SETS

SETS AND VENN DIAGRAMS

THEORY

1.1.1. Sets
A set is well defined collection of objects.

1.1.1.1. Methods to represent sets:I. Listing Method

II. Set-Builder Method/Notation
l. Listing Method:
In this method we
the braces.

the set by listing elements of set in

Eg. A is a set of elements a,b,c,d.

Then,
A={a,b,c,d}

ll. Set builder Method:

Sometimes, listing all the elements of set becomes
inconvenient if number of elements are many. In such cases,
we list elements of set by
which is
possessed by each element of set.
Suppose set A represents list of number between 0 and 25
which are perfect square.
Then,it will be represented as A={x| xR, x<=25}.
Similarly, numbers from 1 to 100 can be listed as
B={x|xR,1<=x<=100}
1

SETS

SETS AND VENN DIAGRAMS

THEORY

1.1.1.2. Types of sets:

Finite set:
A set containing

number of elements

Eg. Set of positive integers from 1 to 100, number of

days in a week.

Infinite set:
A set containing
number of elements is called
Infinite set.
Eg. Set of real numbers, a set of number of stars in sky.

Singleton set/unit set:

This set contains only
element.
eg A= {x| x is a positive root of x2+3x-10=0}

Empty set/null set/void set:

A set which has
It is denoted by or {}.

Universal set:
A set which is taken as
and is
for
any set is called universal set. It is denoted by U or S
[sample space].
It depends on what we are considering to define a set.

SETS

SETS AND VENN DIAGRAMS

THEORY

Subsets:
For two sets A and B, if every element of A is an
element of B, then A is called as subset of B.It is denoted
as A B i.e. A is a subset of B or is included in B.
If A is not subset of B then it is denoted as A B.
Eg. Let A denote elements from 1 to 100 and B denote
elements which are perfect square from 1 to 100.
i.e. A={1,2,3..100} and B={1,4,16,25,36,49,64,81}
Therefore, B is a subset of A i.e. B A.

Proper subset:
If A is a set which is subset of B but all the elements of A
and B
then A is a proper subset of B.It is
denoted by A B.

Equal sets:
If two sets A and B have
i.e. every
elements of A is an element of B and if every element of
B is an element of A, then A and B are equal sets i.e.
A=B.

Disjoint sets:
If two sets have no common elements then sets are
disjoint.eg A={1,2,3,4} and B= {4,5,6}.Here A and B are
disjoint sets or if AB= then A and B are disjoint [
means intersection which will be explained in module
1.1.3]

SETS

SETS AND VENN DIAGRAMS

THEORY

1.1.2 Venn Diagram:

It is
of sets. In this method,
universal set is represented using a
and area of
rectangle can be divided within this rectangle as sets [usually
as a
].