Points of Discussion Sheet & Problems – 1 ::: MTH202A – 2023-24

1. Define a set.
2. Define a subset of a set (Notation: If a set B is a subset of a set A, we write A ⊆ B).
3. Define the empty set (Notation: ∅).
4. Define the equality of two sets.
5. Define the union of a family of sets {Aλ | λ ∈ Λ} (Notation: ∪λ∈Λ Aλ or ∪Aλ for simplicity).
6. Define the intersection of a family of sets {Aλ | λ ∈ Λ} (Notation: ∩λ∈Λ Aλ or ∩Aλ for simplicity).
7. Show that intersection distributes over union of sets (De Morgon’s Law).
8. Show that union distributes over intersection of sets (De Morgon’s Law).
9. Define the difference of two sets A and B (Notation: A \ B).
10. Let A and B be sets. Show that A \ B = A \ (A ∩ B).
11. Let A be a set and let {Aλ | λ ∈ Λ} be a family of sets. Show that A \ (∪λ∈Λ Aλ ) = ∩λ∈Λ (A \ Aλ )
and A \ (∩λ∈Λ Aλ ) = ∪λ∈Λ (A \ Aλ ).
12. Define the Cartesian product of a family of sets {Aλ | λ ∈ Λ}.
13. (Axiom of choice) The Cartesian product of any family of sets is nonempty.
14. Define a relation R from a nonempty set A to a nonempty set B.
15. Show that defining a relation from a set A to a set B is equivalent to choosing a nonempty subset
of A × B.
16. Define a relation R in a set A.
17. Define a reflexive relation R in a set.
18. Define a transitive relation R in a set.
19. Define a symmetric relation R in a set.
20. Define an equivalence relation R in a set.
21. Let ∼ be an equivalence relation in a set A. Define the equivalence class of an element a of A with
respect to ∼ (Notation: [a]). Show that a ∈ [a] for all a ∈ A.
22. Let ∼ be an equivalence relation in a set A. For a, b ∈ A either [a]∩[b] = ∅ or [a] = [b]. Furthermore,
A is the union of all its equivalence classes with respect to ∼.
23. Define a partition of a nonempty set.
24. Show that defining an equivalence relation in a set A is equivalent to choosing a partition of A.
25. Define a function (or a map or a mapping) f from a set A to B (Notation: f : A −→ B).
26. Let A and B be sets and let f : A −→ B be a map. Let X ⊆ A and let Y ⊆ B. Define f (X) and
f −1 (Y ). (Remark: f (X) is called the image of the set X under f and f −1 (Y ) is called the inverse
image of the set Y under f . In particular, f (A) is called the image of f and it is also denoted by
Im(f ).)
27. Define a one-one map (also called an injective map or injection).
28. Define a onto map (also called a surjective map or surjection).
29. Define a bijective map (or a bijection).
30. Define the identity map of a nonempty set A (Notation: IA )
31. Let A be a set and B be a nonempty subset of A. Define the inclusion map from B to A.
 Points of Discussion Sheet & Problems – 2 ::: MTH202A – 2023-24
1. Let A, B, C be nonempty sets, f : A −→ B and g : B −→ C be maps. Define the g of . Show that
(a) if g of is one-one then so is f .
(b) if g of is onto then so is g.
(c) if g of is bijective then f is one-one and g is onto.
2. Let A and B be nonempty sets and f : A −→ B be a bijection. Define f −1 , the inverse of f . Show
that f −1 is also a bijection. (We say A ≃ B if there exists a bijection from A to B.)
3. Let A and B be nonempty sets. Show that A × B ≃ B × A.
4. Define a finite and an infinite set.
5. Define the cardinality of a finite set A (Notation: card(A)).
6. Let A and B be nonempty sets, where card(A) = n. Let f : A −→ B be a map. Show that
(a) Im(f ) is finite and card(Im(f )) ≤ n.
(b) if f is onto then card(B) ≤ n.
(c) f is one-one iff card(Im(f )) = n.
(d) f is a bijection iff f is onto and card(B) = n.
7. Define a partial order in a set A. (Remark: We normally denote a partial order in A by ≤ and call
A as a partially ordered set with respect to ≤. We also say that (A, ≤) is a partially ordered set or
POS in this case.)
8. Let (A, ≤) be a POS and let B be a nonempty subset of A. Then (B, ≤) is also a POS.
9. Let (A, ≤) be a POS. Define a chain in A. Also, define a maximal element in A.
10. Let B be a nonempty subset of a POS (A, ≤). Define an upper bound and lower bound of B.
11. (Zorn’s Lemma) Let (A, ≤) be a POS such that every chain in A has an upper bound in A. Then
A has maximal elements.
12. Let A and B be nonempty sets. Show that there exists a one-one map either from A to B or from
B to A.
13. Let A and B be nonempty sets and let f : A −→ B be a map. Show that
(a) if f is one-one then A ≃ Im(f ) and there exists an onto map g : B −→ A such that g of = IA .
(b) if f is onto then there exists an one-one map g : B −→ A such that f og = IB .
14. Let A and B be nonempty sets and let f : A −→ B be a map. Let X be a nonempty subset of A.
Define the restriction of f to X (Notation: f |X ).
15. Let X = {Aλ | λ ∈ Λ} and Y = {Bλ | λ ∈ Λ} be families of nonempty sets such that elements of
X as well as elements of Y are pairwise disjoint. Let fλ : Aλ −→ Bλ be bijections. Show that there
exists a bijection from ∪λ∈Λ Aλ to ∪λ∈Λ Bλ .
16. (Schöder-Bernstein Theorem) Let A and B be nonempty sets and let f : A −→ B and g : B −→ A
be one-one maps. Show that A ≃ B.
17. Discuss the notion of cardinality of sets.
18. Let A, B, C be nonempty sets.
(a) If card(A) ≤ card(B) and card(B) ≤ card(C) then show that card(A) ≤ card(C).
(b) If card(A) = card(B) and card(B) = card(C) then show that card(A) = card(C).
(c) If card(A) ≤ card(B) and card(B) ≤ card(A) then show that card(A) = card(B).
(d) If there exists an onto map from A to B then show that card(B) ≤ card(A).