SETS

SETS
A set is a well-defined collection of objects. By a well-defined collection we

mean that there exists a rule with the help of which it is possible to tell whether a
given object belongs or does not belong to the given collection.
The sets are usually denoted by capital letters A, B, C, etc.
If 𝑨 = {𝒂, 𝒆, 𝒊, 𝒐, 𝒖}.
then 𝒂  𝑨 (read as a belongs to A)
and 𝒃  𝑨 (read as b doesn’t belong to A).
(1) Roster or Tabular form: In this method a set is described by listing elements,
separated by commas, within braces { }.
The set of vowels = {𝑎, 𝑒, 𝑖, 𝑜, 𝑢}.
(2) Set-builder form: In this method, elements of a set is described by a property.
The set of vowels = {𝑥: 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑣𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑙}.
(1) Null set or Empty set: A set which has no element is called the null set or empty
set. It is denoted by the symbol ∅ or { }.
(2) Singleton set: A set having only one element is called singleton set.
(3) Finite set: A set is called a finite set if its elements can be counted.
(4) Infinite set: A set whose elements cannot be counted.
(5) Equal set: Two sets A and B are said to be equal iff every element of A
is an element of B and also every element of B is an element of A.
We write “A = B” .
Example: If 𝐴 = {2,3,5,6} and 𝐵 = {6,5,3,2}. Then 𝑨 = 𝑩,
(5) Subsets: Let A and B be two sets. If every element of A is an element
of B, then A is called a subset of B. If A is subset of B, we write 𝑨  𝑩, which is
read as “A is a subset of B” or “A is contained in B”.
Thus, 𝑨  𝑩  𝒊𝒇 𝒂  𝑨  𝒂  𝑩.
Proper and improper subsets: If A is a subset of B and 𝑨 ≠ 𝑩, then A is a proper
subset of B. We write this as 𝑨 ⊂ 𝑩.
(7) Universal set : A set that contains all sets in a given context is called the
universal set and is denoted by U.
(8) Power set : The set of all subsets of a given set A is called the power set of A
and is denoted by P(A).
𝑷(𝑨) = {𝑻 ∶ 𝑻  𝑨}. Obviously ∅ and A are both elements of P(A).
Let S = {a, b, c}, then P(S) = {𝜑, {a}, {b}, {c}, {a, b}, {a, c}, {b, c}, {a, b, c}}.
If A has 𝒏 elements, then P(A) has 𝟐𝒏 elements.
(1) Union of sets : The union of A and B is the set of all elements which are in set
A or in B.
U
𝑨 ∪ 𝑩 = {𝒙 : 𝒙 ∈ 𝑨 or 𝒙 ∈ 𝑩}. AB
A B
(2) Intersection of sets : Let A and B be two sets. The intersection of A and B is the
set of all those elements that belong to both A and B.
U
Thus, 𝑨  𝑩 = {𝒙 ∶ 𝒙  𝑨 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒙  𝑩}.
AB
A B
(3) Disjoint sets : Two sets A and B are said to be disjoint, 𝒊𝒇 𝑨  𝑩 = .
(4) Difference of sets : Let A and B be two sets. The difference of A and B written
as A – B, is the set of all those elements of A which do not belong to B.
Thus, 𝑨 – 𝑩 = {𝒙 ∶ 𝒙  𝑨 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒙  𝑩}
U U
A–B B–A
A B A B
(5) Complement of a set : Let U be the universal set and let A be a set such that
A  U. Then, the complement of A with respect to U
is denoted by 𝑨 or 𝑨𝑪 or 𝑼 – 𝑨
Thus, 𝑨 = {𝒙  𝑼 ∶ 𝒙  𝑨}. A
U
A
Clearly, 𝒙  𝑨  𝒙  𝑨
Some Important Results on Number of Elements in Sets.
If A, B and C are finite sets and U be the finite universal set, then
(1) 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑨) + 𝒏(𝑩) – 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩)
(2) 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑨) + 𝒏(𝑩)  A, B are disjoint non-void sets.
(3) 𝒏(𝑨 – 𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑨) – 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) 𝒊. 𝒆. 𝒏(𝑨 – 𝑩) + 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑨)
(4) 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩  𝑪) = 𝒏(𝑨) + 𝒏(𝑩) + 𝒏(𝑪)– 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩)– 𝒏(𝑩  𝑪)
– 𝒏(𝑨  𝑪) + 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩  𝑪)
(5) 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑼) – 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩)
(6) 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝒏(𝑼) – 𝒏(𝑨  𝑩)
Laws of Algebra of Sets

(1) Idempotent laws: For any set A, we have
(𝒊) 𝑨 𝑨 = 𝑨(𝒊𝒊) 𝑨  𝑨 = 𝑨
(2) Identity laws: For any set A, we have
(𝒊) 𝑨 = 𝑨 (𝒊𝒊) 𝑨  𝑼 = 𝑨
(3) Commutative laws : For any two sets A and B, we have
(𝒊) 𝑨  𝑩 = 𝑩  𝑨 (𝒊𝒊) 𝑨  𝑩 = 𝑩  𝑨
i.e. union, intersection and symmetric difference of two sets are commutative.
(𝒊𝒊𝒊) 𝑨 − 𝑩 ≠ 𝑩 − 𝑨
i.e., difference and cartesian product of two sets are not commutative
(4) Associative laws : If A, B and C are any three sets, then
(𝒊) (𝑨  𝑩)  𝑪 = 𝑨  (𝑩  𝑪) (𝒊𝒊) 𝑨  (𝑩  𝑪) = (𝑨  𝑩)  𝑪
(5) Distributive law : If A, B and C are any three sets, then
(𝒊) 𝑨  (𝑩  𝑪) = (𝑨  𝑩)  (𝑨  𝑪) (𝒊𝒊) 𝑨  (𝑩  𝑪) = (𝑨  𝑩)  (𝑨  𝑪)
(6) De-Morgan’s law : If A and B are any two sets, then
(𝒊)(𝑨  𝑩) = 𝑨  𝑩 (𝒊𝒊) (𝑨  𝑩) = 𝑨  𝑩
(𝒊𝒊𝒊) 𝑨 − (𝑩 ∪ 𝑪) = (𝑨 − 𝑩) ∩ (𝑨 − 𝑪) (𝒊𝒗) 𝑨 − (𝑩 ∩ 𝑪) = (𝑨 − 𝑩) ∪ (𝑨 − 𝑪)
Note : Theorem 1: If A and B are any two sets, then
(𝒊) 𝑨 – 𝑩 = 𝑨  𝑩 (𝒊𝒊) 𝑩 – 𝑨 = 𝑩  𝑨
(𝒊𝒊𝒊) 𝑨 – 𝑩 = 𝑨  𝑨  𝑩 =  (𝒊𝒗) (𝑨 – 𝑩)  𝑩 = 𝑨  𝑩
(𝒗)(𝑨 – 𝑩)  𝑩 =  (𝒗𝒊) 𝑨  𝑩  𝑩  𝑨
(𝒗𝒊𝒊𝒊) (𝑨 – 𝑩)  (𝑩 – 𝑨) = (𝑨  𝑩) – (𝑨  𝑩)
Theorem 2 : If A, B and C are any three sets, then
(𝒊)𝑨 – (𝑩  𝑪) = (𝑨 – 𝑩)  (𝑨 – 𝑪) (𝒊𝒊) 𝑨 – (𝑩  𝑪) = (𝑨 – 𝑩)  (𝑨 – 𝑪)
(𝒊𝒊𝒊) 𝑨  (𝑩 – 𝑪) = (𝑨  𝑩) – (𝑨  𝑪) (𝒊𝒗) 𝑨  (𝑩  𝑪) = (𝑨  𝑩)  (𝑨  𝑪)

SETS

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SETS

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SETS

A set is a well-defined collection of objects. By a well-defined collection we

and 𝒃  𝑨 (read as b doesn’t belong to A).

(3) Disjoint sets : Two sets A and B are said to be disjoint, 𝒊𝒇 𝑨  𝑩 = .

Laws of Algebra of Sets

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