School of Mathematics and Statistics

MATH1131 - Calculus

Lecture 01: Sets and Inequalities

Dr Kevin Limanta
k.limanta@unsw.edu.au

Based on the lecture slides of Dr Laure Helme-Guizon

2024 Term 1
 MATH1131 Calculus vs HSC Extension 1

Similarities

Differences

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 Learning outcomes for this lecture

At the end of this lecture,

you should know the definitions and notations for the different sets of numbers
∪ ∩
you should understand and be able to use set and interval notations: {, } [, ], (, ), and .

you should know how to manipulate inequalities (What happens when both sides are multiplied by
a negative number for instance?)

you should be able to manipulate inequalities to prove inequalities and to solve inequations.

You can use this list as a check list to get ready for our next class: After studying the lecture notes,
come back to this list, and for each item, check that you have indeed mastered it. Then tick the
corresponding box ... or go back to the notes.

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 Sets of numbers

A set is a collection of distinct objects.

The objects in a set are called the elements of the set.

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 Sets of numbers and the number line
We want a number line with no gaps

• The set N of natural numbers is given by

N = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . .}.

• The set Z of integers is given by

Z = {. . . , −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}.

• The set Q of rational numbers consists of numbers of the form p

q where p, q are integers and
q ̸= 0, that is, { }
p
Q= : p, q ∈ Z, q ̸= 0 .
q

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 Sets of numbers and the number line
We want a number line with no gaps

• The set N of natural numbers is given by

N = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, . . .}.

• The set Z of integers is given by

Z = {. . . , −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}.

• The set Q of rational numbers consists of numbers of the form p

q where p, q are integers and
q ̸= 0, that is, { }
p
Q= : p, q ∈ Z, q ̸= 0 .
q

√
• There are numbers, such as 2, which are not rational numbers. They are called irrational
numbers.

• We denote the set of real numbers by R. In this course we will be dealing (almost) exclusively with
the calculus of functions defined over the real numbers.

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 Set Notation.
•{x ∈ A : P (x)} denotes the set of all elements x of A satisfying property P .

Example 1. {x ∈ R : −1 ⩽ x ⩽ 1} denotes the set of all the real numbers x such that x
is between −1 and 1 (inclusive).

•A ∩ B is the intersection of A and B and denotes the set of all the elements that are in
both A and B.

•A ∪ B is the union of A and B and denotes the set of all the elements that are in
either A or B (or both).

•∅, called the empty set, is the set which has no elements.

Example 2.
a) R ∩ N = .
b) {x ∈ R : x2 < −1} = .
c) R ∪ N = .

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 Intervals
Interval notations
• A parenthesis (round bracket) means we do not include the endpoint while we do
when a square bracket is used. For example (3, 9] means the interval 3 < x ⩽ 9.
• Note that since infinity is NOT a real number, if we wish to represent the interval
from 7 onwards we write this as [7, ∞) (never use a square bracket with infinity.)

Example 3. {x ∈ R : x < 3} ∪ {x ∈ R : x ⩾ 5} = (−∞, 3) ∪ [5, ∞)

Exercise 4.
a) {x ∈ R : x > 3} ∩ {x ∈ R : x ⩽ 5} = .

b) {x ∈ R : x > 3} ∪ {x ∈ R : x ⩽ 5} = .

c) {x ∈ R : x > 5} ∩ {x ∈ R : x ⩽ 3} = .

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 Absolute value

Can you think of a definition for |x|, where x is a real number?

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 Absolute value

Definition of the absolute value of a number

The absolute value of the real number x, denoted by |x|, is defined by:

 x if x ⩾ 0
|x| = 
−x if x < 0.

Exercise 5.
a) | − 52 | = .............
b) |3 − π| = .............

|x + 5| is equal to .......... if x ..........., or ........... if x ...........

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 Absolute value

• A geometric interpretation: |a − b| is the distance between the numbers a and b.

• |x| < 3 means −3 < x < 3

• | − x| = |x|

Example 7. Solve the inequality |x + 1| > 3 by interpreting the absolute value as a

distance. Represent the solutions on the number line below and write it in interval
notation.

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 Absolute value

Absolute value and operations

• Multiplication. For all real numbers x, y, |xy| = |x||y|.
In other words, absolute value respects multiplication.
• Addition. For all real numbers x, y, |x + y| ⩽ |x| + |y|.
This is called the triangle inequality .

You will see a complex and a vector version of the triangle inequality in the algebra strand
of the course.

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 Inequalities

You are aware of the following facts about inequalities:

Inequalities and operations

For x, y, z, w ∈ R we have
• if x > y then x + z > y + z.

• if x > y and z > 0, then xz > yz and if z < 0 we have xz < yz.

• if x > y and z > w, then x + z > y + w.

• if x > y, z > w and all these numbers are positive, then xz > ww.

Never multiply an inequality by a quantity whose sign is unknown.

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 Solving inequalities

These are very similar to solving equations except that we must be careful when
multiplying by an unknown.

Exercise 8. Find and sketch the set {x ∈ R : x2 − 2x − 3 > 0}.

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 Maple

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 Solving inequalities

These are very similar to solving equations except that we must careful when
multiplying by an unknown.

Never multiply an inequality by a quantity whose sign is unknown.

2
Exercise 9. Find the solution of x ⩾ 1 + in interval notation.
x

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 Maple

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 Solving inequalities

2 3
Exercise 10. Solve ⩽ and give the answer in interval notation.
x x−1

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 Maple

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 Proving inequalities

Arithmetic Mean - Geometric Mean Inequality

x+y √
If x, y ⩾ 0 are real numbers then ⩾ xy.
2

In other words, the arithmetic mean of two non-negative real numbers is never smaller
than their geometric mean.
Proof 11.

???

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 Corollary 12. Suppose a, b, c are non-negative real numbers. Prove that
a2 + b2 + c2 ⩾ ab + ac + bc.

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