The Basics of Sets

Topic 1.1.1

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

California Standard: What it means for you:

1.0 Students identify and use the You’ll learn about sets
arithmetic properties of subsets of and subsets.
integers and rational, irrational, and
real numbers, including closure
properties for the four basic arithmetic
operations where applicable. Key words:
• set
• element
• subset
• universal set
• empty set

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

Sets are a really useful way of being able to say whether

numbers or variables have something in common.

For example: 3 and 5 form the set of prime

numbers greater than 2 but less than 7.

There’s some new notation here, but the math isn’t too
hard at all.

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

Sets are Collections of Elements

A set is a collection of objects.

Each object in the set is called an element or a member.

You use the symbol  to show that something is a

member of a set — you read it as “is an element of”
or “is a member of.”

The symbol  means the opposite — you read it

as “is not an element of” or “is not a member of.”

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

Sets are usually named by capital letters.

The elements of a set are enclosed in braces { }.

For example, A = {1, 3, 5, 7} is a set containing

4 elements — the numbers 1, 3, 5, and 7.

The Universal set, denoted by the symbol , is the set

of all objects under consideration (so in a math course,
the universal set often consists of all numbers).

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Example 1

Given that set A = {1, x, 2, b}, determine whether each of

the following statements is true or false.
a) x  A b) 2  A c) 1  A d) 3  A
Solution
a) x is an element of A, so the statement is true.
b) 2 is an element of A, so the statement is true.
c) 1 is an element of A (1  A), so the statement is false.
d) 3 is not an element of A, so the statement is false.
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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Guided Practice
Given that set A = {x, 2, 4, y}, determine whether
each of the following statements is true or false.

1. y  A y is an element of A, so the statement is true.

2. 2  A 2 is an element of A, so the statement is true.

3. 6  A 6 is not an element of A, so the statement is true.

4. 4  A 4 is an element of A, so the statement is false.

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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

The Empty (or Null) Set has No Elements

An empty set (or null set) is a set without any

elements or members.

It’s denoted by or { }.

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

Subsets are Contained Within Other Sets

A subset is a set whose elements are also contained in

another set. The symbol  means “is a subset of.”

A  B — “A is a subset of B”

A = {1, 2, 3}

Any set is a subset of itself. A A

The empty set is a subset of any set. A

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Example 2

Let A = {all odd numbers} and B = {1, 3, 5, 7}.

Is B a subset of A?
Solution
Work through the elements of B one by one:
Starting with 1 — 1 is an odd number, so 1  A.
3 is an odd number, so 3  A.
5 is an odd number, so 5  A.
7 is an odd number, so 7  A.
All elements of B are also elements of A — so B  A.
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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Example 3

Let A = {0, 1, 2}. Determine all the subsets of A.

Solution
List the empty set first because it’s a subset of any set.
Then write all the subsets with one element.
Then all the subsets with 2 elements.
Finally, finish with the whole set.

The subsets of A are:

, {0}, {1}, {2}, {0, 1}, {0, 2}, {1, 2}, and {0, 1, 2},

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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Guided Practice
Let A = {a, 2, 3, b, c}, and B = {1, 2, c, d}.
Use sets A and B to answer questions 5 and 6:

5. Explain whether B  A.
B is not a subset of A because 1  A and d  A.

6. List all the subsets of set B.

, {1}, {2}, {c}, {d},
{1, 2}, {1, c}, {1, d}, {2, c}, {2, d}, {c, d},
{1, 2, c}, {1, 2, d}, {1, c, d}, {2, c, d},
{1, 2, c, d}.
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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Guided Practice
Let C = {all prime numbers less than 13 but greater than 7}.
7. List set C and all its subsets. C = {11} Subsets are  and {11}.

For exercises 8 and 9,

let M = {all real numbers b such that b = 3x – 1}.
8. List the members of set M if x  {1, 2, 3, 5}. M = {2, 5, 8, 14}

9. List the subsets of set M if x  {1, 2, 3, 5}.

, {2}, {5}, {8}, {14},
{2, 5}, {2, 8}, {2, 14}, {5, 8}, {5, 14}, {8, 14},
{2, 5, 8}, {2, 5, 14}, {2, 8, 14}, {5, 8, 14},
{2, 5, 8, 14}.
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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

Equality of Sets

Two sets are equal if they have all of the same elements
in them.

So if A = {1, 3, 5} and B = {3, 5, 1}, then A and B are equal.

Or more mathematically, two sets A and B are said to be

equal if every element in set A is in set B, and every
element in set B is in set A.

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

Note also that all empty sets are equal —

because they’re exactly the same.
That’s why you say the empty set, not an empty set.

Remember — the empty set

can be written as or { }.

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Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Independent Practice
1. Determine the set H whose elements are all the multiples
of both 2 and 3 that are less than 30 but greater than 12.
H = {18, 24}

2. Let  = {all letters of the alphabet}.

Determine set V, whose elements are the vowels.
V = {a, e, i, o, u}

3. Write down G = {all prime numbers greater than 11

but less than 13}.
 (there are no such numbers)

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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Independent Practice
For exercises 4 and 5…
Let F = {red, yellow, blue, purple}, and let G  F and H  F.
4. Determine set G, whose elements are 3-letter words in F.
G = {red}
5. Determine set H, whose elements are 5-letter words in F.
H=

For exercises 6 and 7…

Let A = {all even numbers} and B = {2, 4, 6, 8}.
6. Explain whether B  A. All elements of B are also in A, so B  A.

7. List all the subsets of B.

{}, {2}, {4}, {6}, {8}, {2, 4}, {2, 6}, {2, 8}, {4, 6}, {4, 8}, {6, 8},
{2, 4, 6}, {2, 4, 8}, {2, 6, 8}, {4, 6, 8}, {2, 4, 6, 8}. 17
Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Independent Practice
For exercises 8 and 9, let M = {3, a, 9, b, 15}, and let N = {3, 6, 9}.

8. Explain whether N  M.
6 is not an element of M, so N  M.

9. List all the subsets of N.

{}, {3}, {6}, {9}, {3, 6}, {3, 9}, {6, 9}, {3, 6, 9}.

10. Let C = {all even numbers less than 10 but greater than 2}.
List set C and all its subsets.
C = {4, 6, 8}
The subsets of C are: {}, {4}, {6}, {8}, {4, 6}, {4, 8}, {6, 8}, {4, 6, 8}.
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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1
Independent Practice
11. Let J = {all real numbers y such that y = 2x + 3}.
List the members of set J if x  {0, 1, 2, 3}.
J = {3, 5, 7, 9}

12.Let A = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9} and B = {all odd numbers less than

10 but greater than 0}. Explain whether A = B.
B = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}. All elements of B are elements of A and all elements
of A are elements of B. So A = B.

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Solution follows…
Topic
The Basics of Sets
1.1.1

Round Up

Sets sound a little odd but they’re just a way of

grouping together types of numbers or variables.

You’ve seen a lot of the stuff in this Topic in earlier

grades, but in Algebra I you’ve got to treat everything
formally and give the proper names for things like
the empty set.

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