INSTITUTE OF BASIC AND BIOMECAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

MAT 101 TUTORIAL SHEET 1: Introduction to Set Theory FEBRUARY, 2024

1. Which of the following are sets?

(i) The collection of all natural numbers.

(ii) A collection of most dangerous animals in the world.

(iii) The collection of all female students in your group.

(iv) The collection of all hospitals in Zambia.

(v) The collection of 5 most talented singers in Zambia.

2. Let 𝐴 = {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁, 3 ≤ 𝑥 < 14}. Which of the following statements are true and which are

false? (i) 2 ∈ 𝐴 (ii) 7 ∈ 𝐴 (iii) 8 ∉ 𝐴 (iv) 14 ∈ 𝐴

3. Express the following sets in roster form

(a) 𝐴 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is the letter of the word ‘mississippi’}

(b) 𝐵 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is a prime factor of 42}

(c) 𝐶 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is a root of 𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 = 0}

(d) 𝐷 = {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁, 𝑥 2 > 9 and 𝑥 3 < 130}

(e) 𝐸 = {𝑥: 𝑥 = 𝑛4 − 1, 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁 and 𝑛 < 4}

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4. Write the following in set-builder form

(a) 𝐴 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36}

(b) 𝐵 = {±4, ±5, ±6}

(c) 𝐶 = {2, 9, 28, 65, 126}

1 1 3 1
(d) 𝐷 = {5 , 3 , 7 , 2}

1 1 1 1
(e) 𝐸 = {1, , , , ,…}
4 9 16 25

5. Which of the following sets are empty?

(a) 𝐴 = {𝑥: 𝑥 + 3 = 0, 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁}

(b) 𝐵 = {𝑥: 1 < 𝑥 < 2, 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁}

(c) 𝐶 = {𝑥: 3𝑥 + 1 = 0, 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅}

6. Which of the following sets are singleton?

(a) 𝐴 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is an integer and −1 < 𝑥 < 1}

(b) 𝐵 = {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑍 and 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 1 = 0}

(c) 𝐶 = {𝑥: 𝑥 2 + 1 = 0, 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅}

(d) 𝐷 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is a prime number, 𝑥 is even}

7. (a) Which of the following sets are finite or infinite?

(i) {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑍, −2 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1} (ii) {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑅, −2 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1}

(iii) (2,4) (iv) {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁, −2 < 𝑥 < 8}

(v) [−3,7] (vi) (−∞, 0)

(b) Which of these pairs of sets are disjoint?

(i) 𝐴 = {3, 5, 7, 9} and 𝐵 = {2, 4, 6, 8}

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 (ii) 𝑃 = {3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10} and 𝑄 = {4, 9, 10}

(c) True or false? If 𝐴 and 𝐵 are two non-empty sets and 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 = ∅, then 𝐴 and 𝐵 are disjoint sets

(d) If 𝐴 = {1, 2, 3, 4} and 𝐵 = {2, 3, 4, 5} is 𝐴 ⊆ 𝐵 or 𝐵 ⊆ 𝐴?

(e) Let 𝐴 = {2, 3, 4, 5} and 𝐵 = {𝑥: 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛}. Show that 𝐴 ⊈ 𝐵.

8. (a) State the cardinality and write down the power set of each of the following:

(i) 𝐴 = {𝑎, {𝑏, 𝑐}}

(ii) 𝐵 = {1, 3, 5}

(iii) 𝐶 = {2, 3, {3, 7}}

(b) Suppose 𝑆 = {𝑥: 𝑥 ∊ 𝑍, 2 < 𝑥 ≤ 7}

(i) Express 𝑆 in roster form

(ii) Find the cardinality of 𝑆

(iii) How many proper subsets does 𝑆 have?

9. Let the universal set 𝑋 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}, 𝐴 = {1, 3, 5}, 𝐵 = {2, 4, 6} and 𝐶 = {3, 4, 5, 6, 7},

(a) Find

(i) 𝐵 ′

(ii) 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵

(iii) 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶

(iv) 𝐴′ ∪ 𝐶′

(v) 𝐵 − 𝐶

(vi) (𝑋 − 𝐶)′ ∩ (𝐴 − 𝐵)

(b) Using elements in the above sets, verify that

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 (i) (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) ∪ 𝐶 = (𝐴 ∪ 𝐶) ∩ (𝐵 ∪ 𝐶)

(ii) (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) ∩ 𝐶 = (𝐴 ∩ 𝐶) ∪ (𝐵 ∩ 𝐶)

(iii) (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵)′ = 𝐴′ ∩ 𝐵 ′

(iv) (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵)′ = 𝐴′ ∪ 𝐵′

10. (a) Suppose 𝐸 = 𝑍 + , 𝑃 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is a multiple of 6 less than 31} and

𝑄 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is a factor of 30} and 𝑅 = {𝑥: 𝑥 is a prime number less than 30}

(i) Express the sets 𝑃, 𝑄 and 𝑅 in roster form

(ii) Find

(a) 𝑃 ∩ 𝑄 (b) 𝑄 ∩ 𝑅 (c) 𝑃 ∩ 𝑅 (d) 𝑃 ∩ 𝑄 ∩ 𝑅 (e) 𝑃 ∪ 𝑄 ∪ 𝑅

(iii) Verify that

𝑛(𝑃 ∪ 𝑄 ∪ 𝑅) = 𝑛(𝑃) + 𝑛(𝑄) + 𝑛(𝑅) − 𝑛(𝑃 ∩ 𝑄) − 𝑛(𝑄 ∩ 𝑅) − 𝑛(𝑃 ∩ 𝑅) + 𝑛(𝑃 ∩ 𝑄 ∩ 𝑅)

(b) Prove that

(i) 𝐴 ∪ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = 𝐴

(ii) 𝐴 ∩ (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) = 𝐴

(iii) (𝐴 − 𝐵) ∩ (𝐵 − 𝐴) = ∅

(iv) (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) ∪ (𝐴 − 𝐵) = 𝐴

(v) 𝐴 ∪ (𝐵 − 𝐴) = 𝐴 ∪ 𝐵

11. For the following sets:

(i) Write down the meaning of the interval notation

(ii) If possible, express A in roster form

(iii) Find the cardinality of A

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 (iv) If possible, sketch A on a number line

(a) 𝐴 = {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑍: −1 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 7}

(b) 𝐴 = {𝑥: 𝑥 ∈ 𝑄: 5 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 6}

(c) 𝐴 = [−1,5)

(d) 𝐴 = (−∞, 1) ∪ (2, ∞)

12. Let 𝐴 = (−1,8], 𝐵 = [−3,6), 𝐶 = (−2,4) and the universal set 𝑋 = [−4,10]. Find each of

the following sets and display it on the number line

(i) 𝐴′
(ii) 𝐵′ ∪ 𝐶′
(iii) 𝐴 ∩ (𝐵 − 𝐶)
(iv) (𝑋 − 𝐶)′ ∩ (𝐴 − 𝐵)

13. (a) Express into recurring decimal fractions

1 7 2 8
(i) 6 (ii) 11 (iii) 3 7 (iv) 3 15
𝑎
(b) Express each of the following in the form where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are relatively prime and 𝑏 ≠ 0
𝑏

(i) 0. 4̅ (ii) 7.26̅ ̅̅̅̅

(iii) 4.2356
(c) Work out

(i) 0.45̅ + 0.134

̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅ − 3.45̅
(ii) 5. 12

(iii) 42. ̅18

̅̅̅ × 0.28̅ (iv) 0.35̅ ÷ 1. 7̅

(v) [(6.27 × 0.5) ÷ {(0.5 × 0.75) × 8.36}] ÷ {(0.25 × 0.1) × (0.75 × 21. 3̅) × 0.5}

14. Work out each of the following and express the answers in form 𝑎 + 𝑖𝑏

(a) (3 + 4𝑖) + (−7 + 6𝑖) (b) (5 − 7𝑖) − (6 − 3𝑖) − (3 − 5𝑖) (c) (4 + 𝑖√3) + (−6 − 2𝑖√3)

5 1 7 1
(d) (8 + 2 𝑖) − (8 + 5 𝑖) (e) (5 + 3𝑖) + (7 − 2𝑖)(−8 − 𝑖) (f) (−2 + 5𝑖)2 (g) (−3𝑖)(10𝑖)

2+3𝑖 4+7𝑖 1+𝑖 √2 1+2𝑖 1−2𝑖

(h) (5 + 3𝑖)(5 − 3𝑖) (i) (4𝑖)(2 + 8𝑖) (j) (k) (l) (m) +
3𝑖 2−3𝑖 √3−2𝑖 1−𝑖 1+3𝑖

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15. The table below is about an investigation of a pattern that appears when the imaginary unit

𝑖 is raised to successive higher powers.

(a) Copy and complete the table below
Power of 𝑖 𝑖1 𝑖2 𝑖3 𝑖4 𝑖5 𝑖6 𝑖7 𝑖8
Simplified form 𝑖 −1 −𝑖

(b) Describe the pattern you observe in the table. Verify that the pattern continues by
evaluating the next four powers of i.
(c) Use the pattern in part (a) to evaluate 𝑖 25 , 𝑖 82 and 𝑖 1003
16. Let 𝑍1 = 2 + 𝑖, 𝑍2 = 1 − 3𝑖 and 𝑍3 = 3 + 4𝑖, verify the following identities

̅̅̅̅̅
𝑍1 ̅̅̅
𝑍1
(i) ̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝑍1 𝑍2 = ̅̅̅
𝑍1 . ̅̅̅
𝑍2 (ii) 𝑍3 . ̅̅̅
𝑍3 = ̅̅̅
𝑍3 . 𝑍3 = |𝑍3 |2 (iii) ( ) = ̅̅̅
𝑍2 𝑍2

17. Simplify each of the following as much as possible

3 3 3
(a) 2√28 − 3√63 − 8√7 (b) 4√2 − 2 √16 − √54 (c) 4√50 − 9√32 (d) 5√12 + 2√3

3 3
2√8 3√18 √50 3 √54 5 √16 2
(e) − − (f) + (g) 2√3(5√2 + 4√10) (h) (2√𝑥 − 3√𝑦)
3 5 2 2 3

2
(i) (3√𝑥 + 5√𝑦)(3√𝑥 − 5√𝑦) (j) (√𝑥 + √𝑦)

√3+1
18. (a) Express + √3 + 1 in the form 𝑎 + 𝑏√3 where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are rational numbers
√3−1

(b) Rationalise the denominator of each of the following:

2√3−√2 𝑥 2√7+√3 𝑥−√𝑥 2 −9 4−𝑥 2

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)
4√3 𝑥+√𝑦 3√7−√3 𝑥+√𝑥 2 −9 3−√𝑥 2 +5

(c) Rationalise the numerator of each of the following:

√5+ℎ−3 √3+√5 √𝑥−√𝑥+ℎ

(i) (ii) (iii)
ℎ 7 ℎ√𝑥+√𝑥+ℎ

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