MODERN

Module 4
Basic Properties of Sets

A set is a Many that allows itself to be thought of as a One.

Georg Cantor

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 MODULE 4
Basic Properties of sets

Introduction
This is a learning module intended to guide you in understanding the key concepts in Mathematics
in the Modern World specifically the concept of sets that is widely used in any Mathematics subjects. Before
each activity, fast facts and discussions are given to help you understand the concepts and processes
involved as well as to solve problems in each activity. Further practice will be required by answering the
Check Your Progress part of each lesson. The activities will be done individually. Answers in every
assessment must be written on a yellow pad paper following the given format. Please do not forget to write
your significant learning experience at the last part of your output. The submission of Module 3 outputs will
be on September 7, 2020. If you have queries regarding this module, you may reach me in our FB group
chat. Thank you and have fun!

Format

Name: ______________________________________ Year & Section: ________________

Date: _______________________________________ Instructor: ____________________

GE 4: Mathematics in the Modern World

Module 4: Basic Properties of Sets
Pretest/Exercise1/Activity 1
1.)
2.)
3.)
.
.
.

My Significant Learning Experience

In this module, I have learned that _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________.

_____________________________
Signature over Printed Name

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 Objectives

At the end of the week, the students should be able to illustrate well-defined sets,
subsets, universal sets, null set, cardinality of sets, union and intersection of sets and
difference of two sets.

Pretest
A. In items 1 - 5, use the roster method to write each of the given sets.
1. The set of whole numbers less than 8
2. The set of integers x that satisfy x - 4 = 3
3. The set of integers x that satisfy 2x - 1 = -11
4. The set of natural numbers x that satisfy x + 4 = 1
5. The set of whole numbers x that satisfy x - 1 < 4

B. In items 6 - 10, determine whether each statement is true or false. If the statement is
false, give a reason.

6. The set of large numbers is a well-defined set.

7. The set of good teachers is a well-defined set.

8. The set {𝑥| 2 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 3} is a well-defined set.

9. {𝑥 2 |𝑥 ∈ 𝑍} = {𝑥 2 | 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁}

10. 0 ∈ ∅

C. In Items 11 - 15, find the number of subsets of the given set.

11. {2,5}

12. {1, 7, 11}

13. {𝑥|𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 7 𝑎𝑛𝑑 21}

14. {𝑥 | 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑑𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 − 4 𝑎𝑛𝑑 8}

15. The set of all single-digit natural numbers

D. In item 16 – 20, determine whether the given sets are equal. Recall that W represents the set
of whole numbers and N represents the set of natural numbers.

16. 𝐴 = {2𝑛 + 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑊} 19. 𝐴 = {3𝑛 + 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑊}

𝐵 = {2𝑛 − 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁} 𝐵 = {3𝑛 − 2 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁 }
1 𝑛−1
17. 𝐴 = {16 ( ) |𝑛 ∈ 𝑁} 20. 𝐴 = {𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠}
2
1 𝑛
𝐵 = {16 ( ) | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑊} 𝐵 = {𝑊ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠}
2
18. 𝐴 = {2𝑛 − 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁}
𝑛(𝑛+1)
𝐵= { | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁}
2

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 LESSON 1: Basic Properties of Sets

Sets
In an attempt to better understand the universe, ancient astronomers classified certain
groups of stars as constellations. Today we still find it extremely helpful to classify items into
groups that enable us to find order and meaning in our complicated world.
Any group or collection of objects is called a set. The objects that belong in a set are the
elements, or members, of the set. For example, the set consisting of the four seasons has spring,
summer, fall, and winter as its elements.
The following two methods are often used to designate a set.
■ Describe the set using words.
■ List the elements of the set inside a pair of braces, { }. This method is called the roster
method. Commas are used to separate the elements.

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 The following sets of numbers are used extensively in many areas of Mathematics.

The set of natural numbers is also called the set of counting numbers. The three dots ... are
called an ellipsis and indicate that the elements of the set continue in a manner suggested by the
elements that are listed.

Definitions Regarding Sets

A set is well defined if it is possible to determine whether any given item is an element of
the set. For instance, the set of letters of the English alphabet is well defined. The set of great songs
is not a well-defined set. It is not possible to determine whether any given song is an element of the
set or is not an element of the set because there is no standard method for making such a judgment.
The statement “4 is an element of the set of natural numbers” can be written using
mathematical notation as 4 ∈ 𝑁. The symbol ∈ is read “is an element of.” To state that “-3 is not

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an element of the set of natural numbers,” we use the “is not an element of” symbol, ∉, and write -
3 ∉ N.

The empty set, or null set, is the set that contains no elements. The symbol ∅ or { } is used
to represent the empty set. As an example of the empty set, consider the set of natural numbers that
are negative integers.
Another method of representing a set is set-builder notation. Set-builder notation is
especially useful when describing infinite sets. For instance, in set-builder notation, the set of
natural numbers greater than 7 is written as follows:

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 A set is finite if the number of elements in the set is a whole number. The cardinal number
of a finite set is the number of elements in the set. The cardinal number of a finite set A is denoted
by the notation n(A). For instance, if 𝐴 = {1, 4, 6, 9 }, then n(A) = 4. In this case, A has a cardinal
number of 4, which is sometimes stated as “A has a cardinality of 4.”

The following definitions play an important role in our work with sets.

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 Follow Up!

If two sets are equal, must they also be equivalent?

Activity 1
AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING
The following bar graph shows the monthly principal and interest payment needed to purchase an
average-priced existing home in the United States for the years from 2002 to 2009. Use the data in the
graph and the roster method to represent each of the sets in items 1 – 4.

1. The set of years in

which the monthly
principal and
interest payment, for
an average-priced
existing home,
exceeded $1000.
2. The set of years in
which the monthly
principal and
interest payment, for
an average-priced
existing home, was
between $900 and
$1000.

3. {x | x is a year for which the monthly principal and interest payment, for an average-
priced existing home, was between $700 and $800}

LESSON 2: Complements, Subsets, and Venn Diagrams

The Universal Set and the Complement of a Set

The set of all elements that are being considered is called the universal set. We will use the
letter U to denote the universal set. If all the elements of set A are also elements of set B, then A is
a subset of B. This means that subsets can be created from any defined universal set.

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 There are two fundamental results concerning the universal set and the empty set. Because
the universal set contains all elements under consideration, the complement of the universal set is
the empty set. Conversely, the complement of the empty set is the universal set, because the empty
set has no elements and the universal set contains all the elements under consideration. Using
mathematical notation, we state these fundamental results as follows:

Consider the set of letters in the alphabet and the set of vowels {a, e, i, o, u}. Every element
of the set of vowels is an element of the set of letters in the alphabet. The set of vowels is said to
be a subset of the set of letters in the alphabet. We will often find it useful to examine subsets of a
given set.

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 Here are two fundamental subset relationships.

To convince yourself that the empty set is a subset of any set, consider the following. We
know that a set is a subset of a second set provided every element of the first set is an element of
the second set. Pick an arbitrary set A. Because every element of the empty set (there are none) is
an element of A, we know that ∅ ⊆ 𝐴. The notation A⊄B is used to denote that A is not a subset of
B. To show that A is not a subset of B, it is necessary to find at least one element of A that is not an
element of B.

The English logician John Venn (1834–1923) developed

diagrams, which we now refer to as Venn diagrams, that can be used to
illustrate sets and relationships between sets. In a Venn diagram, the
universal set is represented by a rectangular region and subsets of the
universal set are generally represented by oval or circular regions drawn
inside the rectangle. The Venn diagram at the left shows a universal set
and one of its subsets, labeled as set A. The size of the circle is not a
concern. The region outside of the circle, but inside of the rectangle,
represents the set A’.

Follow Up!
What set is represented by (A’)’?

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Proper Subsets of a Set

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Number of Subsets of a Set
In Example 4, we found that a set with 4 elements has 16 subsets. The following formula can be
used to find the number of subsets of a set with n elements, where n is a natural number.

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 ACTIVITY 2
VOTING COALITIONS

Five people, designated A, B, C, D, and E, serve on a committee. To pass a motion, at

least three of the committee members must vote for the motion. In such a situation, any set of
three or more voters is called a winning coalition because if this set of people votes for a motion,
the motion will pass. Any nonempty set of two or fewer voters is called a losing coalition.
a. List all the winning coalitions.
b. List all the losing coalitions.

Evaluation
A. In items 1 - 5, use the roster method to write each of the given sets.
1. The set of whole numbers less than 8
2. The set of integers x that satisfy x - 4 = 3
3. The set of integers x that satisfy 2x - 1 = -11
4. The set of natural numbers x that satisfy x + 4 = 1
5. The set of whole numbers x that satisfy x - 1 < 4

B. In items 6 - 10, determine whether each statement is true or false. If the statement is
false, give a reason.

6. The set of large numbers is a well-defined set.

7. The set of good teachers is a well-defined set.

8. The set {𝑥| 2 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 3} is a well-defined set.

9. {𝑥 2 |𝑥 ∈ 𝑍} = {𝑥 2 | 𝑥 ∈ 𝑁}

10. 0 ∈ ∅

C. In Items 11 - 15, find the number of subsets of the given set.

11. {2,5}

12. {1, 7, 11}

13. {𝑥|𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 7 𝑎𝑛𝑑 21}

14. {𝑥 | 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑑𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 − 4 𝑎𝑛𝑑 8}

15. The set of all single-digit natural numbers

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 D. In item 16 – 20, determine whether the given sets are equal. Recall that W represents the set
of whole numbers and N represents the set of natural numbers.
16. 𝐴 = {2𝑛 + 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑊} 19. 𝐴 = {3𝑛 + 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑊}
𝐵 = {2𝑛 − 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁} 𝐵 = {3𝑛 − 2 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁 }

1 𝑛−1
17. 𝐴 = {16 ( ) |𝑛 ∈ 𝑁} 20. 𝐴 = {𝑁𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠}
2
1 𝑛
𝐵 = {16 ( ) | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑊} 𝐵 = {𝑊ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠}
2

18. 𝐴 = {2𝑛 − 1 | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁}
𝑛(𝑛+1)
𝐵= { | 𝑛 ∈ 𝑁}
2

E. Sandwich Choices. A delicatessen makes a roast-

beef on-sourdough sandwich for which you can choose from
eight condiments.
a. How many different types of roast-beef-on-sourdough
sandwiches can the delicatessen prepare?
b. What is the minimum number of condiments the
delicatessen must have available if it wishes to offer at least 2000
different types of roast-beef-on-sourdough sandwiches?

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