CHAPTER 4: OPERATIONS ON SETS

4.1 Intersection of Sets

• The intersection of two sets A and B, is the set of elements

which are COMMON to both set A and set B.

• It is written as A  B and read as ‘ A intersection B ’.

B
• AB A

A
• ABC
B
C
 Example 1
Given the universal set ξ = { x : x is an integer, 1 ≤ x ≤ 20},
set P = { x : x is an odd number}, set Q = { x : x is a prime number}
and set R = { x : x are factors of 18}.

a) List all the elements and state the number of elements and state
the number of elements of the following sets:
(i) P  Q (ii) P  R (iii) Q  R (iv) P  Q  R

Solution
(i) P  Q
P = { 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 17 , 19 }

Q = { 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 11 , 13 , 17 , 19 }

P  Q = { 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19} n (P  Q) = 7

 (ii) P  R
Solution
P = { 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 17 , 19 }

R = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 , 18 }

P  R = { 1, 3, 9} n (P  R ) = 3

(iii) Q  R
Solution

Q = { 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 11 , 13 , 17 , 19 }
R = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 , 18 }

Q  R = {2, 3} n (Q  R) = 2
(iv) P  Q  R
Solution
P = { 1 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 13 , 15 , 17 , 19 }
Q = { 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 11 , 13 , 17 , 19 }
R = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 , 18 }

P  Q  R = {3} n (P  Q  R) = 1
Determine the Intersection of Two or More Sets using Venn Diagram
P Q
P Q

PQ PQ=Q
(P  Q)  P
P Q
P Q

R R

PR PQR
 Example 1
The Venn diagram shows set K, set L and set M such that the
universal set, ξ = {11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19}. List all the elements
of the following intersections of sets:

a) K  L K M
. 11 L .13
b) L  M .17
.12
.18
.15
.14
.16
c) K  M .19

d) K  L  M
Solution

a) K  L = {12, 14, 18} K

L M
. 11 .13
.12 .15
K L .17 .18
.14
.16
.19

b) L  M = {18}
L M
Solution

c) K  M = {13, 18} K
L M
. 11 .13
.12 .15
K M .17 .18
.14
.16
.19

b) K  L  M = {18}
K
M
L
THE END