Set

A set is a collection of well-defined and well-distinguished

objects.

Elements of a set
X ϵ A
 Methods of Describing a Set
Tabular Method
A = {a, e, i, o, u}

Selector Method
A = {x: x is a vowel in English alphabet}
A = {x|x is a vowel in English alphabet}
 Types of Sets
Finite Set
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Infinite Set
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ………}

Empty Set
Ø={ }
A = {Number of people who have travelled from earth to sun}
 Types of Sets
Equal Set
Two sets A and B are said to be equal if every element of A is also
an element of B, and every element of B is also an element of A.

A = {3, 5, 9} ; B = {9, 5, 3}

Equivalent Set
If the elements of one set can be put into one to one correspondence with the
elements of another set, the two sets are called equivalent sets.
A = {1, 2, 3, 4} ; B = { a, e, i, o}
A≡B
 Types of Sets
Subsets

A is a subset of B or A is contained in B

Supersets

B is a superset of A or B contains A
 Types of Sets

Universal Set
Denoted by U; a set of integers is a
universal set for a set of odd or even
integers.
 Venn Diagram

English Logician John Venn

 Operations on Sets

Intersection of Sets
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; B = {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9}
A∩B = {x: x ϵ A and x ϵ B}

Union of Sets
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}; B = {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9}
A∪B = {x: x ϵ A or x ϵ B or x ϵ both A and B }
 Operations on Sets

Complement of a Set
If U be the universal set and A be any set,
then,
A′ = U – A = { x: x ϵ U, x does not belong to A}

Difference of Two Sets

A – B = { x| x ϵ A and x does not belong to B}
Number of Element in a finite set
Out of 880 boys in a school, 224
played cricket, 240 played hockey
and 336 played basketball: of the
total 64 played both basketball and
hockey; 80 played cricket and
basketball and 40 played cricket and
hokey; 24 boys played all the three
games. How many boys did not play
any game, and how many played
only one game?
 n(H) = 240
n (C) = 224

16

24 40
56

n(B) = 336
In a class of 25 students, 12
students have taken economics: 8
have taken economics but not
politics. Find the number of
students who have taken economics
and politics and who have taken
politics but not economics.
n (E) n (P)

8 4 13
Complaints about work canteen fell into
three categories: Complaints about Mess
(M), Food (F), and Service (S). Total
complaints 173 were received as follows:
n(M) = 110, n(F) = 55, n(S) = 67, n(M∩F∩S’)
= 20, n(M∩S∩F’) = 11, n(F∩S∩M’) = 16.
Determine the complaints about all the
three, and, about two or more than two.
 n(F)
n (M)

20

x 16
11

n(S)