SETS

SETS
DEFINITION:
A SET IS A WELL-DEFINED
COLLECTION OF OBJECTS.

REMARKS ON SETS:
A. WELL-DEFINED MEANS
THERE IS NO QUESTION AS TO
WHETHER CERTAIN OBJECTS
BELONG OR DOES NOT BELONG
TO THE SET.
REMARKS ON SETS:
B. THE ORDER IN WHICH THE
OBJECTS ARE LISTED IS NOT
SIGNIFICANT.
REMARKS ON SETS:
C. MULTIPLICITY IS IGNORED.
EXERCISES: WHICH OF THE
FOLLOWING CAN BE REGARDED
AS A SET IN MATHEMATICS?
1. ALL ODD NUMBERS GREATER
THAN 5.
2. ALL LUCKY NUMBERS
3. ALL SMALL NUMBERS
4. ALL ROMAN NUMERALS
5. ALL FRUIT-BEARING TREES
NOTATION:
CAPITAL LETTERS ARE OFTEN
USED TO DENOTE A SET.

EXAMPLE: A SET A, B SET B,

WAYS OF DESCRIBING A SET:
1. ROSTER METHOD ALL THE
ELEMENTS ARE LISTED,
SEPARATED BY COMMAS AND
ENCLOSED IN BRACES.
EXAMPLE FOR ROSTER
METHOD:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {A, B, C}
X = {DOG, HAMBURGER, RAIN,
WINDOW}
REMARK FOR ROSTER
METHOD:
FOR VERY LARGE SETS,
HOWEVER, THIS IS DIFFICULT IF
NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO.
WAYS OF DESCRIBING A SET:
2. RULE METHOD ENCLOSED IN
BRACES IS A DESCRIPTIVE PHRASE
FOR THE ELEMENTS OF THE SET,
AND THAT ONLY THOSE HAVING
SUCH PROPERTY ARE ELEMENTS OF
THE SET.
EXAMPLE FOR RULE
METHOD:
A = {COUNTING NUMBER LESS THAN
6}
= {X | X IS A COUNTING NUMBER
LESS THAN 6}
Y = {POINTS ON A LINE}
REMARK FOR RULE METHOD:
NOTE THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO
USE THE RULE METHOD IN
DESCRIBING SET X IN THE ABOVE
EXAMPLE.
WAYS OF DESCRIBING A SET:
3. VERBAL DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBING A SET WITHOUT THE
USE OF BRACES.
EXAMPLE OF VERBAL
DESCRIPTION:
A = SET OF COUNTING NUMBERS
FROM 1 TO 5.
B = SET OF THE FIRST THREE
LETTERS IN THE ENGLISH
ALPHABET.
Exercises: Describe each set, if
possible, in another form.
1. {X / X IS A PRIMARY COLOR}
2. {LUZON, VISAYAS, MINDANAO}
3. SET OF RAIN WARNINGS IN THE
PHILIPPINES
4. {X / X IS A LEADING ACTRESS IN A
TELESERYE}
5. {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}
DEFINITION:
UNIVERSAL SET IS THE SET OF
ALL ELEMENTS UNDER
CONSIDERATION. THIS IS
DENOTED BY U.
NOTATION:
IF IS AN ELEMENT OF A, WE
WRITE

IF IS NOT ELEMENT OF A, WE
WRITE


EXAMPLE:
CONSIDER THE SET A = {, , }.
1.
2.
3.
4. {}

DEFINITION:
A FINITE SET IS A SET WHERE IT IS
POSSIBLE TO LIST DOWN ALL THE
ELEMENTS OF THE SET.
OTHERWISE, IT IS SAID TO BE
INFINITE.
EXAMPLES:
1. THE SET OF ALL STUDENTS IN THIS
CLASS IS FINITE.
2. THE SET OF ALL PEOPLE WHO ARE
8 FEET OR TALLER. THIS SET MAY
NOT CONTAIN ANY ELEMENT.
DEFINITION:
A SET CONTAINING NO ELEMENT IS
CALLED
AN EMPTY SET OR NULL SET
AND IS DENOTED BY .
EXAMPLES:
3. THE SET OF ALL FOSSILS IN THE
WORLD IS FINITE ALTHOUGH VERY
LARGE.
4. THE SET OF ALL EVEN NUMBERS
GREATER THAN 10 IS INFINITE.