be subsets of the set A.
Proper Subset: A proper subset of a set A is a subset of A that is not equal to
A. In other words, if B is a proper subset of A, then all elements of B are in A
but A contains at least one element that is not in B.
Improper Subset: An improper subset of a set A is a subset of A that is equal to
A. In other words, if B is an improper subset of A, then all elements of B are in
A and A contains no element that is not in B.
Power Set: In set theory, the power set of a set A is defined as the set of all
subsets of the set A including the set itself and the null or empty set. It is
denoted by P (A). Basically, this set is the combination of all subsets, including
the null set.
Universal Set: If all the sets under consideration are subsets of a fixed set, say
U , then the fixed set U is called the universal set.
Formal Structure of Union & Intersection: We can represent the union and
intersection as,
A ∪ B = {x|x ∈ A or x ∈ B}
Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 8 / 14
 Relation Between Sets

Relation Between Sets III

A ∩ B = {x|x ∈ A and x ∈ B}
Difference of Sets: The difference of two sets A and B is defined as the lists of
all the elements that are in set A but that are not present in set B. The set
notation used to represent the difference between the two sets A and B is A − B.
A − B in set-builder notation is defined as follows:
A − B = {x|x ∈ A and x ∈ / B}.
The union of the sets A − B and B − A is known as the symmetric difference.
Complement of a Set: If U is any universal set, the complement of A with
respect to U is U − A. That is, Ac = U − A = {x|x ∈ U and x ∈ / A}.

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 9 / 14

Cartesian Product

Cartesian Product

Let A and B be two sets. Then the Cartesian product of A and B can be
represented as,
A × B = {(a, b) : a ∈ A and b ∈ B}
That means, the Cartesian product of two sets is a set, and the elements of that
set are ordered pairs. In each ordered pair, the first component is an element of
A, and the second component is an element of B.
What will be the Cartesian product A × B × C if a ∈ A, b ∈ B and c ∈ C?

Example: Consider the set A = {0, 1}, B = {2, 9, 3}, C = {5, 6}. What will be
A × B and A × B × C?

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 10 / 14
 Practice Problems

Practice Problems I
1 Calculate the power set of the following set, A = {−5, 0, 1, 8}, of those
which are proper subsets and which are not. How?
2 Let A = {0, 1, 3} and B = {0, 1, 3}. What is the set A − B and B − A?
Also calculate the symmetric difference.
3 Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and B = {0, 1, 3}. What is the set A − B and B − A?
Also calculate the symmetric difference.
4 Let A = {} and B = {1, 11, 35}. What is the set A − B and B − A? Also
calculate the symmetric difference.
5 Calculate the complement Ac of the set A = {1, 2, 3, 4} with respect to the
following universal set,
1 U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
2 U = {1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
3 U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, .........}
4 U = {x|x x is a real number}
6 Write the solution set of the equation x2 − 4 = 0 in tabular form.
7 Write the set A = {1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ...} in set-builder form.
Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 11 / 14

Practice Problems

Practice Problems II
8 Write an example of a finite and infinite set in set builder form.
9 Write down the correct set-builder notation for the set
A = {−5, −4, −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...}
10 If A = 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, B = 7, 9, 11, 13, C = 11, 13, 15. Find A ∩ (B ∪ C).
11 If U = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13}
1 List all the one elements subset of the set U .
2 List all the four elements subset of the set U .
3 How many improper subsets of U are possible? List them all.
12 Write down all the possible proper subsets for each of the following.
1 {a, b, c, d}
2 {x}
3 φ
4 {5, 10}
13 Write the universal set for the following.
1 P = {4, 6, 8} Q = {1, 3, 9} R = {0, 2, 5} S = {7}
2 X = {a, b, c} Y = {c, b, f } Z = {e, g}

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 12 / 14
 Practice Problems

Practice Problems III

3 Prime numbers less than 10, even numbers less than 10, multiples of 3 less
than 10.
14 If U = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} X = {3, 5, 7, 9} Y = {2, 4, 6, 8},
Show that X = Y and Y = X
c c

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 13 / 14

Acknowledgement

Thank you!
E-mail: ext.sourav.datta@bracu.ac.bd

Shovan Sourav Datta (BRAC University) MAT 101: Fundamentals of Mathematics Lecture 01 14 / 14