ECON2174 Mathematics for Economists
Problem Set 1 Solution
1. For each of the element, it could either be included or not included in a subset.
Y n
Hence, there are 2 = 2n subsets.
i=1
2.
∀x ∈ (A ∩ B) ∩ C, x ∈ (A ∩ B) and x ∈ C
=⇒ x ∈ A and x ∈ B and x ∈ C
=⇒ x ∈ A and x ∈ (B ∩ C)
=⇒ x ∈ A ∩ (B ∩ C)
=⇒ (A ∩ B) ∩ C ⊆ A ∩ (B ∩ C)
∀x ∈ A ∩ (B ∩ C), x ∈ A and x ∈ (B ∩ C)
=⇒ x ∈ A and x ∈ B and x ∈ C
=⇒ x ∈ (A ∩ B) and x ∈ C
=⇒ x ∈ (A ∩ B) ∩ C
=⇒ A ∩ (B ∩ C) ⊆ (A ∩ B) ∩ C
Hence,
(A ∩ B) ∩ C = A ∩ (B ∩ C)
3.
∀x ∈ A ∪ (B ∩ C), x ∈ A or x ∈ (B ∩ C)
(a) Suppose x ∈ A:
=⇒ x ∈ A ∪ B and x ∈ A ∪ C
=⇒ x ∈ (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)
(b) Suppose x ∈ (B ∩ C):
=⇒ x ∈ B and x ∈ C
=⇒ x ∈ A ∪ B and A ∪ C
=⇒ x ∈ (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)
=⇒ A ∪ (B ∩ C) ⊆ (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)
∀x ∈ (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C), x ∈ (A ∪ B) and x ∈ (A ∪ C)
(a) Suppose x ∈ A,
=⇒ x ∈ A ∪ (B ∩ C)
(b) Suppose x ∈
/A
=⇒ x ∈ B and x ∈ C
=⇒ x ∈ B ∩ C
=⇒ x ∈ A ∪ (B ∩ C)
=⇒ (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C) ⊆ A ∪ (B ∩ C)
Hence,
A ∪ (B ∩ C) = (A ∪ B) ∩ (A ∪ C)
4. Consider A = {a, b}, B = {b, c}, C = {a, c},
A ∩ B = {b}
A ∩ C = {a}
B ∩ C = {c}
A∩B∩C =∅
5. Consider x > 0, f (x) = f (−x) = x. Hence, it is not one-to-one.
∀y < 0 ∈ R, ̸ ∃x ∈ R such that f (x) = y. Hence, it is not onto.
6. −1 − x
2 < 0, if x is odd
f (x) :=
x ≥ 0, if x is even
2
Suppose f (x) = f (y), then either both x and y are odd or both are even. From the linear
functional forms, both are one-to-one. Hence f is also one-to-one.
(
−1 − 2y, if y < 0
g(y) :=
2y > 0, if y ≥ 0
Note that g is the inverse function of f . Hence, for any y ∈ Z, there exists a g(y) ∈ N, such
that f (x) = y. Hence, f is onto.
Hence, f is bijective.
2
7. ∀x ̸= y ∈ R, without loss of generality, assume x < y. Since, f is strictly increasing, we have
f (x) < f (y). Hence, f (x) ̸= f (y). f is therefore one-to-one.
8. ∀x ̸= y ∈ A, we have f (x) ̸= f (y) ∈ B since f is one-to-one. Since f (x) ̸= f (y) ∈ B and g is
one-to-one, g(f (x)) ̸= g(f (y)). Hence, h := g ◦ f is also one-to-one.
9. Given that f : A → B is onto, We wish to show that there is a function fˆ : B → A which is
one-to-one. For any b ∈ B, the set f −1 (b) := {a ∈ A : f (a) = b} is nonempty because f is
onto. Pick any a ∈ f −1 (b) and define fˆ(b) := a. fˆ is indeed a mapping from B to A, because
for each b ∈ B, fˆ(b) is an element in A by construction. In addition, if fˆ(b) = fˆ(b′ ) = a for
some a ∈ A, then b = f (a) = b′ . Thus fˆ is one-to-one. It follows that |B| ≤ |A|. We can
show |A| ≥ |B| by a similar argument. Thus |A| = |B|.