Mathematics in the Modern World

Unit 2

 
Mathematical Language and Symbols

 
At the end of the chapter you will be able to:

1. Discuss the language, symbols and conventions in

mathematics;
2. Explain the nature of mathematics as a language
mathematical concepts;
3. Perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly;
and
4. Use mathematical language to describe and solve problems
with mathematics content.
 
Sets

 
SET
A set is any group or collection of defined objects.

Examples
1. The set of all days in a week.
A = {Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday}

2. The set of all letters in the word MATHEMATICS

B = { M, A, T, H, E, I, C, S}

3. The set of positive integers

Z+ = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …..}

4. The set of integers more than 6

C = {7, 8, 9, 10,… }

 
Elements
Objects listed in a set separated by a comma

Example
1. The set of all letters in the word MATHEMATICS
B = { M, A, T, H, E, I, C. S}
The elements are M, A, T, H, E, I, C and S.

2. The set of all days in a week.

A = {Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday}
The elements are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday and Sunday

 
Empty Set/Null Set
A set with no elements.

A = { } or Ø

Finite Set and Infinite Set

A set is finite if the number of elements in the set is a whole
number. Otherwise, it is infinite. The cardinal number of a finite set
A is the number of elements of set A and is denoted by n(A).

 
EQUAL SETS
Two sets A and B are equal (A=B) if and only if A and
B have exactly the same elements.

Example 1
A = { 1, 2, 3 }
B = { 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3}

Sets A and B are equal sets because they contain the

same elements which are 1, 2 , 3.

 
EQUAL SETS
Two sets A and B are equal (A=B) if and only if A and
B have exactly the same elements.

Example 2
C = ( M, A, L, E}
D = set of all letters in the word LAME

Sets C and D are equal sets, because they have the

same elements namely M, A, L and E.

 
EQUIVALENT SETS
Two sets A and B are equivalent (A~ B) if and only if A
and B have the same number of elements.

Example 1
V = The set of all letters in the word FEMALE.
F = {1, 2, 3, 4, 7}

Sets V and F are equivalent sets, because they contain

the same number of elements,
i.e. n(V) = n(F) = 5.

 
Example 2
G= A set containing the real roots of the equation x2 –
5x + 6 = 0.
B = { F, E, F, E}

Set G has 2 elements 2 and 3. Sets B has 2 elements

also F and E, thus sets G and B are equivalent sets,
because they have the same number of elements.
i.e. n(G) = n(B) = 2

 
II. State, if the given pairs of sets are equal sets or equivalent sets:

1. {Natural numbers less than five} and {Letters of the word “MATH”}

EQUIVALENT SETS

2. {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} and {even natural numbers less than 12}

EQUAL SETS

3. {M, A, Z, E} and {∆, ○, □, ∇}

EQUIVALENT SETS

4. {Days of the week} and {Letters of the word “SPOTIFY”}

EQUIVALENT SETS

 
II. State, if the given pairs of sets are equal sets or equivalent sets:

5. {1, 3, 5, 7, …… } and set of odd natural numbers.

EQUAL SETS

6. {Letters of the word ‘MEMBER’} and {Letters of the word ‘REMEMBER’}

EQUAL SETS

7. {Negative natural numbers} and {35th day of a month}

EQUAL SETS

8. {Even natural numbers} and {Odd natural numbers}

EQUIVALENT SETS

 
II.
1. Equivalent
2. Equal
3. Equivalent
4. Equivalent
5. Equal
6. Equal
7. Equal
8. Equivalent