MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE AND SYMBOL • Rule Method

-describes the elements of the set

Mathematics has its own language through numbers and letters, Examples:
and symbols. A= x | x is a collection of vowel letters
B= x | x  5
Mathematical Symbols
C= x | x  -1
+ Addition  Intersection of sets D= x | x   read as “x is an element of D such that x
× Multiplication  Union of sets is an element of integers”
E= x | 1x 10  read as “ x is an element of E such that x is
- Subtraction  Element of a set
greater than or equal to 1 but less than or
÷ Division  Subset equal to 10”
= Equal  Proper subset
≠ Not equal  Empty set Some standard notations to represent set of numbers.
≥ Greater than or equal  For all or For Every
Symbol Classification Meaning and Examples
element
N Natural Numbers counting numbers  1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
≤ Less than or equal  There exist
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, …
∞ infinity  implies
W Whole Numbers Counting numbers greater than
 Golden ratio  If and only if
or equal to zero. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
± Plus-Minus  Congruent
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, …
 Therefore  Approximately
Z Integers Whole numbers which include
negative numbers.
…, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, …
Set Theory 𝒁+ Positive integers  0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
…
- a branch of mathematics that studies set or the mathematical
𝒁− Negative integers …, -3, -2, -1
science of infinite.
Q Rational Numbers Quotient or fraction of two
Set integers
1 1
2,, 0.25, 0.125, 4,
-well-defined collection of objects. These objects are called
elements or members. R Real Numbers Natural Numbers, whole
numbers and Integers
A= a, b, c, d, e i Imaginary give a negative result when
Numbers squared.
a  A , read as a is an element of A.
𝒊𝟐 = −𝟏
i =-1
Examples of non-sets. C Complex Numbers Combination of a real number
• Group of tall students and an imaginary number
• Collection of honest persons in the room I, 3+i, 2+3i, …
• Collection of interesting books in the library Irrational Numbers Real numbers that cannot be
written as simple fraction since
these numbers continues
The underlined words are NOT well-defined, so the forever.
examples above are NOT sets. e, , 

Examples of Sets Types of Set

• Collection of tall students whose height is more than 180
cm but less than 220. • Finite Set
• Collection of people who have never been found guilty A set whose elements are limited or countable, and the last
element is included.
of guilty of theft case. Example:
• Collection of interesting mathematics books in the A= a, e, i, o, u
library. F= 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Two ways to represent a set • Infinite Set

-a set whose elements are unlimited or uncountable and the last
• Roster Method
element is not included.
-listing of elements separated by comma Example:
Example: B= 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, …
A= a, e, i, o, u
C=…-3, -2, -1
B= 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, …
D=…, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, …
C=…-3, -2, -1
D=…, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, …

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• Equal Sets, = • Universal Set
-a set containing all the objects of a set including itself.
A= a,c,a,e, b, c, d, e
B= a,b,c,d,e B=  all students in the College of Science 
U= students taking up BS Biology 
A and B are equal sets. C= students taking up BS Information Technology 
S=  students taking up BS Computer Science
-repeated elements are listed once.
-there is no order in sets
B is the universal set. Sets U, C, and S are all proper subsets
A= a,b,c,d,e of B.
B= b,a,d,c,e A = B = C, since order does not matter
C=e,d,a,c,b  D= …-3, -2, -1 D= x | x  𝒁− 
E= 0, 1, 2, 3, … E= x | x  𝒁+ 
• Equivalent sets, 
-Sets with the same no. of elements or cardinality. U = set of all integers or U= x| x  

Cardinality refers to the no. of elements in a set. The cardinality • Disjoint Set
of set A is denoted by n(A) or |𝑨| . -two sets that have no common elements
Example:
A= a,b,c,d,e,…,x,y,z n(A) = |𝑨| = 26 B= 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, …
B= x| 2<x<15  n(B) =|𝑩| = 12 C=…-3, -2, -1
C= x| x   n(C) = |𝑪| = 
B and C are disjoint sets.
D={ x | -4 >x > -17  n(D) = |𝑫| =12
• Power set,
B and D are equivalent sets since they have equal no. of
-The set of all subsets.
elements
-The power set of A is denoted by P(A)

• Subset,  Let P= {a,b}

B is a subset of A, BA, if and only if all elements of B is in A. In
symbols, AB  x |x  A  x  B Proper Subsets: , {a}, {b}, {a,b}.
A= a, b, c, …, x, y, z 
If we group all these subsets together to form the power set,
B = a, e, i, o, u
C= z, y, x, … a, b, c  we have,

P(A) = {, {a}, {b}, {a,b}.}

BA since all elements of A is part of B.
C is also a subset of A since all elements of C is also in A. CA More Examples:
Equivalent sets are subsets of each other.
1. Given that A= 2, 4 and B== x |x is a solution to 𝑥 2 +
• Proper subset,  6𝑥 + 8 = 0  . Are A and B disjoint sets?
-B is a proper subset of A, BA, if and only if there is at least
one element in A that is not in B. Answer: No. Since the solution to 𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 + 8 = 0 are
-4 and -2 which are not part of A =2, 4 . Clearly, A and B
A= a, b, c, …, x, y, z  are disjoint sets.
B = a, e, i, o, u
2. If M= x| x is a vowel of English alphabet and B= y| y N
B is also called a proper subset of A. Since there are elements and y  5 . Is (i) M=B (ii) MB ?
in A which are not in B.
Answer: M= {a,e,i,o,u} B= {1,2,3,4,5}
• Unit Set or Singleton Set
-a set with only one element. Therefore, MB since the elements in M is not the same
with the elements in B. But we can say that M is equivalent
G= 5 to B, MB, since both sets have the same no. of elements
or cardinality which is 5, |𝑴| = |𝑩|.
• Empty Set
-a set with no element 3. Is A={x | x is a point in a line} a finite set?
-denoted by the symbol  or  
- {} is not equal to { }, since the first set has a cardinality of 1. Answer: No. The number of points in a is uncountable.
-Empty set is a subset of all sets.
4. What type of set is N= {x | x is irrational number in 𝑥 2 −
1 = 0}?
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 Represent the sets in Venn diagram.
Answer: Set A is consisting of irrational numbers which will
satisfy 𝑥 2 − 1 = 0. If we solve 𝑥 2 − 1 = 0, the solution A= {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}
B={a,2,c,4,e 6 g}
is x= 1. Clearly, =1 and -1 are NOT irrational numbers. So
C= {x| 15 >x>4}
set N won’t have any element. It’s an empty set.

Operations on Sets
U
A
• Intersection of Sets, A  B.
1 3
-Elements which are both in A and B.

A= { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
B= {a,2,c,4,e,6,g} C
B a c 11 12 13
A  B = { 2,4,6} e g 14

• Union of Sets, A  B
-Elements which are in A or B 1. |C| ; C= { 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14} |C|= 10
2. |B-A| ; B-A= { a,c,e,g} |B-A| = 4
A= { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
B= {a,2,c,4,e,6,g} 3. |A-C| ; A-C= {1,2,3,4} |A-C| = 4
4. |𝐵′ ′| ; 𝐵′ ′ = {a,c,e,g} |𝐵′ ′ | = 4
A  B = { 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,a,c,e,g}
5. AB A  B ={ 2, 4, 6}
• Difference of Sets, A-B 6. AC A  C = { 5,6,7,8,9,10}
Elements which are in A but not B.
7. BC B  C = {6}
A= { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10} 8. AB A  B = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,a,c,e,g}
B= {a,2,c,4,e,6,g} 9. A-B A-B = {1,3,5,7,8,9,10}

A-B= {1,3,5,7,8,9,10,} 10. A-C A-C= {1,3,2,4}

11. B-C B-C= {2,4,a,c,e,g}
Likewise, B-A, read as B but not A is
12. 𝐴′ 𝑨′ = {𝟏𝟏, 𝟏𝟐, 𝟏𝟑, 𝟏𝟒, 𝒂, 𝒄, 𝒆, 𝒈}
B-A= {a,c,e,g} 13. 𝐴′ ′ 𝑨′ ′ = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}
14. 𝐴′  𝐵′ ; 𝑨′  𝑩′ = {𝟏𝟏, 𝟏𝟐, 𝟏𝟑, 𝟏𝟒}
• Complement of a set, 𝐴𝐶 or 𝐴′
• 𝐴′ 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝐴. 15. U U= {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,a,c,e,g}
16. (𝐴𝐵𝐶)′ (𝑨𝑩𝑪)′ = { }
A= { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
17. (A  B)  C A  B = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,a,c,e,g}
B= {a,2,c,4,e,6,g}
C = {5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14}
𝐴′ is simply set B with elements not in A.
A  B  C = { 5,6,7,8,9,10}
𝑈 ′ = , The complement of a universal set is an empty
set. 18. C (A  B) ; C = {5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14}

′ = 𝑈, The complement of an empty set is a universal (A  B) = {2,4,6}

set. C (A  B) = {2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14}

Operations on Sets (Venn Diagram)

19. (A-B)  C A-B = {1,3,5,7,8,9,10}
Venn Diagram- introduced by John Venn (1834-1883) to
C = {5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14}
represent sets.
(A-B)  C = {5,7,8,9,10}

A U
20. (B-C)  A (B-C) = {2,4,a,c,e,g}
A= {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}
B C
(B-C)  A = {2,4}

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