CHAPTER 2

SETS
 Section 2.1
Basic Properties of
Sets
Objectives of the day:
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
1. use three methods to represent sets;
2. define the empty set and use the symbols
 and ;
3. apply set notation to sets of real numbers and
its subsets;
4. determine a set’s cardinal number;
5. recognize and apply equivalent sets, equal sets,
subsets and proper subsets; and
6. distinguish between finite and infinite sets.

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4
 What is a SET?

A set is a well-defined collection of distinct

objects. The terms “set,” “collection,” and
“family” are synonymous. Individual objects
are called elements or members of a set.
Usually, we denote sets with capital letters
while elements with small letters.

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A set maybe finite or infinite. For example,
the set consisting of months that begin with
the letter M has March and May as its
elements. This is a finite set. On the other
hand, the set consisting of positive odd
integers is an example of an infinite set.

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Methods for Representing Sets
1. Statement form method - well-defined
description of the elements of the set is
given.
2. Roster method - listing or enumerating
the members. Commas are used to
separate the elements of the set while
braces are used to designate that the
enclosed elements form a set.
3. Set-Builder Notation - especially useful
when describing infinite sets.
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 The table below gives two examples of
sets which are being described using the
statement form method and the roster method.

Statement form Method Roster Method

The set of first seven { 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 11 , 13 , 17 }
prime numbers
The set of days of the week { Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs,
Fri, Sat, Sun}

Describing the Sets Using Statement Form Method and Roster Method
Table 2.1.1

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Example 2.1.1 Use roster method to write each of the
given sets.

a. The set of all letters in the word MATHEMATICS.

b. The set of the three major island groups in the
Philippines.

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Example 2.1.1 Use roster method to write each of the
given sets.
a. The set of all letters in the word MATHEMATICS.
b. The set of the three major island groups in the
Philippines.

Solution
[1,2,33 43,2,13 =

a. The set of all letters in the word MATHEMATICS is

{M, A, T, H, E, I, C, S}.
b. The set of the three major island groups in the
Philippines is {Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao}

Note: When writing sets, the order of the elements does not matter.

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Example 2.1.2 Use statement form method to describe
each of the given sets.
a. { a, e , i ,o ,u }
b. { 2, 4, 6, 8, 10}

Solution
a. The set of vowels in the English Alphabet.
-
b. The set of first five positive even integers.

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Common Number Sets

SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
𝑵 NATURAL NUMBERS/ COUNTING NUMBERS
𝑵 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,…}
𝑾 WHOLE NUMBERS
The number zero together with the natural
numbers.
𝑾 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,…}
𝒁 INTEGERS
The positive integers, negative integers and zero.
𝒁 = {…, -5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,…}

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Common Number Sets
SYMBOL DESCRIPTION
𝑸 RATIONAL NUMBERS
Rational numbers are numbers of the form where p and q
are integers and q ≠ 0. These numbers are either
terminating or repeating decimals.
Examples: ,

𝑰 IRRATIONAL NUMBERS
Irrational numbers are numbers which cannot be written as
a simple fraction. These are numbers which are
nonterminating and nonrepeating decimals.
Examples: 𝝅 = 𝟑. 𝟏𝟒𝟏𝟓𝟗 … , 𝟐 = 1.41421…

𝑹 REAL NUMBERS
Real numbers are either rational numbers or irrational
numbers.
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The symbol is read “is an element of ” or “ it belongs
to ”. On the other hand, the symbol  is read “is not an
element of ” or “ it does not belong to ”.

Example 2.1.3. Determine whether each statement is true

or false.
a. -5 b.
Solution
a. There are no negative natural numbers, so the statement
is false.
b. Since is not an integer, so the statement is true.

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Another method of representing a set is set-
builder notation. Set-builder notation is especially
useful when describing infinite sets. For instance,
in set-builder notation, the set of natural numbers
greater than 7 is written as follows:

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Example 2.1.4 Use set-builder notation to
write the set of integers less than –3.

solution
and x < -3}

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Definition 2.1.1 -
-
403
The empty set is the set that has no
elements in it. It is also called null set or void
set.
The symbol  or { } is used to represent the
empty set.

Example 2.1.5
The set of negative natural numbers is an
example of an empty set.

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Definition 2.1.2 A set is finite if the number of
elements in a set is finite. In other words, a finite set
is a set which you could in principle count and finish
counting.

Definition 2.1.3 An infinite set is a set whose

elements cannot be counted. In other words, an
infinite set is a set that has no last element.

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 1Al=1
A
=
21,1,1,13
=413
Definition 2.1.4 The cardinality of a finite set is
the number of distinct elements in the set. It is
also called the cardinal number of the set. The
cardinal number of a finite set A is denoted by
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the notation or .

Example 2.1.6
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counted only once. Thus, = 3.

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 91,2,33 43,2,13 =

Definition 2.1.5 Set A is equal to set B, denoted by

A = B if and only if A and B have exactly the same
elements.

Example 2.1.7
A = { 5, 7, 0, 5} and B = {0, 5, 7}
Since the two sets have exactly the same elements,
so they are equal.

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 41,2,334a,b,c3
Definition 2.1.6 Set A is equivalent to set B denoted
by A B if and only if A and B have the same number
of elements.

Note: All equal sets are equivalents sets. However,

the converse of this statement is false.

Example 2.1.8
= {d, f, h, k, x, v} and

42,34,5,3,73
Each set has exactly six elements, so the sets are
equivalent.
B
=

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 Subset
and
Proper Subset

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Definition 2.1.7 Set A is a subset of set B,
denoted by A B, if and only if every element
of set A is an element of set B.

Example 2.1.9

This statement is true because every element of

the first set is also an element of the second set.

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23
Subset Relationships
* I
a. b.

The notation is used to denote that set A

is not a subset of set B.

Example 2.1.10
0 is a whole number, but 0 is not a natural
number, so this statement is true.

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 [1,2,3 <41,2,3,53
Definition 2.1.8 Set A is a proper subset of
set B, denoted by A B, if every element of
set A is an element of set B, and A B.

Example 2.1.11
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A = { 1, 2, 3, 4} , B = { 5, 2, 4, 1, 3}
The elements of set A are also elements of
set B and A B, so A B.
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 91,2,35 subsets:
as
Theorem 2.1.1 A set with n elements has 2n
subsets.
Eigen,
Theorem 2.1.2 A set with n elements has 2n - 1
proper subsets.

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 Example 2.1.12 Set Y shows the four popular
soft drinks that are sold in a school canteen.

Y = {coke, pepsi, 7-up, sprite}

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List all the subsets of set Y.

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Solution
An organized list shows the following subsets.
{} Subset with 0 element

{coke}, {pepsi}, {7-up}, {sprite} Subsets with 1 element

{coke, pepsi}, {coke, 7-up},

{coke, sprite}, {pepsi, 7-up}, Subsets with 2 elements
{pepsi, sprite}, {7-up, sprite}

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{coke, pepsi, 7-up},
{coke, pepsi, sprite}, Subsets with 3 elements
{coke, 7-up, sprite}
{pepsi, 7-up, sprite},

{coke, pepsi, 7-up, sprite} Subsets with 4 elements

Therefore, a set with 4 elements has 16 subsets and 15 proper subsets.

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 2 2.2.2
=

28 2.2.2.2.2.2.2.2
=

Example 2.1.13 A newly opened bakery sells

breads for which you can choose from eight
toppings.
a. How many different variations of breads can
the bakery serve?
b. What is the minimum number of toppings the
bakery must provide if it wishes to advertise
that it offers over 2000 variations of its breads?

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 Solution
The bakery can serve a bread with no topping,
one topping, two toppings, three toppings, four
toppings and so forth up to all eight toppings. Let
T be Free
the set consisting
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the presentation
eight toppings. The
needs
elements in each subset of T describe exactly
one of the variations of toppings that the bakery
can serve.
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Consequently, the number of different variations of
breads that the restaurant can serve is the same as
the number of subsets of T. Thus, the bakery can
serve 28 = 256 different variations of its breads.

b. Use the Freemethod

templates of for
guessing
all your and checking
presentation to find
needs
the smallest natural number n for which 2n > 2000.
29 = 512 210 = 1024 211 = 2048
The bakery must
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provide a minimum
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of 11 toppings
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breads.

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REFERENCES

1. Aufmann, R.N.(2018). Mathematics in the Modern World.

Rex Book Store, Inc.
2. Daligdig, R.M. (2019). Mathematics in the Modern
World.Free Lorimar Publishing,
templates Inc. presentation needs
for all your
3. Carpio, J.N. and Peralta, B.D. (2018). Mathematics
in the Modern World. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.
4. Olejan, R.O., Veloria, E.V., Bonghanoy, G.B.,
Ondaro,andJ.E.,and
For PowerPoint Sumalinog,
100% free for personal J.D. (2018).
Ready to use, Mathematics
Blow your audience
Google Slides
in the Modern orWorld.
commercial use professional and
MUTYA Publishing
customizable
away with attractive
House, Inc.
visuals
5. Manlulu, E.A. and Hipolito, L.M. (2019). A Course Module
for Mathematics in the Modern World. Rex Book Store, Inc.
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