Basic Set Operations
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Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
• define the different operations of sets;
• illustrate the relationships between sets using Venn-
Euler diagrams or Venn diagrams; and
• perform basic set operations.
Basic Set Operations:
1. Definition: Union of Sets
The union of sets A and B, denoted by AB, is the set of all
the elements that belong to A or B or to both.
A B
AB is shaded
Examples:
Let C = {1, 2, 3, 4} , D = {6, 2, 4, 7} and E = {7, 8, 9}. Find
a) CD and b) CE
Solutions:
a) CD = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7} c) DE
b) CE = {1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9}
Basic Set Operations:
The union of A and B may also be
defined concisely by
A B = {x x A or x B}.
Remark 1:
It follows directly from the definition
of the union of two sets that AB and
BA are the same set, i.e.,
AB = BA.
Basic Set Operations:
Remark 2:
Both A and B are always subsets of
AB, that is,
A (AB) and
B (AB).
Basic Set Operations:
2. Definition: Intersection of Sets
The intersection of sets A and B, denoted by AB, is the set of elements
which are common to A and to B, that is, those elements which belong to
A and which also belong to B.
Examples: A B is shaded
Let C = {1, 2, 3, 4} , D = {6, 2, 4, 7} and E = {7, 8, 9}. Find
a) C D and b) C E
Solutions:
a) C D = {2, 4}
b) C E = { } or
Basic Set Operations:
Intersection of A and B may also be defined
concisely by
A B = {x x A, x B}.
Here, the comma has the same meaning as “and”.
Basic Set Operations:
Remark 1:
It follows directly from the definition of the intersection
of two sets that
A B = B A.
Remark 2:
Each of sets A and B contains AB as
subset, that is,
(AB) A and
(AB) B.
Basic Set Operations:
3. Definition: Difference of Sets
The difference of sets A and B, denoted by A – B, is the set of
elements which belong to A but which do not belong to B.
Examples:
A-B is shaded
Let C = {1, 2, 3, 4} , D = {6, 2, 4, 7} and E = {7, 8, 9}. Find
a) C - D and b) D - E
Solutions:
a) C - D = {1, 2, 3, 44} - {6, 2, 4, 7} = {1, 3}
b) D - E = {6, 2, 4, 7}
7 - {7, 8, 9} = {6, 2, 4}
Basic Set Operations:
Remark 1:
Set A contains A – B as a subset, i.e.,
(A – B) A.
Remark 2:
The sets (A – B), A B and (B – A) are
mutually disjoint, that is, the intersection
of any two is the null.
Basic Set Operations:
4. Definition: Complement of a Set
The COMPLEMENT of a set A, denoted by A’ or Ac , is the set of
elements which do not belong to A, that is the difference of the
universal set U and A.
Examples: A’ is shaded.
Let U = {1,2,3, …,8,9}, C = {1, 2, 3, 4} , D = {6, 2, 4, 7} and E = {7, 8, 9}. Find
a)
Solutions:
C’ , b) D’ , and c) E’
a) C’ = {5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
b) D’= {1, 3, 5, 8, 9}
c) E’= {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Basic Set Operations:
We state some facts about set which
follow directly from the definitions, and may easily be
verified by means of Venn diagrams:
Remark 1:
The union of any set A and its complement A’ is the universal
set, i.e.
A A’ = U.
Furthermore, set A and its complement A’ are disjoint, i.e.
A ∩ A’ = .
Basic Set Operations:
Remark 2:
The complement of universal set is the
null set , and vice versa, i.e.
U’ = and
’ = U.
Remark 3:
The complement of the complement
of a set A is the set A itself. More
briefly
(A’)’ = A.
Properties of Sets:
Exercises:
1. Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {2, 4, 6, 8} and
C = {3, 4, 5, 6}. Find
a) AB = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8}
b) AC = {1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6}
c) BC = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8}
d) BB = {2, 4, 6, 8} = B
Exercises:
2. Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {2, 4, 6, 8} and
C = {3, 4, 5, 6}. Find
a) A∩B = {2, 4}
b) A∩C = {3, 4}
c) B∩C = {4, 6}
d) B∩B = {2, 4, 6, 8}
Exercises:
3. Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {2, 4, 6, 8} and
C = {3, 4, 5, 6}. Find
a) A – B = {1, 3}
b) A – C = {1, 2}
c) B – C = {2, 8}
d) B – B = { } or
or null set
Exercises:
4. Let U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {2, 4, 6, 8} and C = {3, 4, 5, 6}.
Find
a) A(C∩B)
b) B∩(C’A)
c) C–(A’∩B)
d) B∩(A∩C)’
e) (AB’)–(A-B)
Exercises:
4. Let U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {2, 4, 6, 8} and C = {3, 4, 5, 6}.
Find
a) A(C∩B) = {1, 2, 3, 4} {4, 6} = {1, 2, 3, 4,6}
(C∩B) = {3, 4, 5, 6} ∩ {2, 4, 6, 8} = {4, 6}
b) B∩(C’A) = {2, 4, 6, 8} ∩ {1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9} = {2, 4, 8}
C’A = {1, 2, 7, 8, 9} {1, 2, 3, 4} = {1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9}
Exercises:
4. Let U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {2, 4, 6, 8} and C = {3, 4, 5, 6}.
Find
c) C–(A’∩B) = {3, 4, 5, 6} - {6, 8} = {3, 4, 5}
A’∩B = {5, 6, 7, 8, 9} ∩ {2, 4, 6, 8} = {6, 8}
d) B∩(A∩C)’ = {2, 4, 6, 8} ∩ {1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} = {2, 6, 8}
(A∩C)’ = {3, 4}
4}’ = {1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
e) (AB’)–(A-B) = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,9} – {1, 3} = {2,4,5,7,9}
AB’ = {1, 2, 3, 4} {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9}
A-B = {1, 3}
Exercises:
5. Shade: AB A B
a) b) c)
A B B A
A B
Exercises:
6. Shade: A∩B
a) b) c)
A B B A
A B
Exercises:
7. Shade: A-B
a) b) c)
A B B A
A B
Exercises:
8. Shade: A’
a) b) c)
A B B A
A B
Exercises:
9. Shade: B’
a) b) c)
A B B A
A B
