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Sets, relations and functions are all part of
BASIC DEFINITIONS
AND CONCEPTS OF
SETS, RELATIONS
AND FUNCTIONS
ENGR. JOHNMAR F. CORDIAL. MBA
SETS
A set is the representation of a collection of
objects: distinct objects with one or more
common properties Grouping up the objects
in a set is an act of distinguishing those
objects from the members of another set.
We can use the terms - elements or
members of a set instead of the term
objects.
the set theory. These tools help in carrying
out logical and mathematical set operations
on mathematical and other real-world
entities. Sets help in distinguishing the
groups of certain kind of objects. Whereas
set operations i.e., relations and functions
are the ways we use to connect and to work
with sets.
How to denote Sets?
•If ‘A’ is a set and a' one of its elements
then: a 6 A’ denotes that element a belongs
to A whereas, a e A denotes that ‘a’ is not
an element of A. Alternatively we can say
that A' contains a A set is usually
represented by capital letters and an
element of the set by the small letter
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■ »Statement Form

Here, a single statement describes all the

elements inside a set.
Representation of Sets For example:
V = The set of all vowels in English.
• Roaster Form
There are mainly 3 ways to represent a
set: In this form all the members of the given set are
enlisted within a pair of braces {}. separated by
■Statement form. commas.
■Roaster form (tabular method). For example.
The set of all even whole numbers between 1 to
■Set Builder form. 10.
E = {2, 4, 6. 8}

•Set Builder Form

TYPES OF SETS
Here, a property is stated that must be
common to all the elements of that particular
set. Knowing the type of a set helps in verifying the appropriate
set operations applicable to that particular set
N = { x : x is positive integers between 10 to
20}
Empty Set

We read the set builder form as ” N is the set
of all x such that x is a positive integer
between 10 to 20". Braces{} denote the set
while denotes such that'.
A set with no elements Empty sets are also called
null sets or void sets and are denoted by {}ord>.
Ex. {x x is an integer which is a perfect cube and lies between 2 and 7}

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•Equal Sets
•Sets with equal elements.
Example: A = {5, 6, 7} and B = {5, 6, 5, 7, 7}.
■Here, the elements of A and B are equal to
each other (5, 6, 7) i. e., A = B
•In case of repetition as in B we write B = {5, 6.
7} by ignoring the repetition.
•Finite and Infinite Sets
•Based on the number of elements (finite or
infinite) present in the set, the set is either finite
or infinite. In case of infinite the set. it is given
as:
N = Numbers divisible by 4 = {4. 8. 12, 16 }
•Singleton Set
•Aset with a single element. For example, {9}.
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•Equivalent Sets
Sets with the equal number of members.
Ex. A = {3, 6, 8} and B = {p, q, r}.
Both A and B having three elements are
equivalent sets.
Two equal sets are equivalent too but the
vice-versa doesn’t always hold true.
SUBSETS AND SUPER SETS
■A set qualifies as the subset of another set if
all of its elements are also the elements of
that another set A collection of all the
subsets of a given set is a power set
Example, for R = {5, 8} , P(R) = {{5, 8}, {5},
{8}, {}} will be the power set. Now, we can
infer that a set with n no. of elements has 2n
no. of subsets or 2" no. of elements in its
power set
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■A super-set can be thought of as the parent set that at

least contains all the elements of " the subset and may
or may not contain some extra elements.

■C = The set of all colors and P = The set of all primary

colors then, P c C; read as P is a "subset of’ C or P is
"contained in” C. Or we have:

•C □ P which means C is a “superset of’ P or C

“contains” P. Subsets of a Set of Complex Numbers.
Source Wikipedia

For the figure given above if we

■Relations and Functions
consider
• N = the set of natural numbers

• W = the set of whole numbers ■Relations and functions are the set
■ I = the set of Integers operations that help to trace the
• Rt = the set of rational numbers
■ Re = the set of real numbers relationship between the elements of two or
• C = the set of complex numbers more distinct sets or between the elements
of the same set. But, before we move on to
further explore the topic it is important to get
• We can say that N c Wc | c Rt c Re c C Also, going in the reverse
order we have C o Re o Rt o I o W o N Here we can call the set of the idea about
complex numbers as a universal set for real rational, integers, whole the cartesian product and Venn diag
and natural numbers
rams.

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•Cartesian Product H ■For above example, the number elements

■If p e P and q e Q then the set of all ordered
pair i e., (p,q) is called the Cartesian product
of P*Q This means every first element of the
ordered pair belongs to the set P and every
second element belongs to the set Q.
in X. n(X) = 2 (this no. is called the cardinal
■
number) and number elements in Y, n(Y) =
2 consequently, number of ordered pairs in
the Cartesian product n(X * Y) = 4. The
same rule holds for any Cartesian product.

■P and Q must be non-empty sets.

•P x Q is null if either P or Q is a null set.
•Example: X = {1. 3} and Y = {4. 7} then. X x
Y = {(1.4), (1,7), (3.4). (3, 7)}.

•Venn-Diagrams
■Euler - Venn Diagrams make it easy to
■ In the above example we consider

• The quadrilateral is a finite universal set which

n
operate on sets. represents a set of ideas

■Two intersecting Sets •* Set of Ideas

Among thatideas
those are the
wetruth,
have let
twos subsets
denote them
whichasare
T
and
finite as well
• Set of Ideas that are the
beliefs, let s denote them as B

• Their intersection set

knowledge is denoted as K.
• Here. T u B is the union of
these two sets which is the set
of ideas that are either T or B
orNow.
both to find no of elements in
• T TAuBBiswe
thehave.
intersection
n(T u B)of=the
n(T)
two + n(B)
sets - n(T
which A B;
is the set of
ideas that are both T and B i e .
K as already mentioned

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Relations and Functions Domain and Range

■ The relation is the subset of the Cartesian product which
contains only some of the ordered pair based on the relationships
defined between the first and second elements The relation is
usually denoted by R
■ If every element of a set A is related with one and only one
element of another set then this kind of relation qualifies as a
function A function is a special case of relation where no two
ordered pairs can have the same first element ■The domain is the set of all first elements
• This notation f X—»Y denotes that f is a function from X to Y For
xeX there is unique yeY and his y is represented as y = f(x) which of R.
means value offatx which in turn is the value of y at a specific value
of x ■The range is the set of all second
elements of R.
•We can represent a function in three ways namely
Algebraic form, Tabular form, and Graphical form •Total no. of relations for n(A*B) are

2n(A)«n(B)

• Types of Functions
• Based on the kind of element that the sets involved consists of
functions can be
• Identity function y=flx)=x. both range and domain of the function
is the same
• Constant function y=f(x)=Constant. the range of the function is
constant
• Polynomial function. y=/(x)=polynomial for every value of x.
• Rational function these are y=flx)=g(x).h(x) type of function
where both g(x) and h(x) are polynomials and h(x)^O
• Modulus function: The range of the function is positive plus the
set of 0
• Signum function. Range of fis {-1,0. 1}
■ Greatest Integer function The function assumes the value of the
greatest integer The range is a pure integer value
■ Based on the kind of relationship that the elements
of the two sets have with each other there are mainly
four types of functions
■One to one function( Injective): For each element in
the domain there is one and only one element in the
range
■ Many to one function When two or more elements
from the domain are mapped to the same single
elements in the range
■Onto function(Surjective) When every element of the
range has been mapped to an element in the domain.
■One-one and onto function(Bijective) A function which
is both one to one and onto function