SET

THEORY
Prepared by: Ms. J Collins
WHAT IS A SET?
A set is a collection of objects, things or symbols which are clearly
defined.
The individual objects in a set are called members or elements
FACTS
A set must be properly defined so that we can find out whether an
object is a member of a set. There are two ways to do this:
1. Listing the elements: a set can be defined by listing all the
elements, separated by commas and enclosed in brackets.
Example:
B = {2, 4, 6, 8} or X = {a, b, c, d, e}
In some instances, it is impossible to list all the elements of a set
and so we define using method 2.
FACTS
2. Describing the elements
Example:
C = {x: x is an integer, x >-3}
This is read as: “C is the set of elements x such that is is an integer
greater than -3”
SET NOTATION
We relate a member and a set using the symbol ∈. If an object x is
an element of the set A, we write x ∈ A. If it is not, then we write x
∉ A.
Example:
If A = {2, 4, 6, 8} then 2 ∈ A but 5 ∉ A
TYPES OF SETS
FINITE SETS
Finite sets are sets that have a finite number of members. If the
elements of a finite set are listed one after the other, the process
will eventually ‘run out’ of elements to list.
Example:
A = {0, 2, 4, 6, 8…, 100}
C = {x: x is an integer, 1<x<10}
FINITE SETS
The number of elements in a finite set A is denoted by n(A)
If A is the set of positive integers less than 12 then
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11} and n(A) = 11
NOTE: A set does not contain repeated elements.
Example:
If Q is the set of letters in the word HELLO, then
Q = {H, E, L, O} and n(Q) = 4 … note that L is not repeated
INFINITE SETS
An infinite set is a set whose elements are impossible to list out.
Example:
T = {x: x is a triangle}
N is the set of natural numbers
A Is the set of fractions
ACTIVITY
State which of the following sets are finite and which are
infinite.
 The set of tables in the school.
 The set of squares that can be drawn.
 The set of oceans in the world.
NULL OR EMPTY SETS
These are sets that do not contain any elements. For example, the
set of months with 32 days.
It is represented by {} or ∅
Examples?
ACTIVITY
Which of the following sets are empty?

 The set of men who have landed on the moon.

 The set of cubes with 8 faces.
 The set of athletes who run the 100m race in less than 9.5 seconds.
 The set of prime numbers between 10 and 20.
EQUAL SETS
Two sets are considered equal if the have the same elements. The
order in which the elements appear does not matter.
Example:
P = {Jane, Sandy, Marsha, Lisa} and Q = {Sandy, Jane, Lisa, Marsha}
EQUIVALENT SETS
Equivalent sets contain the same number of elements. The
elements are not the same.
Example:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4} and B = {5, 6, 7, 8}
These are equivalent since they both have 4 elements
VENN DIAGRAMS
Sets are often represented using Venn Diagrams. In a Venn diagram
the sets are represented by ovals or circles and the elements of the
set are within the circle.
Example:
Given the set P is the set of even numbers between 15 and 25.
U
draw a Venn diagram to represent this.
P 16 17
18 19
20 21
22 23
24
UNIVERSAL SET
This is the set of all elements under consideration, denoted by ∪.
Example:
Given that ∪ = {5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12} list all the elements of A =
{x: x is a factor of 60}
A = {5, 6, 10, 12}
In a Venn diagram, the universal set is represented by a rectangle
labelled ∪
ACTIVITY
Draw a Venn Diagram to represent the following sets:
∪ = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} A = {1, 2, 5, 6} B = {3,9}
SUBSETS
If every element of a set B is also a member of set A, then we say B
is a subset of A. We use the symbol ⊂ to mean ‘is a subset of’ and
⊄ to mean ‘is not a subset of’.
Example:
A = {1, 3, 5} and B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
So A ⊂ of B because every element in A is also a part of B
SUBSETS FACTS
Every set is a subset of itself
An empty set is a subset of every set
For any two sets, if A ⊂ B and B ⊂ A then A = B
To find the number of subsets in a set we use the formula where
n(A) = number of elements in the finite set A.
Example:
Q = {x, y, z} then the number of subsets in Q is
ACTIVITY
Given that A = {John, Mary}, write down all the subsets of A.
{}, {John}, {Mary}, {John, Mary}
ACTIVITY
Draw a Venn Diagram to represent the relationship between the
sets A = {1, 3, 5} and B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}.
Since A ⊂ B, then it will be within B
∪
COMPLEMENT OF A SET
The complement of a set A, denoted by A’, is the set of all elements
within the universal set that are not in A.
ACTIVITY
Example:
U = {x: x is an integer, -4≤x≤7} P = {-4, -2, 0, 2, 4, 5, 6} and Q’ = {-3, -
2, -1, 2, 3}
(a) List all elements of the set P’
P’ = {-3, -1, 1, 3, 7}
(b) Draw a Venn Diagram to display the sets U, P and P’
ACTIVITY
(c) Find n(Q)
Since n(Q’) = 5 and n(P) = 12
Using the formula
n(Q) + n(Q’) = n(U)
n(Q) + 5 = 12
n(Q) = 12 – 5
n(Q) = 7
UNION OF TWO SETS
The union of two sets A and B is the set of elements which are in A,
or in B, or in both. It is denoted by A ∪B
Example:
Given ∪ = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10}
X = { 1, 2, 6, 7} and Y = {1, 3, 4, 5, 8} Find X ∪ Y
X ∪ Y = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8} notice that none of the elements are
repeated
INTERSECTION OF TWO
SETS
The intersection of two sets A and B, denoted by A∩B represents
the set of elements that are A and also in B.
Example:
Given A = {1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8} and B = {1, 3, 5,U7, 9, 11, 13} then A ∩
B = {1, 3, 5, 7}
Draw a Venn Diagram to represent this 1
2 6 9 11
3
5
8 13
7
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