LANGUAGE

OF SETS
 SETS
A set is a well-defined collection of
objects; the objects are called elements or
members of the set.
The word well defined was used by the
German Mathematician Georg Cantor
(1845 - 1918 A.D) to define a set. He is
known as father of set theory. Sets are
denoted by capital letters and their
elements by lowercase letters.
Some standard notations to represent sets:
 
: the set of natural numbers
: the set of whole numbers
/ : the set of integers
: the set of positive integers
: the set of negative integers
: the set of rational numbers
: the set of real numbers
: the set of complex numbers
REPRESENTATION OF SETS
1. Roster Method (Tabulation Method)
– the elements of the set are enumerated
or separated by a comma.
Example:
 If A be the set of vowels of English alphabet, it can
be written in Roster form as A = { a, e, i, o, u}
 If B be the set of natural numbers less than 7, then
B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
REPRESENTATION OF SETS
2. Rule Method (Set-builder Notation)
– used to describe the elements or
members of the set.
Example:
 If A be the set of vowels of English alphabet, it can
be written in Roster form as
A = {x|x is a vowel of English alphabet}
 If B be the set of natural numbers less than 7, then
B = {x|x is a natural number, x<7}
 ANOTHER EXAMPLES
Roster Method
 C = {2, 4, 6, 8}
 D = {m, a, t, h, e, i, c, s}
 E = {4, 44, 444,
4444…}
Rule Method
 C = {x|x is an even
number between 1 and
10}
 D = {x|x is a distinct letter
in the word mathematics}
 E = {x|x is a natural
number whose digit
consists of fours only}
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Finite and Infinite Sets
A set is said to be finite if its elements can be
counted and it is said to be infinite if it is not
possible to count up to its last element.
Finite: Infinite:
• A = {x|x is a vowel in • C = {x|x is an odd
English alphabet} number}
• B = {x|x is a natural • D = {x|x is a set of real
number less than 5} number}
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Singleton Set
A set which has only one element is
known as singleton.
EXAMPLE:
 E = {3}
 F = {x|x is an integer, 1<x<3}
 G = {x|x is an even prime number}
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Empty/Null Set
The unique set with no elements is called the
empty set (null set/void set), it is denoted by
the symbol ø or { }.
EXAMPLE:
 H = {x|x is number which is greater than 7 but
less than 5}
 I = {x|x is a panda bear in Manila Zoo}
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Universal Set
A large fixed set containing all elements is
called universal set, denoted by the symbol U.

EXAMPLE:
 U = {x|x is an animal in Manila Zoo}
 U = {1, 2, 3, 4, … 100}
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Cardinality of Set
The cardinality or the cardinal number of
a set is the number of elements or members in
the set, the cardinality of set A is denoted by n(A).
EXAMPLE:
 G = {a, e, i, o, u}
 H = {x|x is a positive integer less than 10}
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Equal and Equivalent Sets
Two sets A and B are said to be equivalent
sets if they have same number of elements,
denoted by A~B, but they are said to be
equal if they have not only the same number
of elements but elements are also the same.
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Equivalent Sets: Equal Sets:
 I = {a, b, c} and J = {4,  M = {1, 2, 3} and N =
5, 6}, therefore I~J {2, 3, 1}, therefore M=N
 K = {summer, autumn,  O = {Monday, Tuesday,
winter, spring} and Wednesday, Thursday,
L = {apple, banana, Friday} and P =
{Wednesday, Tuesday,
peach, grapes},
Friday, Monday,
therefore K~L
Thursday}, therefore
O=P
CLASSIFICATION OF SETS
Disjoint Set
Two sets are said to be disjoint if they do not
have any common element.
EXAMPLE:
 Q = { 1, 2, 3} and R = { 4, 5, 6 }
 S = {a,b,c} and T = {d,e,f}
 V = {2, 4, 6, 8} and W = {1, 3, 5, 7}
EXERCISE!!
 

Directions: Write your answer in a ¼ sheet of

yellow paper. ANSWER ONLY.
I. Identify whether the following are Finite set,
Infinite set, or Empty Set.
1. A = {x|x is a set of first seven whole numbers}
2. S = {x|x is a vowel of English alphabet}
3. D = {x|x is a set of fractions in integers}
4. F = {x|x is set of positive odd numbers}
II. Express each set in roster method
5. G = {x|x is a set of months in a year}
6. H = {x|x is a collection of days in a week}
7. J = {x|x is the letter in the word technology}
III. Express each set in rule method.
8. K = {m, a, t, h, e, i, c, s}
9. L = {red, yellow, blue}
10. Z = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
 VENN DIAGRAM
- named after the English logician John
Venn, is a pictorial representation of sets.
It can be used to perform set operations
and their relationships to each other.

A
U
 OPERATIONS ON SETS
 
The union of A and B, denoted AB, is
the set of all elements x in U such that x is
in A or x is in B.
AB = { x | x  A or x  B}
U
A
   

B
 EXAMPLES
1. Let R = {-1, 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and S = {4, 5,
6, 7}
2. Let D = {a, b, c} and E = {d, c, f, e}
3. Consider the given Venn diagram. What
are the elements that are either in set A or
in set B?
 OPERATIONS ON SETS
 
The intersection of A and B, denoted
AB, is the set of all elements x in U such
that x is in A and x is in B.
AB = { x | x  A and x  B}
U
A
   

B
 EXAMPLES
1. Let C = { -2, -1, 0,1, 2, 4, 8 } and
D = { -1, 0,1,3,7 }
2. Let F = {u, v, w, x, y, z} and G = {q, r, s, t,
u, v}
3. Consider the given Venn diagram. What
is the element that is both in set A and in set
B?
 OPERATIONS ON SETS
The complement of A, denoted A’, is
the set of all elements x in U such that x is
not in A.
A' = U – A = { x  U | x  A }
U

A   A
 EXAMPLES
1. Let U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}, S =
{2, 4, 6, 7} and T = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}. Find S’
and T’.
2. Let U = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g} and L = {b, c, f}.
Find L’.
3. Consider the given Venn Diagram. What
are the elements that are not present in set
A? In set B?
 OPERATIONS ON SETS
 
The difference of A and B, denoted A-B (or
AB’), is the set of all elements x in U such that x
is in A and x is not in B.
A-B = { x  U | x  A and x B}
= AB’
U
A
   

B
 EXAMPLES
1. Let U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}, J =
{4, 5, 6, 7} and K = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}. Find J-K.
2. Let U = {q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z}, Y = {r, t,
u, y, z} and Z = {u, v, w, x, y, z}. Find Y-Z.
3. Consider the given Venn Diagram. What
are the set of elements in set A that are not
elements of set B?
 CARTESIAN PRODUCT
The Cartesian product of sets A and B
is written AxB. In able to get AxB, we pair
each element of A with each element of B.
EXAMPLES:
 A = {2, 5} and B = {7, 8}
 C = {1, 2, 3} and D = {4, 5}
 SAMPLE PROBLEM
The High School Student Council, which
is sponsoring a sport festival student to
participate in the said activity. From a group
of 520 freshmen students, 403 students
chose to play basketball, 361 students
chose to play volleyball and 289 students
chose to play both events.
 QUESTION
a) How many freshmen students will participate
in the sports festival ?

b)How many freshmen students chose not to

participate in the sports festival ?
ACTIVITY TIME!!