FIT1021 Basics of Mathematics
Tutorial 1 – Introduction to Set Theory
Questions marked with (**) are considered challenging/tricky.
1. Re-write below sets by roster notation. (i.e. list down all elements of below sets)
𝐴 = { 𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑥 2 = 4 }
𝐵 = { 𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 40 < 𝑥 < 100 }
𝐶 = { 𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 5 = 0 }
𝐷 = { 𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑥 2 = 8 }
𝐸 = { 𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑏𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒}
2. Use set-builder notation to describe each of these sets.
𝐴 = { 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 10 }
𝐵 = { −2 , −1 , 0 , 1 , 2 }
𝐶 = { 1 , 8 , 27 , 64 , 125 }
𝐷 = {−4 , 4}
3. Use interval notation to describe each set below
𝐴 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ 𝑥 > −1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥 ≤ 50 }
𝐵 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ 𝑥 < −2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥 > 1 }
𝐶 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ 3𝑥 + 2 ≤ 4 }
𝐷 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ 3 ≤ 2𝑥 + 5 < 10}
𝐸 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ |𝑥| < 3 }
𝐹 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ |𝑥 + 5| < −1 }
𝐺 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ |4𝑥 − 3| < 18 }
**𝐻 = {𝑥 ∈ ℝ ∶ |𝑥 − 4| + |𝑥 + 1| ≤ 10}
4. Use Venn Diagram to illustrate the set of all months of the year whose names do not contain the letter R in
the set of all months of the year.
5. Determine whether each pair of sets are equal.
a. {1 , 2 , 2 , 3} , {3 , 2 , 1}
b. {1 , 1 , 3} , { 3 , 3 , 1}
c. {𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 = 2} , {1 , −1}
d. {𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 ∈ ℝ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 0 < 𝑥 ≤ 2} , {1 , 2}
6. **Determine whether each of these statements are true or false.
a. 0 ∈ ∅ g. {∅} ∈ {{∅}}
b. ∅ ∈ { } h. {{∅}} ⊂ {∅, {∅}}
c. ∅ ⊆ {∅} i. 0 ∈ {{0}}
d. {0} ⊂ {0} {∅} ∈ {∅}
j.
e. {∅} ⊆ {∅}
k. ∅ ∈ {𝑥}
f. {∅} ⊂ {∅, {∅}} l. {𝑥} ∈ {𝑥}
Last Revised: 5th December 2025
FIT1021 Basics of Mathematics
7. For each pair of sets, A and B, determine if 𝐴 ⊆ 𝐵 𝑜𝑟 𝐵 ⊆ 𝐴 or neither.
a. Set A is the list of countries of South East Asia.
Set B is the list of countries of Asia.
b. Set A is the list of people who speaks English.
Set B is the list of people who speaks English in British accent.
c. Set A is the list of students who are currently taking foundation courses in XMUM.
Set B is the list of students who are currently taking degree courses in XMUM.
d. 𝐴 = {3 , 4 , 5 , 6}
𝐵 = {2 , 4 , 6}
e. 𝐴 = {𝑥 | 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 10}
𝐵 = {𝑥 | 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑑𝑑 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 10}
f. 𝐴 = {{𝑎}, {𝑎, 𝑏}, {𝑎, 𝑐} , 𝑎 , 𝑏}
𝐵 = {{𝑎 , 𝑏}}
g. 𝐴=∅
𝐵 = {∅}
h. 𝐴 = {𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 + 8 = 0}
𝐵 = {−2 , 4}
i. 𝐴 = {7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11}
𝐵 = (7 , 11]
8. Suppose 𝜉 = { 𝑥 ∈ ℤ ∶ 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 10} , let 𝐴 = { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 } and 𝐵 = { 0 , 3 , 6 },
list down all elements for each of the below sets, then state their cardinality.
a. 𝐴 ∪ 𝐵
b. 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵
c. 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵′
d. 𝐴′ ∩ 𝐵
e. (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵)′
9. Let 𝐴 = { 0 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 10 }, 𝐵 = { 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 } and 𝐶 = { 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 }, list down all
elements for each of the below sets, then state their cardinality.
a. 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∩ 𝐶
b. 𝐴 ∪ 𝐵 ∪ 𝐶
c. (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) ∩ 𝐶
d. (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) ∪ 𝐶
Last Revised: 5th December 2025
FIT1021 Basics of Mathematics
𝝃 C
A B
10. Copy the Venn Diagram above, and shade the region that each represents:
a. 𝐴′
b. (𝐵 ∩ 𝐶)′
c. 𝐴 ∩ (𝐵 ∪ 𝐶)
d. 𝐴′ ∩ 𝐵′ ∩ 𝐶′
e. (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵′ ) ∪ (𝐴 ∩ 𝐶 ′ ) ∪ (𝐵 ∩ 𝐶 ′ )
f. (𝐴 ∪ 𝐶)′ ∪ 𝐵′
11. How many elements are in 𝐴1 ∪ 𝐴2 if |𝐴1 | = 12, |𝐴2 | = 18 and:
a. 𝐴1 ∩ 𝐴2 = ∅
b. |𝐴1 ∩ 𝐴2 | = 1
c. |𝐴1 ∩ 𝐴2 | = 6
d. 𝐴1 ⊂ 𝐴2
12. There are 345 students at a college who have taken a course in calculus, 212 who have taken a course in
discrete mathematics, and 188 who have taken courses in both of these subjects. How many students have
taken a course in exactly one of these subjects?
13. A survey of households in the US reveals that 96% have at least one television set, 98% have telephone
service, and 95% have telephone service and at least one television set. What percentage of households in the
US have neither telephone service nor a television set?
14. Find the number of positive integers not exceeding 100 that are not divisible by 5 or by 7.
15. **Find the number of positive integers not exceeding 10000 that are not divisible by 5 or by 7.
16. **How many elements are in the union of three sets if each of these sets has 100 elements, each pair of these
sets share 25 elements and there are 10 elements shared among all three sets?
Last Revised: 5th December 2025