This document provides an introduction to set theory. It begins with definitions of key terms like set, element, finite set, infinite set, empty set, subsets, unions, intersections, complements and Venn diagrams. It then provides examples of how to represent sets using roster, descriptive and set-builder notation. The document outlines 10 learning objectives covering topics like defining sets, classifying sets, set operations and using Venn diagrams. It includes examples and explanations of set theory concepts. Exercises are provided at the end to assess understanding.
This document provides an introduction to set theory. It begins with definitions of key terms like set, element, finite set, infinite set, empty set, subsets, unions, intersections, complements and Venn diagrams. It then provides examples of how to represent sets using roster, descriptive and set-builder notation. The document outlines 10 learning objectives covering topics like defining sets, classifying sets, set operations and using Venn diagrams. It includes examples and explanations of set theory concepts. Exercises are provided at the end to assess understanding.
This document provides an introduction to set theory. It begins with definitions of key terms like set, element, finite set, infinite set, empty set, subsets, unions, intersections, complements and Venn diagrams. It then provides examples of how to represent sets using roster, descriptive and set-builder notation. The document outlines 10 learning objectives covering topics like defining sets, classifying sets, set operations and using Venn diagrams. It includes examples and explanations of set theory concepts. Exercises are provided at the end to assess understanding.
This document provides an introduction to set theory. It begins with definitions of key terms like set, element, finite set, infinite set, empty set, subsets, unions, intersections, complements and Venn diagrams. It then provides examples of how to represent sets using roster, descriptive and set-builder notation. The document outlines 10 learning objectives covering topics like defining sets, classifying sets, set operations and using Venn diagrams. It includes examples and explanations of set theory concepts. Exercises are provided at the end to assess understanding.
Set theory is the true study of infinity. This alone assures the subject of a place prominent in human culture. But even more, Set Theory is the milieu in which mathematics takes place today. As such, it is expected to provide a firm foundation for the rest of mathematics. And it does—up to a point; we will prove theorems shedding light on this issue.
After the end of the module, you should be able to:
1. define set; 2. write sets in three different ways; 3. define the empty set; 4. find the cardinality of a set; 5. classify sets as finite or infinite; 6. decide if two sets are equal or equivalent; 7. define the complement of a set; 8. find all subsets of a set; 9. find intersections, unions, and differences of sets; 10. illustrate set statements involving two or three sets with Venn diagrams; and 11. solve problems using Venn diagrams.
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
TIME FRAME: 6 hours
CHECK-UP TEST
Answer numbers 23 - 28 on page 54 (Sobecki, D. (2019). Math in Our World. New
York. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.)
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
LESSON PROPER
I. Sets
A set is a collection of objects. In our study of sets, we’ll want to restrict our attention to sets that are well-defined. A set is well-defined if for any given object, we can objectively decide whether it is or is not in the set. Each object in a set is called an element or a member of the set.
Roster Method The elements of the set are listed between braces, with commas between the elements. The order in which we list elements isn’t important.
Natural Numbers Sets are often labeled with capital letters. The Set of Natural Numbers (Counting Numbers) is defined as N = {1, 2, 3, 4 …}. (When we are designating sets, the three dots, or ellipsis, mean that the list of elements continues indefinitely in the same pattern.)
The Set of Even Natural Numbers is
E = {2, 4, 6, 8, …}
The Set of Odd Natural Numbers is
O = {1, 3, 5, 7, …}
Three Common Ways to Designate a Set
1. List or Roster Method
2. Descriptive Method
3. Set-Builder Notation
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
Empty Set or Null Set
A set with no elements is called an empty set or null set. The symbols used to represent the null set are { } or ∅.
Cardinal Number The cardinal number of a set is the number of elements in the set. For a set A the symbol for the cardinality is n(A), which is read as “n of A.”
Finite and Infinite Sets
A set is called finite if it has no elements, or has cardinality that is a natural number. A set that is not finite is called an infinite set.
Equal and Equivalent Sets
Two sets A and B are equal (written A = B) if they have exactly the same members or elements. Two finite sets A and B are said to be equivalent (written A B) if they have the same number of elements: that is, n(A) = n(B).
II. Subsets and Set Operations
Universal Set The universal set for a given situation, symbolized by U, is the set of all objects that are reasonable to consider in that situation.
Venn Diagram
In the remainder of this chapter, we’ll use a clever method for visualizing sets and their relationships called a Venn diagram (so named because it was developed by a man named John Venn in the 1800’s).
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
Complement
The complement of a set A, symbolized A’, is the set of elements in the universal set that are not in A.
Using set-builder notation, the complement of A is
A’= {x | x ∈ U and x ∉ A}.
Subsets
If every element of a set A is also an element of a set B, then A is called a subset of B. The symbol ⊆ is used to designate a subset; in this case, we write A ⊆ B.
• Every set is a subset of itself. Every element of a set A is of course an element of set A, so A ⊆ A.
• The empty set is a subset of every set. The empty set has no elements, so for any set A, you can’t find an element of that is not also in A.
Proper Subsets
If a set A is a subset of a set B and is not equal to B, then we call A a proper subset of B, and write A ⊂ B. That is, A ⊆ B and A ≠ B.
Number of Subsets for a Finite Set
If a finite set has n elements, then the set has 2n subsets and 2n - 1 proper subsets.
Number of elements : n 0 1 2 3 Number of subsets : 2n 1 2 4 8 Number of proper subsets : 2n - 1 0 1 3 7
Intersection of Sets The intersection of two sets A and B, symbolized by A ∩ B, is the set of all elements that are in both sets. In set-builder notation,
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
A ∩ B = {x | x A and x B}. Note that the word “and” means intersection.
Disjoint Sets
When the intersection of two sets is the empty set, the sets are said to be disjoint. For example, the set of students who stop attending class midway through a term and the set of students earning A’s are disjoint, because you can’t be a member of both sets.
Union of Sets The union of two sets A and B, symbolized by A ∪ B, is the set of all elements that are in either set A or set B (or both). In set-builder notation,
A ∪ B = {x | x A or x B}. Note that the word “or” means union.
Set Subtraction The difference of set A and set B is the set of elements in set A that are not in set B. In set- builder notation, A - B = {x | x A and x B}.
III. Using Venn Diagrams to Study Set Operations
Venn Diagrams with Two Sets We’ll start with diagrams involving interactions between two sets, as in Figure 2-8. Region I represents the elements in set A that are not in set B. Region II represents the elements in both sets A and B. Region III represents the elements in set B that are not in set A. Region IV represents the elements in the universal set that are in neither set A nor set B.
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
Diagrams with Three Sets Region I represents the elements in set A but not in set B or set C. Region II represents the elements in set A and set B but not in set C. Region III represents the elements in set B but not in set A or set C. Region IV represents the elements in sets A and C but not in set B. Region V represents the elements in sets A, B, and C. Region VI represents the elements in sets B and C but not in set A. Region VII represents the elements in set C but not in set A or set B. Region VIII represents the elements in the universal set U, but not in set A, B, or C.
De Morgan’s Laws For any two sets A and B, (A B) = A B (A B) = A B
The first law states that the complement of the union of two sets will always be equal to the intersection of the complements of each set.
The second law states that the complement of the intersection of two sets will equal the union of the complements of the sets.
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
Cardinality of a Union If n(A) represents the cardinal number of set A, then for any two finite sets A and B, n(A ∪ B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A ∩ B). In words, the formula says that to find the number of elements in the union of A and B, you add the number of elements in A and B and then subtract the number of elements in the intersection of A and B.
IV. Infinite Sets
Infinite Sets A set is infinite if it can be placed into a one-to-one correspondence with a proper subset of itself.
General Term of an Infinite Set
One consequence of the way we showed that the set of natural numbers is infinite is that we can find a generic formula for the set of even numbers: 2n, where n is the set {1, 2, 3, 4, . . .}. We will call 2n in this case a general term of the set of even numbers. Notice that we said “a general term,” not “the general term.” In most cases the simplest general term is the one where the first listed number is obtained from substituting in 1 for n, and that’s the one we’ll typically find.
Countable and Uncountable Sets
A set is defined to be countable if it is finite or can be placed into one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers. If it cannot, it is defined to be uncountable.
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
Exercises: Answer numbers 2, 10, 14, 26, 28, 32, 42, 44, and 50 on pages 96 – 97 54 (Sobecki, D. (2019). Math in Our World. New York. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.)
References
A. TEXTBOOK Sobecki, D. (2019). Math in Our World. New York. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
B. BOOKS: Adam, J. (2009). Mathematics in Nature: Modeling Patterns in the Natural World. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Aufmann, R.N., Lockwood, J. S., Nation, R.D. & Clegg, D. K. (2013). Mathematical Excursions, Third Edition. CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
INTRODUCTION TO SET THEORY – Module 3
Axler, S. (2012). Algebra and Trigonometry (12th edition). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lawsky, E. et al. (2014). CK-12 Probability and Statistics – Advanced ( Second Edition) Flexbook.
Nachtergaele, B. (2016). Linear Algebra as an Introduction to Abstract Mathematics. New
Jersey : World Scientific.
Nocon, R. (2018). Essential Mathematics for the Modern World. Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.
Sirug, W. (2014). Business Mathematics, rev. ed. Manila: Mindshapers Co.
Stewart, I. (1995). Nature’s Numbers. New York, NY: BasicBooks.
C. ELECTRONIC SOURCES:
The Language of Mathematics. Retrieved September 9, 2017 from
