NOTES ON THE

CONSEPT OF SETS
 WE HAVE THREE
IMPORTANT FACTS TO
REMEMBER ABOUT
• OrderingSETS:
of elements
• Repetition of elements
• Properties difining the set
ORERING OF
ELEMENTS:
Ordering of elements in a set refers to the
arrangement of its members in a specific
sequence. However, in sets, the order of
elements does not affect the set itself. This
means that changing the order of elements
within a set does not change the set itself.
 EXAMPLE:
the sets {1, 2, 3} and {2, 1, 3} are considered identical because
they contain the same elements, even though the order of those
elements is different.
A= (1,2,3) A= (a,b,c)
B= (1,2,3) B= (a,b,c)
REPETITION OF
ELEMENTS:
Repetition of elements in a set refers to the
occurrence of the same element more than
once within the set. However, in sets,
repetition is not considered; each element is
unique within the set. This means that whether
an element appears once or multiple times
within a set does not affect the set itself.
 Examples:

A= (1,1,2) A= (a,b,b,c,d)
B= (1,2) B= (a,c,d,b)
PROPERTIES DEFINING
THE ELEMENTS:
Properties defining the elements in a set refer to the
characteristics or conditions that the elements must
satisfy to be included in the set. These properties are
often expressed through set-builder notation, where a
set is defined based on a rule or condition.
 EXAMPLE:
• The set {x | x is a positive even number} is defined by the property “x
is a positive even number,” and it includes elements like 2, 4, 6, and so
on. The properties help establish the criteria for membership in the set.
• A set defined by a property is the set {y | y is a prime number}. This
set includes elements like 2, 3, 5, 7, and so forth, where each element
satisfies the property of being a prime number.
Special Sets
WE HAVE THREE special
sets
• NULL SET
• SINGLETON SET
• UNIVERSAL SET
NULL SET
A null set, also called an empty set, contains no
elements and is represented by {} or ∅.
Examples of null sets include:
• The set of integers divisible by both 10 and 11.
• The solutions to x^2 = -1 in real numbers.
• The set of even prime numbers.
SINGLETON SET
A singleton set consists of just one element and is
denoted as {element}.
Examples of singleton sets include:
• {5} - a set containing only the element 5.
• {apple} - a set with only the element “apple.”
• {√2} - a set containing solely the square root
of 2.
UNIVERSAL SET
A universal set, symbolized as (U), encompasses all elements
relevant to a specific discussion or problem, providing a
comprehensive representation.
Examples of universal sets:
• U= (1,2,3,4,5,6)- comprising all natural numbers from 1 to 6.
• U= (A,B,C,D,E) - encompassing all English alphabet letters.
• U= (xlx is a fruit) - representing the set of all fruits.