Set Operations

Niloufar Shafiei
Set operations

Two sets can be combined in many
different ways.

Set operations can be used to combine

sets.

1
Union
Let A and B be sets.

The union of A and B, denoted by AB, is

the set containing those elements that are
either in A or in B, or in both.
U
B A
AB = {x | x
A  x
B}

2
Union (example)

{1,2,3}  {2,4,6,8} =
{1,2,3,4,6,8}

{x| x
Z  x is even}  {x|x
Z  x is odd} =

Z

3
Intersection
Let A and B be sets.

The intersection of A and B, denoted by A

B, is the set containing those elements in
both A and B.
U
B A
AB = {x | x
A  x
B}

4
Intersection (example)

{1,2,3}  {2,4,6,8} =
{2}

Z  {x|x
Z  x is odd} =
{x|x
Z  x is odd}

{x|x
Z  x is even}  {x|x
Z  x is odd} =

Ø

Two sets are called disjoint if their intersection is empty.

5
The cardinality of the union of sets
|AB|=?

Solution:
A={1,2,3} B={2,3,4} AB={1,2,3,4}
|A|=3 |B|=3 AB|=4

|AB| = |A| + |B| - |A
B|

Principle of inclusion-exclusion

6
Difference
Let A and B be sets.

The difference of A and B, denoted by A-B,

is the set containing those elements that
are in A but not in B. (also called complement
of B with respect to A) A B U

A-B = {x | x
A  xB}

7
Difference (example)

{1,2,3} - {2,4} =
{1,3}

Z - {x|x
Z  x is odd} =
{x|x
Z  x is even}

8
Complement
Let U be the universal set and A be a set.

The complement of A, denoted by , is the

complement of A with respect to U (which
is U-A).
U
A
 = {x | x
A}

9
Complement (example)

A={a,b,c,d} and U is the set of English
alphabet
 = {e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v,w,x,y,z}

A = {x|x
Z  x is odd} and U is Z

 = {x|x
Z  x is even}

10
Set identities
A=A
A
U=A Identity laws

AU=U U
A
= Domination laws A

AA=A
A
A=A
Idempotent laws

() = A Complementation law

A = U
Complement laws
A
 = 
11
Set identities
AB = BA
A
B = B
A
Commutative laws U
A B C
A(BC) = (AB)C
A
(B
C) = (A
B)
C
Associative laws

A(A
B) = A
A
(AB) = A
Absorption laws
12
Set identities (example)
Show AB = AB.
Solution:
AB = {x | x  AB }
= {x | ¬(x
AB) }
= {x | ¬((x
A)  (x
B)) }
= {x | ¬(x
A)  ¬(x
B) }
= {x | (xA)  (xB) }
= {x | (x
A)  (x
B) }
= {x | (x
AB)}
= AB
13
Set identities

AB = AB
AB = AB
De Morgan’s laws

There is the similarity between set identities and

logical equivalences.
¬(AB)
¬A  ¬B
¬(AB)
¬A  ¬B

14
Set identities (example)
Show A  (B  C) = (A  B)  (A  C).
Solution:
Part 1: A  (B  C)  (A  B)  (A  C)
Assume x
A  (B  C).
(x
A)  (x
(B  C))
(x
A)  (x
B  r x
C)
(x
A  x
B)  (x
A  x
C)
(x
(A  B))  (x
(A  C))
x
(A  B)  (A  C)
So, A  (B  C)  (A  B)  (A  C).
15
Set identities (example)
Show A  (B  C) = (A  B)  (A  C).
Solution:
Part 2: (A  B)  (A  C)  A  (B  C)
Assume x
(A  B)  (A  C).
x
(A  B)  r x
(A  C)
(x
A  x
B)  (x
A  x
C)
x
A  (x
B  x
C)
x
A  (x
(B  C))
x
A  (B  C)
So, (A  B)  (A  C)  A  (B  C) .
Thus, A  (B  C) = (A  B)  (A  C).
16
Set identities
A  (B  C) = (A  B)  (A  C)
A  (B  C) = (A  B)  (A  C)
Distributive laws

There is the similarity between set identities

and logical equivalences.
A(BC)
(AB)  (AC)
A(BC)
(AB)  (AC)

17
 Set identities
A
(B  C) = (A
B)  (A
C)
A  (B
C) = (A  B)
(A  C)
Distributive laws
A B C B
C A  (B
C) AB A  C (A  B)
(A  C)
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1
1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1
1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Membership table 18
Set identities (example)
Show A  (B
C) = (C  B)
A.
Solution:
A  (B
C) =
A
(B
C) = (by De Morgan’s law)
A
(B  C) = (by De Morgan’s law)
(C  B)
A (by commutative law)

19
Database query
The query that returns students that their GPA
is more than B and they are either
computer science or mathematics major.
A: students that their GPA is more than B
B: students that are computer science major.
C: students that are Mathematics major.

A
(BC)
20
Generalized union
Assume A1, A2, … and An are sets

The union of A1, A2, … and An is the set that

contains those elements that are members
of at least one set.
n
A1
A2
…
An =
Ai
i=1

21
Generalized union (example)
n
Assume Ai is {i, i+1, i+2, …}. What is
Ai?
i=1

Solution:
A1 = {1,2,3,…}
A2 = {2,3,4,…}
A3 = {3,4,5,…}
:n

Ai = {1,2,3,…}
i=1
22
Generalized intersection
Assume A1, A2, … and An are sets

The intersection of A1, A2, … and An is the

set that contains those elements that are
members of all sets.
n
A1
A2
…
An =
Ai
i=1

23
Generalized intersection (example)
n
Assume Ai is {i, i+1, i+2, …}. What is
Ai?
i=1

Solution:
A1 = {1,2,3,…}
A2 = {2,3,4,…}
:
An = {n,n+1,n+2,…}
n

Ai = {n,n+1,n+2,…}
i=1
24
Generalized union and intersection


A1  A2  …  An  … =  Ai
i=1


A1
A2
…
An
… =
Ai
i=1

25
Example



Assume Ai = {1,2,3,…,i}. What is  Ai and
Ai?
i=1 i=1
Solution:
A1 = {1}
A2 = {1,2}
A3 = {1,2,3}
:


 Ai = Z+

i=1
Ai = {1}
i=1
26
Recommended exercises
3,5,7,9,11,13,17,19,24,27,29,45,49

27