“Mathematical Language and Symbols”

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

References: Mathematics in the Modern World A work text;
College Algebra
OBJECTIVES:
 Define a set;

 Name sets using roster and rule method;

 Solve problems involving operations on sets;

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

prepared by: Mary May Noynay
Sets
 a well-defined collection of distinct entities/objects,
called elements.

 Usually designated by a capital letter. A small letter is

used to designate the elements of the set.

U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

 Braces
- Used to enclose the listed elements of a set.

 Example:
A = {a, e, i, o, u}

a ∈ A means “ a is an element of Set A”

b ∉ A “b is not an element of set A”

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

 Naming Sets:
Roster Method
- listing all elements in the sets

Set Builder Notation/Rule method

- describing the elements in the set.

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

Example:
Roster Method Set Builder Notation

1. { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5} 1. {x | x is the first six whole

numbers}

2. {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} 2. { x | x is an even integer

between 0 and 12}

3. {M, I, S, P}
3. {x | x is a distinct letter in
MISSISSIPPI}

4. {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, …} 4. {x | x is all the Prime

numbers}

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

Some Important sets are the ff:
 The set of natural numbers N = { 1, 2, 3, …}
 The set of whole numbers W = {0, 1, 2, 3, …}
 The set of integers Z = { …, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, …}
 The set of rational numbers Q = {p/q | p , q ∈ Z; q ≠ 0}
 The set of irrational numbers 𝑄𝑐
 The set of real numbers R = Q U 𝑄𝑐
 The set of complex numbers C = {a + bi| a, b ∈ R; b ≠0}
Sets can be simplified according to its elements.
 Finite Sets
- countable elements
 Infinite Sets
- uncountable elements
 Empty Sets/ Null sets (∅ 𝑜𝑟 {})
- no elements
 Equal Sets
- sets with same elements
 Equivalent Sets
- sets with same number of elements

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

Example:
A = {1, 3, 5} C = {x |x is a person whose age is 200}

B = {1, 3, 5, …} D = {2, 4, 6} E = {5, 1, 3}

Identify which of the given sets shows the ff.:

1. Finite sets A, C, D & E
2. Infinite sets B
3. Empty sets C
4. Equal sets A=E
5. Equivalent sets A ≈ D; E ≈ D
prepared by: Mary May Noynay
Universal Set
 A set that contains all the elements considered in a
particular situation denoted by U.
 Examples:
1. Suppose we list the digits only.
U = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}

2. Suppose we consider the whole numbers.

U = { 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, …}

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

 Set A is a subset of B denoted by A ⊆ B, if every
element of A belongs to B.
(A ⊆ B if x ∈ A, then x ∈ B)
A = {a, b, c, d}
B = {a, b, c, d} A⊆B
 If A ⊆ B, and A ≠B, then A is a proper subset of B and it
is denoted by A ⊂ B.
A a
A = { a, b, c} b

B = { a, b, c, d, e}
A⊂B c d
e
B

 The subset consisting of all elements of a given set is

called an improper subset.
A = {1, 2, 3, 4} A B

B = {1, 2, 3, 4} A⊆B 1234

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

Cardinality of the Set
 It is the number of distinct elements belonging to a finite
set.
 Denoted by n(A) or |A|.
 Example: Find the cardinality of the given sets.

3
1. A = {a, b, c}

0
2. C = { }

1
3. D = {∅} or {{ }}

4. E = { a, {a} } 2

5. G = {∅, {a}, {a, b}} 3

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Power Set
 It is the family of all the subsets of A denoted by
Power(A) or P(A).
 Example:
1. Find P(A) given set A = { 1, 2}
P(A) = {∅, {1, 2}, {1}, {2}}
2. D = { a, {b} }; find P(D).
P (D) = {∅, {a, {b}}, {a}, {{b}} }
3. B = {a, b, c}; find P(B)
P(B) = {∅, {a, b, c}, {a}, {b}, {c}, {a, b}, {a, c} , {b, c} }

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

Four Basic Operations on Sets:
1. Union of Sets A and B (A ∪ B)
- sets of all elements found in A or B.
- {x |x ∈ A or x ∈ B}
example: U
A ={ a, b, c} A B
B={ c, e, f} a e
c
A ∪ B = {a, b, c, e, f} b f

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

2. Intersection of Sets A and B (A ∩ B)
- sets of elements common to both
- {x | x ∈ A and x ∈ B}
Example:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {1, 2, 3, 5, 6} U
A ∩ B = { 1, 2, 3, 5} A B
1
2 6
4 3
5

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

3. Complement of A (A’)
-sets of all elements found in the universal set but
not in A
- {x | x ∈ U and x ∉ A}
Example:
U = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} U
A
A’ = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} 2 1
4 3
6 5
8 7
10 9

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

4. Difference of two sets (A – B)
- set of all elements which belong to A but do not
change to B.
Example:
U
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
A B
B = {1, 3, 5} 1
2 3
A - B = {2, 4} 4 5
B – A = {} or ∅

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

Let’s Practice!
Name the ff. sets using Roster Method.
1. {x | x is a whole number less than 10}
Ans.: {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
2. {x | x is a distinct letter in “BANANA”}
Ans.: {B, A, N}
3. {x | x is a 200- year old person}
Ans. ∅

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

Let’s Practice!
Name the ff. sets using Rule method.
1. { 2, 4, 6, 8}
Ans.: {x | x is a positive even integer less than 10}

2. {m,a, t, h, e, i, c, s}
Ans.: { x | x is a distinct letter in Mathematics}

3. {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17,…}

Ans.: {x | x is all the prime numbers}

prepared by: Mary May Noynay

 U B

Let’s Practice! h
i

g f e
Given: U = { a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i} A C

A = {a, b, c, d} b ad
c
B = {e , f, g}
C= {a, d, e, f, g}
Find: 5. A ∩ C
A’ = {e, f, g, h, i} A∩C = {a, d}
1. A’
6. A’ ∩ ( B ∩ C)
2. A - B
A - B = {a, b, c, d}
= { e, f, g}
A ∪ B = {a, b, c, d,
3. A ∪ B 7. (B ∩ C) ∪ A
e, f, g}
4. B – C B - C = { } or ∅ = { a, b, c, d, e, f, g}
prepared by: Mary May Noynay
prepared by: Mary May Noynay
prepared by: Mary May Noynay