1.
Introduction to Sets
A set is a welldefined collection of distinct objects.
Objects in a set are called elements or members.
Sets are usually denoted by capital letters (A, B, C).
Elements are written inside curly brackets `{}` and separated by commas.
Ex:
The set of primary colors: P = {Red, Blue, Yellow}
The set of vowels in English: V = {a, e, i, o, u}
The set of subjects you study: S = {Math, Science, English, History}
Reallife:
The set of fruits in a fruit basket.
The set of students in a class.
The set of cars in a parking lot.
Exercise:
1. List the set of your five favorite movies.
2. Write the set of days in a week using set notation.
2. Representation of Sets
There are two ways to represent sets:
1. Roster Form (Tabular Form)
Listing all elements explicitly.
Ex: The set of first five natural numbers → N = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
2. Set Builder Form
Describing elements using a common property.
Ex: The set of even numbers less than 10 → E = {x | x is an even number, x <
10}
Reallife:
Students who scored more than 90% in an exam can be written in set builder
form.
Exercise:
1. Write the set of even numbers up to 20 in both roster and setbuilder form.
2. Express the set of countries in Asia in roster form.
3. Types of Sets
1. Finite Set
A set with a countable number of elements.
Ex: The set of months in a year M = {Jan, Feb, ..., Dec}
2. Infinite Set
A set with an uncountable number of elements.
Ex: The set of all natural numbers N = {1, 2, 3, 4, ...}
3. Empty Set (Null Set)
A set with no elements, denoted as `{}` or `∅`.
Ex: The set of students in a class who were born on February 30.
4. Singleton Set
A set with only one element.
Ex: The set of the highest mountain in the world H = {Mount Everest}
5. Equal Sets
Two sets are equal if they have the same elements.
Ex: A = {1, 2, 3} and B = {3, 1, 2}, so A = B
6. Subset (⊆)
If every element of A is also in B, then A is a subset of B.
Ex: A = {1, 2}, B = {1, 2, 3, 4}, so A ⊆ B
7. Power Set
The set of all possible subsets of a given set.
Ex: A = {a, b}, Power set → P(A) = {∅, {a}, {b}, {a, b}}
8. Universal Set (U)
The set containing all possible elements under discussion.
Ex: If discussing types of vehicles, the universal set could be U = {Cars, Bikes,
Trucks, Buses}
Reallife:
A subset of students who passed a test is part of the universal set of all
students.
Exercise:
1. Identify the subsets of A = {Apple, Orange, Banana}.
2. What is the universal set for all living organisms on Earth?
4. Operations on Sets
1. Union (A ∪ B)
The set containing all elements of A and B.
Ex:
A = {1, 2, 3}, B = {3, 4, 5}
A ∪ B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
2. Intersection (A ∩ B)
The set of common elements in A and B.
Ex:
A = {2, 4, 6, 8}, B = {4, 8, 12}
A ∩ B = {4, 8}
3. Difference (A B)
The set of elements in A but not in B.
Ex:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {3, 4, 5, 6}
A B = {1, 2}
4. Complement (A')
The set of elements in U but not in A.
Ex:
U = {a, b, c, d, e, f}, A = {a, b, c}
A' = {d, e, f}
Reallife:
The union of students who like football and basketball.
The intersection of students who like both subjects.
The difference of students who like only one sport.
Exercise:
1. Find A ∪ B and A ∩ B for A = {2, 4, 6, 8}, B = {4, 8, 10, 12}.
2. If U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, A = {2, 4, 6}, find A'.
5. Venn Diagrams
Graphical representation of sets using circles.
Helps visualize relationships between sets.
Reallife:
A Venn Diagram can show students who play cricket, football, or both.
Exercise:
1. Draw a Venn diagram for:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}, B = {3, 4, 5, 6}
2. Represent students who like pizza, burgers, or both in a Venn diagram.
6. Applications of Sets
1. Surveys: Understanding how many people like different things.
2. Computer Science: Used in databases, logic, and programming.
3. Probability & Statistics: Helps in finding outcomes in probability.
Exercise:
1. In a class of 50 students, 30 like Cricket, 25 like Football, and 10 like both.
Find:
(a) Students who like at least one sport.
(b) Students who like neither sport.
Here is a list of symbols used in sets along with their mathematical names and meanings:
Mathematical
Symbol Meaning Ex
Name
{} Curly Braces Denotes a set A = {1, 2, 3}
∈ 3 ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4}
Shows that an element belongs
Element of
to a set
Mathematical
Symbol Meaning Ex
Name
∉ 5 ∉ {1, 2, 3, 4}
Shows that an element does not
Not an element of
belong to a set
⊆ {1, 2} ⊆ {1, 2, 3, 4}
A set where all elements are in
Subset
another set
⊈ {1, 5} ⊈ {1, 2, 3, 4}
A set that is not fully contained
Not a subset
in another set
⊂ {1, 2} ⊂ {1, 2, 3}
A subset that is strictly smaller
Proper Subset
than the original set
⊄ {1, 2, 3} ⊄ {1, 2, 3}
Not a Proper A set that is not a proper subset
A set that contains another set {1, 2, 3, 4} ⊇ {1, 2}
Subset of another
⊇ Superset
⊃ {1, 2, 3} ⊃ {1, 2}
A set that strictly contains
Proper Superset
another
∪ {1, 2} ∪ {2, 3} = {1, 2, 3}
Combines elements from two
Union
sets
Common elements between two
∩ Intersection {1, 2, 3} ∩ {2, 3, 4} = {2, 3}
sets
Elements in one set but not in
− Set Difference {1, 2, 3} − {2, 3} = {1}
the other
If U = {1,2,3,4,5} and A =
′ or C Complement Elements not in the given set
{1,2}, then A' = {3,4,5}
∅ or {} A = ∅ or A = {}
Empty Set (Null
A set with no elements
Set)
If A = {1,2}, then P(A) = {∅,
P(A) Power Set The set of all subsets of a set
{1}, {2}, {1,2}}
The set containing all possible
U Universal Set U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …}
elements
` A ` Cardinality
