LAST LESSON

 We defined sets either by listing its members

A = {1,2,3,4}
Or by using set builder notation

A = {x | x ∈ N, x < 5}
THE EMPTY SET AND SET
EQUALITY
EMPTY SET
EMPTY SET OR NULL SET

An empty set can be denoted as “{ }” or “Ø”

This is important to know because we will later on use this.

In set operations, the intersection of two sets, we might have an empty set as our
answer.

For example: A = { 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 } a n d B = { 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 }
EMPTY SET OR NULL SET

A = { 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 } and B = { 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 }

Find the intersection of A and b (meaning compare the elements of the two sets
and the elements that exists in both set A and B). Notice that there is no same
elements between the two Sets, so we write.

A ∩ B = { } or A ∩ B = Ø (containing empty or null)

IMPORTANT NOTE

 NULL VS. SINGLE TON

 The cardinality of a null set is |{ }| = 0

 The cardinality of a singleton or |{ Ø }| = 1 meaning the set containes an empty set.

SET EQUALITY

 If two sets contain exactly the same elements they are said to be equal.
SET EQUALITY

 Notice that it doesn’t matter that their elements are listed in different orders.

 In our definition of sets, remember that a set is a collection of unordered, distinct

objects called elements.

 This means that the order in which the elements of a set are listed is irrelevant.

 These only says that every element listed [on one set] is a member of the [other]
set.
NOT EQUAL SETS

 For example A = { 1 , 3 , 5 } and B = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 }

 A is a subset of B, A ⊆ B. because every element in A is also in B.

 but set A is not Equal to set B because the cardinality of the two elements are not the
same.
SET EQUALITY
SUBSET
SUBSETS

If all a elements of set A are also

contained in set B, then we say that
set A is a subset of set B
Subset of B
THIS RELATION IS DENOTED USING THE
SUBSET SYMBOL

⊆
subset
IF TWO SETS ARE EQUAL
IF TWO SETS ARE EQUAL
ANY EQUAL SETS ARE SUBSETS OF EACH
OTHER
The subset symbol can used whenever the elements of A are also members of B,
whether A has the same number of elements as B or has fewer elements.
IMPORTANT NOTE

The subset symbol can used whenever the elements of A are also members of B,
whether A has the same number of elements as B or has fewer elements.
IMPORTANT NOTE

 But when A has fewer elements, we can be more specific and call set A a PROPER
subset of B.
 IMPORTANT NOTE

We denote a proper subset using a “⊂” with the line

underneath. “⊆” – subset, “⊂” - proper subset.

Set A is a proper subset of set B (A ⊂ B) if all of the

elements of set A are members of set B, but there is at least
one element of set B that is not an member of set A (A ≠ B).
SUPERSET
SUPER SET

A set A is a superset of another set B if

all elements of the set B are elements
of the set A.
SUPERSET

In a case where set A is a subset of B we

can also say that set B is a superset of
set A. This relation is denoted using a
superset symbol, which is the subset
symbol reversed “⊇”
SUBSET AND SUPER SET COMPARISON
 IMPORTANT NOTE

Who should be the subset and who should be the superset?

Check the Cardinality

For example the |A| = 2 and the |B| = 3

Then |A| = 2 < |B| = 3

Then set B is the superset and A is the subset?

What if the cardinality is equal? Then they are

both subset of each other?

REVIEW
Symbols Description
{}
Ø
⊇
⊆
⊃
⊂
{Ø}
∈
∉
|
REVIEW ON SUBSETS

1. If U = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13}, then which of the following are subsets of U. 
B = {2, 4} 
A = {0}
C = {1, 9, 5, 13}
D = {5, 11, 1} 
E = {13, 7, 9, 11, 5, 3, 1} 
F = {2, 3, 4, 5}