MT105A — Assignment 1

October 3, 2023

Notation: The set of natural numbers is denoted by N, the set of integers by

Z, the set of real numbers by R and the emptyset by ∅.

1. Express each of the subsets of R below using interval notation. Note

that some of the sets may be unions or intersections of intervals.

(a) {x ∈ R : −11 < x < 333}.

(b) {x ∈ R : 0 ≤ x < 17}.
(c) {t ∈ R : −1 < t + 2 ≤ 8}.
(d) {u ∈ R : u − 4 ≥ −3}.
(e) (HAND IN) {x ∈ R : 5x < 30} ∪ {x ∈ R : 2x > −18}.
(f) {t ∈ R : 4t − 1 ≥ −2} ∩ {t ∈ R : 0 < t ≤ 2}.
(g) {x ∈ R : x2 ≤ 25}.
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(h) {y ∈ R : (y + 2)2 > 16 }.
(i) {x ∈ R : (x − 1)2 ≥ 9}.
(j) {x ∈ R : 2x − 1 < 5} ∩ {x ∈ R : x + 1 ≥ −3}.

2. Express each of the combinations of intervals below in set notation:

(a) [2, 4];

(b) (−1, 0] ∪ [4, 4];
(c) (HAND IN) (−∞, 15 ] ∩ [−4, ∞);
(d) (−π, π 3 ).
(e) (−2, 3] ∩ [0, 1].
(f) (−∞, 1] ∪ (−2, 2).

3. For the sets A, B ⊆ R below determine A ∪ B, A ∩ B, A \ B and B \ A

and indicate their position on the number line R:

(a) (HAND IN) A = [0, 2] ∪ [−3, − 12 ), B = (−1, 2);

(b) A = (0, 1) ∪ {3/2, 5/2}, B = [1, 2).

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 √
(c) A = (− 2, 2) ∪ {4}, B = [5/4, 9/4) ∪ (7/2, 9/2);
(d) A = {0, 1, 2, 3}, B = {2, 4, 6, 8};
(e) A = (−18, −17) ∪ (−17, −16) ∪ (−16, −15), B = [−17, −15].

4. Let A = [3, 39 1
2 ] ∩ N, B = Z ∪ ( 2 , π) and let C = [−2
1/2 , 3π) ∪ [800, ∞).

Write down the following sets in either interval or set notation. If ap-
propriate a set containing a list of its elements is perfectly acceptable!

(a) A ∩ B;
(b) A ∪ C;
(c) A \ B;
(d) A ∩ B ∩ C;
(e) A ∪ B ∪ C.

5. Write each of the following sets of points using set and interval nota-
tion.

(a) The set of real numbers x satisfying 45x + 18 < 44;

(b) The set of real numbers x satisfying 100x − 21 6= 0;
(c) The set of real numbers x satisfying 100x − 21 = 0;
(d) The set of positive real numbers x satisfying 3 − 4x < −42;
(e) The set of real numbers x satisfying 4x − 1 ≤ 3x < 4x + 5.
(f) The set of non–integer real numbers x satisfying 20x − 8 ≤ 2x <
20x + 14;

6. For each of the subsets of R given below, describe (using strict and
non-strict inequalities) the range of values of a for which the set is a
non-empty interval.

(a) [0, 2) ∩ [a, 3].

(b) [0, 2] ∪ (a, 3].
(c) (−1, 1) ∩ [a, 2a]. (You will need to be careful with this one!)
(d) (HAND IN) [−3, a) ∩ [0, 2].

7. Find the distance between the pairs of points

(a) (1, 7) and (2, π);

√ √
(b) (−2, 3) and (1, 5).

8. Determine the radius and centre of the circles with equations

(a) x2 − 9 + (y + 2)2 = 0.
(b) x2 + y 2 − 2y + 1 = 5.

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 (c) (HAND IN) x2 + 2x + y 2 = 0. (You will need to complete the
square.)

9. At which point do the lines x = a and y = b intersect?

10. (a) Write down the equation of a circle in R2 with centre (1, 0) and
radius 2. Does the vertical line x = 23 intersect this circle? If it
does, find all the points of intersection.
(b) Write down the equation of a circle in R2 with centre (−1, 2) and
radius 1. Does the horizontal line y = −1 intersect this circle? If
it does, find all the points of intersection.
√
(c) Write down√the equation of a circle in R2 with centre (0, − 3)
and radius 5. Does the vertical line x = −2 intersect this circle?
If it does, find all the points of intersection.
(d) (HAND IN) Write down the equation of a circle in R2 with centre
(−2, −2) and radius 4. For what values of a will the line x = a
intersect this circle? For what values of b will the line y = b
intersect the circle?
√
(e) Write down the equation of a circle in R2 with centre ( 2, −1)
and radius 2. For what values of a will the line x = a intersect
this circle? For what values of b will the line y = b intersect the
circle?

11. Sketch the following sets in R2 .

(a) {(x, y) ∈ R2 : (x − 1)2 + y 2 ≤ 3, x > 1}.

(b) {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x ≤ 3} ∩ {(x, y) ∈ R2 : y > −2}.
(c) (HAND IN) {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x > 0} ∪ {(x, y) ∈ R2 : y < 0}.
(d) {(x, y) ∈ R2 : (x + 2)2 + (y − 1)2 > 4, y ≤ 1}.
(e) {(x, y) ∈ R2 : 0 < x ≤ 2, 0 ≤ y ≤ 4} ∩ {(x, y) ∈ R2 : 1 < x ≤
5, −3 < y < 2}.