Lesson 1

Introduction to Sets
At the end of this lesson, the learner should be
able to:
● clearly define a set;

● accurately represent a set using roster and set-

builder forms;

● correctly list all the subsets of a set; and

● correctly solve problems involving sets.

• How will you represent a set?

• How will you write the subsets of a given set?

For this lesson, we will study sets and the different ways to
write them. Before we proceed, let’s watch the next video to
give overview about how to classify sets and the basic
requirements needed to define a set.

(Click on the link below to watch the video.)

“What Are Sets?” Don't Memorise. Zouka Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Retrieved 23 January 2019 from https://bit.ly/2VW0sDm.
● What are the first two collection of objects used in the
video? Do they have a common property?

● How did you define the sets of oceans in the video? How
many are there in that list?

● Can we consider the list of “good teachers” as a set? Why

or why not?
 1 Set
It is a collection of well-defined and distinct objects.

Examples:

Set A: all integers between -4 and 4

Set B: all colors in a rainbow
 2 Roster form
All elements of a set are listed and enclosed in braces.

Examples:

A = {-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3}

B = {red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet}
 3 Set-builder form
It is when a common property of all the elements of a set is written.

Examples:

A = { is an integer between -4 and 4}, or

A = { and }

B = {is a color in a rainbow}

 Subset
4 A set is said to be a subset of another set if all the elements of are contained in .
That is,

Example:

If and ,

then we say that

.
 5 Proper Subset
A subset, denoted by , which does not contain all the same elements of a set

Examples:

If and ,
then we say that .

If and ,
then we say that .
 6 Empty or Null Set
It is a set with no elements.

Example:

Set is the set of all even prime numbers between 10 and 20.
 
Set is an empty set because there are no even prime
numbers between 10 and 20.

We denote this set by or .

 Universal Set
7 It is the set containing all objects or elements and of which all other sets are
subsets, denoted by .

Example:

Given that and are subsets of the universal set,

then it is possible that .

 8 Cardinality of a Set
It is the number of elements in a set.

Example:

We denote the cardinality of set as .

Given that , then because there are five elements in set .

Example 1: Set consists of all the positive integers less than 7
and set consists of all the prime numbers less than 9.

Represent set in roster form and set in set-builder form.

Example 1: Set consists of all the positive integers less than 7
and set consists of all the prime numbers less than 9.

Represent set in roster form and set in set-builder form.

Solution:

In roster form,
.
 
In set-builder form,
.
Example 2: Set consists of all positive multiples of 3 less
than 26 and set consists of all positive multiples of 8 less
than 89. Find and .
Solution:

Since set consists of all positive multiples of 3 less than 26, .

Therefore, .
 
Since set consists of all positive multiples of 8 less than 89, .
Therefore, .
Individual Practice:

1. Set consists of odd integers from 40 to 54 and set

consists of even integers from 5 to 29. Represent set in
roster form and set in set-builder form.

2. Set consists of positive even multiples of 5 less than 60.

Set consists of odd multiples of 7 from 1 to 60. Find and .
Group Practice: To be done by 2 to 5 groups

Among six students in a class, namely, Jack, Karlo, Lexis,

Mario, Nathan, and Owen, only Jack, Lexis, and Mario love to
play basketball. Karlo, Nathan, and Owen, on the other hand,
love to play football. Define set as the set of students who
love to play basketball and set as the set of students who
love to play football. If the universal set contains all students
among them who love basketball or football, determine the
universal set.
 Sets
1 A collection of well-defined and distinct objects.

Roster form
2 All elements of a set are listed and enclosed in braces.

Set-builder form
3 A common property of all the elements of a set is written.

Subset
4 A set is said to be a subset of another set if all the elements of it are contained in
the another set.
 Proper Subset
5 A subset which does not contain all the same elements of
a set.

Empty or Null Set

6 A set with no elements.

Universal Set
7 A set containing all objects or elements and of which all other sets are subsets
denoted by .

Cardinality of a Set
8 It is the number of elements in a set.
● How can you apply the concept of sets in your daily life as
a student?

● What happens if you combine all the elements of two

given sets?

● Can you obtain all elements of the universal set that are
not found in a given set?