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Set Theory Exercises and Solutions

Homework 4

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32 views5 pages

Set Theory Exercises and Solutions

Homework 4

Uploaded by

thekingazzouz1
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Homework 4

Set Theory Exercise 1


1
Is each of the following a well-defined set? Give brief reasons for each of your answers.
(a) The collection of all alphanumeric characters.
(b) The collection of all tall people.
(c) The collection of all real numbers x for which:
2x – 9 = 16.
(d) The collection of all integers x for which:
2x – 9 = 16.
(e) The collection of all good tennis players.
2
U = {natural numbers}; A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}; B = {1, 3, 6, 7, 8}
State whether each of the following is true or false:
(a) 2 ∈ A
(b) 11 ∈ B
(c) 4 ∉ B
(d) A ∈ U
(e) A = {even numbers}

3
U = R; A = {4, √2, 2/3, -2.5, -5, 33, √9, π}
Using the {…} set notation, write the sets of:
(a) natural numbers in A
(b) integers in A
(c) rational numbers in A
(d) irrational numbers in A

4
True or false?
(a) ø = {0}
(b) x ∈ { x }
(c) ø = { ø }
(d) ø ∈ { ø }

5
The following sets have been defined using the | notation. Re-write them by listing some
of the elements.
(a) {p | p is a capital city, p is in Europe}
(b) {x | x = 2n - 5, x and n are natural numbers}
(c) {y | 2y2 = 50, y is an integer}
(d) {z | 3z = n2, z and n are natural numbers}

Set Theory Exercise 2


1

In A? In B? In C? Region
Y Y Y
Y Y N
Y N Y
Y N N
N Y Y
N Y N
N N Y
N N N
Copy the truth table to the right, and write at the end of each row the number of the
corresponding region in Fig. 4 Venn Diagrams.

2
If U = {letters of the alphabet}, A = {a, a, a, b, b, a, c}, B = {c, b, a, c} and C = {a, b, c},
what can be said about A, B and C?

3
U = {natural numbers}; A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}; B = {1, 3, 6, 7, 8}
State whether each of the following is true or false:
(a) A ⊂ U
(b) B ⊆ A
(c) ø ⊂ U

4
U = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h}; P = {c, f}; Q = {a, c, d, e, f, h}; R = {c, d, h}
(a) Draw a Venn diagram, showing these sets with all the elements entered into the
appropriate regions. If necessary, redraw the diagram to eliminate any empty regions.
(b) Which of sets P, Q and R are proper subsets of others? Write your answer(s) using the
⊂ symbol.
(c) P and R are disjoint sets. True or False?

5
Sketch Venn diagrams that show the universal set, U, the sets A and B, and a single
element x in each of the following cases:
(a) x ∈ A; A ⊂ B
(b) x ∈ A; A and B are disjoint
(c) x ∈ A; x ∉ B; B ⊂ A
(d) x ∈ A; x ∈ B; A is not a subset of B; B is not a subset of A

Set Theory Exercise 3


1
U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
B = {1, 3, 6, 7, 8}
C = {3, 7}
(a) Illustrate the sets U, A, B and C in a Venn diagram, marking all the elements in the
appropriate places. (Note: if any region in your diagram does not contain any elements,
re-draw the set loops to correct this.)
(b) Using your Venn diagram, list the elements in each of the following sets:
A ∩ B, A ∪ C, A′, B′, B ∩ A′, B ∩ C′, A – B, A Δ B
(c) Complete the statement using a single symbol: C - B = ... .

2
True or false?
(a) | ø | = 1
(b) | { x, x } | = 2
(c) | U ∩ ø | = 0

3
What can you say about two sets P and Q if:
(a) P ∩ Q′ = ø
(b) P ∪ Q = P?
Question 4

4
Make six copies of the Venn diagram shown alongside, and then shade the areas
represented by:
(a) A ′ ∪ B
(b) A ∩ B ′
(c) (A ∩ B) ′
(d) A ′ ∪ B ′
(e) (A ∪ B) ′
(f) A ′ ∩ B ′

5
Identify the sets represented by each of the shaded areas below, using the set notation
symbols ∩, ∪ and ′ only:
(a) (b)

(c) (d)

6
(a) One of the shaded regions in question 5 represents the set A – B. Identify which one it
is, and hence write a definition of A – B using only symbols from the list ∩, ∪ and ′.

(b) Again using one of your answers to question 5, write a definition of A Δ B using only
symbols from the list ∩, ∪ and ′. (There are two possibilities here – see if you can find
them both!)

Common questions

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Disjoint sets are defined as sets that have no elements in common, meaning their intersection is the empty set. For instance, if P = {c, f} and R = {c, d, h}, the statement that P and R are disjoint is false since they share the element 'c' . Understanding disjoint sets is crucial for applications where exclusive categories are needed without overlap .

The empty set 'ø' is a subset of any set because a subset is defined by having all its elements found within another set. Since the empty set has no elements, there are no requirements to satisfy, making it a subset of any set by default. This universal property emphasizes the non-restriction nature for empty sets in subset relations .

The symmetric difference A Δ B is defined as the set containing elements present in either A or B but not in both, mathematically represented as (A ∪ B) - (A ∩ B). This operation uses both union and intersection to isolate elements unique to each set, emphasizing its use in distinguishing elements not shared by sets. This operation is crucial in contexts needing distinct categories without overlap; δ notation illustrates unique set memberships .

Venn diagrams visually represent the relationships between sets, making it easier to identify common elements (intersections) and the combination of elements (unions). For instance, A ∩ B includes elements common to both sets A and B, while A ∪ C includes all elements that are in either A or C. The visual overlap in a Venn diagram helps clearly delineate these relationships .

A proper subset of a set is a subset that contains some but not all elements of the original set, meaning it is not equal to the original set. For example, if Q = {a, c, d, e, f, h} and R = {c, d, h}, then R is a proper subset of Q because R contains elements that are within Q, yet R is not equal to Q . These relationships are denoted by the symbol '⊂' .

The statement 'ø = {0}' is false. The null set 'ø', also known as the empty set, contains no elements, whereas the set '{0}' is a singleton containing one element, which is the number 0. This distinction is critical in set theory to differentiate between the absence of elements and the presence of a specific element .

A well-defined set is one with a clear criterion for membership, meaning it is unambiguous who or what belongs to the set. The set of all alphanumeric characters is well-defined as it includes letters and numbers which are universally agreed upon . In contrast, the set of all tall people is not well-defined because 'tallness' is subjective and lacks a precise criterion .

In this context, claiming A = B would be incorrect unless B is defined to mean exactly the subset of even numbers present in A, such as {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}. The statement 'A = {even numbers}' without additional constraint or definition is false since B includes all even numbers, infinitely extending beyond the specific elements in A .

The universal set 'U' serves as the overarching set that includes all objects considered for the specific discussion. If U is the set of all natural numbers, both sets A = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} and B = {1, 3, 6, 7, 8} are subsets of U because all their elements are natural numbers . Evaluating subset relationships like A ⊆ U means verifying that all elements of A are within U, which is true .

The expression C - B, or the set difference, represents elements that are in C but not in B. It highlights what is unique to one set compared to the other. In the context where C = {3, 7} and B = {1, 3, 6, 7, 8}, C - B results in an empty set (ø) because all elements of C are also present in B. This concept emphasizes relative complementarity in set theory .

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