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Sets

sets are the basic building blocks of mathematics.

Definition:

A set is a well defined unordered collection of distinct elements.

Examples:

  • {1,3,6} a set of numbers

  • {Jan,Pier,Tjoris,Corneel} a set of guys with beards

  • {{1,3,6},{Jan,Pier,Tjoris,Corneel}} a nested set

  • {1,2,3,} a infinite set


  • {1,3,6,6}={1,3,6}Distinct property

  • {1,3,6}={1,6,3}Unordered property

  • collection of good soccer clubssetNot well defined

Notation:

  • List of all elements:
    {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}

  • Pattern:
    {1,2,...,9}

  • Properties:
    {nn is whole number with 1n9}

Set Relations

A set consist of elements.

Being an element or not relates an object to a set.

  • 1 is an element of the set {1,3,6}

    • 1{1,3,6}
  • 2 is not an element of the set {1,3,6}

    • 2{1,3,6}

Subsets:

Definition Subset:

AB when every element a A is also an element of B. (if a A, then aB)

  • {1,3} is a subset of {1,3,6}

    • {1,3}{1,3,6}
  • {1,3} is a proper subset of {1,3,6}

    • {1,3}{1,3,6}

{1,3,6} is a subset of itself but not a proper subset of itself.

Definition Proper Subset:

AB and AB

Definition Set Equality:

A=B when AB and BA

Example:

Is {a,b} a subset of {b,{a,b}} ?

  • {a,b}{a,{a,b}}
  • {a,b}{a,{a,b}}

Proposition vs. Predicate:

Proposition: statement for which you can determine if it's truth value (True or False).

Predicate: a statement for which the truth value (T/F) cannot be determined. (missing value for a variable)

If you add a Domain to a Predicate it becomes a Proposition because you can now determine the truth value (T/F).

Symbols:

MeaningSymbol
Element ofaA
Subset ofAB
Proper subsetAB
Empty set
UnionAB
IntersectionAB
DifferenceA/B
ComplementA

Sources

  • Harry Aarts, Ed Brinksma, Jan Willem Polderman, Gerhard Post, Marc Uetz, Marjan van der Velde (2018) Introduction to Mathematics
  • Micro-lectures wk1