UNIT 7: TYPES OF SETS AND SPECIAL SETS

CONTENT:

7.0 Aims And Objectives

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Types Of Sets
7.3 Special Sets
7.4 Summary
7.5 Answers To Check Your progress Questions (CYP)
7.6 Model Examination Questions

7.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

In the previous unit you have seen what set is. In this unit you are going to learn sets with special
characters and various types of set.

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

- Differentiate types of set.

- Identify special types of set.

7.1 INTRODUCTION

What you have learnt in the above unit focused on how to describe a given set, now, you will see the
different types of sets which will help you create the relationship between sets depending on the
number and types of elements they contain. More over, some special sets, which are essential for
later chapters, are introduced.

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7.2 TYPES OF SETS

Depending on the number of elements they contain, sets are classified into two as follows:

1) Finite set- is a set with limited number of members, or finite number of elements.

Example A= { a, e, i, o, u} – is finite because it consists only five elements.

B= {1, 2 , 3, ……1000} – is also finite because even if it is described by

partial listing method, it contains only 1000 elements.

C= { x Є N/ x is even prime number }- is finite because 2 is the only natural

number which makes the open proposition true.

2) Infinite set- is a set, which is not finite, whose elements are not limited in number.

Example

N= {1, 2, 3, 4 …} - is an infinite set because the number of elements in the set of

counting number is not limited.

Z= {…, -3,-2,-1, 0, 1, 2, 3 …}

C= {x Є N / x is a positive multiple of 2} - is infinite because the positive natural

numbers that are multiples of 2 are not limited, they are 2,4,6,8, etc.

7.3 SPECIAL SETS

1) Empty set- is a set with no element. It is denoted by { } or Ø

Example

A= {x Є N/ x is between 2 and 3} - this is the empty set because there is no natural

number between 2 and 3.

B= {x/ x is a human being with four legs}= Ø

2) Singleton- is a set consisting of only one element.

Example
A = {0} is singleton
B = {x/ x Є R and 2x + 1 = 0} – is a singleton because –1/2 is the only real number
which makes the open proposition true.

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 C= {x Є N / x is neither prime nor composite} – this is singleton because 1 is the only
natural number which is neither prime nor composite.

Note: Empty set and singleton are finite sets.

3) Universal Set (U) - is a set of all elements admissible in a particular discussion.

Example

If a discussion is about the sets of even, odd, prime and composite positive integers,
then any set comprising at least all those numbers can be a universal set such as the
set of counting numbers (N), the set of integers (Z), the set of real numbers (R) etc.

CYP 1. Which of the following sets is/are infinite

a) {10,15,20,25,…,100,101,102}
b) {x/ x is a factor of 0}
c) {9, 6, 9, 6, 9, 6,…}
d) None.

CYP 2. Which of the following sets is/ are empty.

a) {Ø}
b) Ø
c) {x/ x is an integer having four factors}
d) None.

CYP 3. Which of the following sets is/are singleton.

a) {x/ x is a human being with two mothers}

b) {{Ø}}
c) {Ø}
d) b and c

CYP 4. Which of the following can be a universal set for the others.

a) {a, b, c}
b) {a, e, i, o, u}
c) {a, b, c, d…z}
d) {a, b, c, d,…t}

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7.4 SUMMARY

To classify a set as finite, we have to exactly figure out the number of elements it contains. A
finite set can be described by any of the description methods: complete listing, partial listing or
set builder methods.

On the other hand, since infinite set consist of unlimited members; it cannot be described by
complete listing method. A set consisting all elements under particular discussion, specially
named, as universal set can be finite or infinite set.

7.5 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS QUESTIONS (CYP)

CYP 1. b

CYP 2. b

CYP 3. d

CYP 4. c

7.6 MODEL EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

1) Classify the following sets as finite or infinite.

a) {x/ x Є N Λ x> -2}

b) {x/ x Є N Λ x< -2}
c) {x/ x Є N Λ x< 2}
d) {x/x is the number of Check your progress Questionss under this unit}

2) For sets, which are finite in question, no 1 above, assign the number of elements they
contain.

3) Describe the empty set by complete listing and set builder method.

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UNIT 8: SET RELATIONS

CONTENT:

8.0: Aims And Objectives

8.1: Introduction
8.2: Subset
8.3: Proper Subset
8.4: Equal Sets
8.5: Equivalent Sets
8.6: Summary
8.7: Answers To Check Your Progress Questions (CYP)
8.8: Model Examination Questions

8.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Different set may be related in various ways. The aim of this unit is to identify and explain these
relations which exist between sets.

At the end of this unit, the learner should be able to;

- create a relationship between sets if there is any.

- find subsets and proper subsets of a given set.

8.1 INTRODUCTION

As two or more numbers can be compared and the relations between them after comparison can be
expressed in terms of “less than”, “greater than” or “equal to”, the same thing can be done in the case
of sets, such as; one set is subset, proper subset, equal or equivalent to the other set depending on the
number and type of elements they contain.

Determining the relationship between sets has great importance while solving application problems
of set theory in unit 11.

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8.2 SUBSET ()

Definition:

For any two sets A and B, A is a subset of B iff every element of A is also in B.

Notation: A  B to mean ‘A is a subset of B’

* Logically we use the notation A  B iff the conditional statement x A x  B is true. Observe
that, the conditional statement becomes false in only case when value substituted for x is in A but not
in B because T  F is false. Therefore if there is at least one such element in A, A is not in Sub set
of B, written as A  B

Example1: Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4}

B = {1, 2, 3}

Observe that B  A- because every element in B is also in A but A is not a subset of B (A  B)

because 4 Є A but 4  B.

Note
1) Empty set in a subset of any set
2) Every set is a subset of its self.

To see how to find all subset of a given set observe the following example.

Example 2: consider set A = {a,b,c} find it’s all subsets.

Answer – the subsets of A are: Ø, {a}, {b}, {c}, {a, b}, {a, c}, {b, c} and {a, b, c}.

Observe that the number of subsets of set A are 8 which is 23 where the number of elements of
A is 3.

Note: If there are n elements in set A, there will be 2n subsets of A.

A set consisting all subsets of a given set A is called power set of A denoted as P(A).

From example 2 above P (A) = { Ø, {a}, {b}, {c}, {a, b}, {a, c}, {b, c}, {a, b, c}} observe that
there are 8 elements in P (A)

Note: If there are n elements in set A, there will be 2n elements in P (A).

CYP 1. Which of the following sets is not a subset of set A= {0, Ø}.

a) {0} b) {Ø} c) Ø d) None.

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CYP 2. Find all subsets of

a) A= {0,1}
b) B= {0, 1, {0}, {1}}.

8.3 PROPER SUBSET ()

Definition:

For any two sets A and B, A is a proper subset of B iff A  B but B A.

Notation : A  B: to mean A is a proper subset of B.

Example 1: Consider set A and B in example 1 above, since B  A but A  B, then B  A.

Observe that A is not a proper subset of B (A  B)

Example 2: Let A= {1, 2, 3} and B= {2,1, 3}.

Observe that every element in A is also in B, which means A  B and B  A therefore A is not a
proper subset of B (A  B) and B is not a proper subset of A (B  A).

Example 3: Find all proper subsets of set A= {a, b, c}.

Answer – the proper subsets of A are; Ø, {a},{b},{c},{a, b},{a, c} and {b, c} the number of
proper subsets of set A above is 7 which is 23 -1 where the number of elements of A is 3.

Note: If there are n elements in set A, there will be 2n -1 proper subset of A.

CYP 3. Which of the following sets is not proper subset of set A= {0, Ø }.
a) {0} b) Ø c) {0, Ø} d) none.

CYP 4. Find all proper subsets of:

a) A= {0, 1, {1}}
b) B= { Ø,{ Ø }}

8.4 EQUAL SETS

Definition: Any two sets A and B are said to equal sets iff A  B and B  A.

Notation: Equality of two sets A and B is denoted as “A=B”

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Logically speaking, A=B iff A  B and B  A means A = B iff [(x Є A x Є B) and (x Є B 
x Є A)] are true.
Example 1. Consider sets A and B in example 2 above, since A  B and also B  A, A and Bare
equal (A=B).

Example 2. Let C = {1, 5, 10} and D = {5,10, 15}.

C is not equal to D (C≠D) because C≠ D and also D≠C.

Example 3. Let E = {1, 5, 10} and F = {0, 1, 5, 10},

even if E  F,

E is not equal to F (E ≠ F) because F  E.

Note Two sets are equal iff they contain the same members.

CYP 5. Which of the following sets is not equal to A= {9, 1, 3}.

a) {1, 9/3, 8 1/9} b) {9, 27/9,1} c) {1,18/2,3} d) all e) none.

8.5 EQUIVALENT SETS

Definition:

Any two sets A and B are said to be equivalent iff there is a one-to-one correspondence between the
elements of A and B.

Notation: Equivalence of two sets A and B is denoted as “A ~ B”

Example 1: The two sets C and D in example 2 above are equivalent (C~D) because we can create a
one-to-one correspondence between elements of C and D since n (C) = n (D).

Notation: n(A)- to mean number of elements of set A.

Example 2: The two sets E and F in example 3 above are not equivalent.

Note: 1) Any two sets consisting of equal number of elements are called equivalent sets i.e. for any
two sets A and B, if n (A) = n (B) then A~B.

2) Equal sets are equivalent.

CYP 6. Which of the following sets is not equivalent to set A= {9, 6}

a) {a, b} b) {6,9} c) {1,2} d) {6,9,6,9} e) all except b f) none.

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8.6 SUMMARY
Generally, the discussion of the above unit, which is basically creating relationship between sets
entirely depends on the number and type of elements of sets.

All proper subsets of a set are also it’s subsets and all equal sets are equivalent but the convers is not
true.

8.7 ANSWER TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS QUESTIONS (CYP)

CYP 1. d

CYP 2. a) Ø,{0},{1},{0,1}
b)Ø,{0},{1},{{0}},{{1}},{0,1},{0,{0}},{0{{1}},{1,{0}},{1,{1}},{{0},{1}},{0,1,{0}},
{0,1,{1}},{1,{0},{1}},{0,{0},{1}},B.

CYP 3. c

CYP 4. a) Ø, {0}, {1},{{1}},{0,1},{0,{1}},{1,{1}.

b) Ø , { Ø }, {{ Ø }}

CYP 5. e

CYP 6. f

8.8 MODEL EXAMINATION QUESTIONS

1) Which of the following is necessary true?

a) {Ø}= Ø
b) 0 ~ Ø
c) Empty set is a proper subsets of every set.
d) Every set is not a proper subset of it self
e) None.

2) How many subsets and proper subsets are there for

a) Ø
B) {Ø}

3) For set A= {1}

a) List all it’s subsets
b) List all it’s proper subsets
Find P (A).

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