MAT214A

Friday 1/11
SSU Spring 2019

A. Attendance
B. Syllabus
C. Introduction: What is Discrete Mathematics?
Discrete mathematics is the branch of mathematics dealing with objects that can assume only distinct,
separated values. The term "discrete mathematics" is therefore used in contrast with "continuous
mathematics," which is the branch of mathematics dealing with objects that can vary smoothly (and which
includes, for example, calculus). Whereas discrete objects can often be characterized by integers, continuous
objects require real numbers. Think digital clock versus analog clock.

To get a sense of what discrete means, here are some ROUGH definitions that are useful:

1. A set is countable if all its elements can be listed in a sequence (ordered). A set may be countably finite
or countably infinite. The important thing is can you list the elements of the set in a sequence.

2. An ordered set is dense if no matter how close two elements are, you can always find another element
between them. Discrete sets have gaps, continuous sets have no gaps – there is always another element
between any two elements.

Number Sets
Elements Gaps? Countable? Dense? Continuous? Discrete?
Natural N = {1, 2, 3, …} Yes Yes No No Yes
Numbers
Whole W = {0, 1, 2, 3,…} Yes Yes No No Yes
Numbers
Integers Z = {…-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, Yes Yes No No Yes
2, 3, …}
Rationals Any number that Yes Yes Yes No Yes
can be written as a
fraction using
integers
Reals All decimals, No No Yes Yes No
including non-
repeating decimals

*Denseness of Rationals
What is a number between 3/5 and 4/5? Write 3/5 as 6/10 and 4/5 as 8/10 – we can see that 7/10 is between
3/5 and 4/5. The rationals are dense, but not connected, they are “gappy” and thus we say they are a discrete
number set. The rationals are also countable. Cantor uses a “diagonalization” argument to show that the
rationals can be sequenced and thus can be counted.
 pretty cool.

*Denseness of Reals
What is a number between 3 and 3.2? Well, this is a continuum of numbers: …3.00001, …. 3.105, …. π, …
3.1999999,.. etc. The numbers between 3 and 3.2 are dense on a continuum, there are no gaps and thus this is
a continuous number set.
The real number set is an uncountable set (or uncountably infinite set) as it contains too many elements to
be countable. Cantor shows that when we try to sequence and count the real numbers we can always create
a number that is not on the list. This is a version of the diagonalization scheme for rationals. Instead, we
choose a different first digit, second digit, etc. and we have created a number not on our sequence.

No matter how many real numbers we sequence, we can always

create one that is not on the list. Also pretty cool.

We have talked about common number sets, now we will formally define a set.
D. Section 1.1 Sets
The concept of a set is basic to all mathematical applications
Set: A collection of objects (also called members or elements)
Order is not important
Multiplicity is generally ignored

1. Describing a Set
Using a List:
If set is finite and not too large or has obvious pattern, we can list the elements.
Example: A= {1, 2, 3, 4}
Example: C = {Monday, Wednesday, Friday}
Example: Z = {…-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 ….}

 The notation { } is like a box that contains the elements. List order does not matter.
A = {1, 2, 3, 4} or T = {2, 4, 3, 1} are the same set. The “box” of { } contains the same elements.

 Duplicates may exist. If we use a list, typically we identify only one occurrence. If 1, 2, 2, 3, 4 are the
elements of the set, we typically write S = {1, 2, 3, 4}

When we want to state that an element belongs or does not belong to a set we use the notation∈ or ∉
Example: 4 ∈ A, but 5∉ A

Set Builder Notation

If set is large or infinite, we can use set builder notation to describe the set
Example: E = {x | x is a positive even integer}
Or, E = {x | x = 2k, k ∈ Z+}

The vertical bar is read as “such that”

We read this as “All x such that x = 2k where k is a positive integer”

Example: The set of rational numbers represents any number that can be written as a fraction or
quotient (hence the Q)
Q = {x | x = a/b where a, b ∈ Z}

Example: Write the set of positive integers less than 5 using set builder notation – there are multiple
answers
S = {1, 2, 3, 4} if we used a list
S = {x | x < 5, x ∈ Z+}
S = {x | 0 < x < 5, x ∈ Z}
2. Diagrams for Sets (Venn Diagrams)
 Universal set is the rectangle. Universal set is given or inferred from context of problem
 Subsets of the universal set are drawn as circles. In this case, there is subset A and subset B

Example: The universal set is the set of the natural numbers and A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and B = {4, 5, 8, 9}
Diagram the sets using a Venn diagram

Example: The universal set is the set of 150 incoming freshmen. 85 freshmen have registered for math,
70 have registered for English, 50 were registered for both Math and English. Use a Venn diagram to
answer the following:
(a) How many freshmen signed up only for Math?
(b) How many freshmen signed up only for English?
(c) How many freshmen signed up for Math and or English?
(d) How many freshmen did not sign up for either Math or English?

A Venn diagram of the common number sets:

3. Equal Sets versus Equivalent Sets
We need this first:
 Cardinality is the number of elements in a set. We denote the number of elements in a set X as n(X) or
|X|
Example: A = {x | x < 5 and x ∈ Z+}
This is the set of {1, 2, 3, 4} so n(A) = |A| = 4
Example: N = {1, 2, 3, 4, …}
n(N) = |N| = ∞

 Equivalent Sets are sets that have the same cardinality (same size). If A and B are equivalent we write
A~B.
We say that two sets have equal cardinality (the same size) if we can map from one to the other so that
every element of A has exactly one mapping to B and every element of B has exactly on mapping to A.
This is called a bijection or one-to-one mapping.

Finite sets are easy:

Example: A = {1, 2, 3, 4} and B = {A. B. C. D} have the same cardinality.
We can map 1  A, 2  B, 3 C, 4  D

Infinite sets are harder:

Example: Do the sets X= {1, 2, 3, 4, ….} and Y= {2, 4, 6, 8, …} have the same cardinality?
n(X) = |X| = ∞ and n(Y) =|Y| = ∞
Yes, every x ∈ X can map to 2*x in set Y AND, every 2x ∈ Y can map to 2x/2 in set X
X and Y have the same cardinality and so are equivalent sets. We can write X~Y

Example: Do the sets Z and R have the same cardinality?

No. I can map the integers to the real number system, but I can always create a number that is not on
this mapping from Z to R. The real numbers R have a larger cardinality than the integers. Z and R are
not equivalent sets.

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