SETS

Group of Object
• We can sort objects into groups based on the
characteristics of the objects.
• For example, objects listed below can be sorted
as follows:
• a, e, i,o,u is a group of letters.
• 2, 3, 5, 7 is a group of numbers.
a 2 e

3 o 5

i 7 u
• For example, objects listed below can be sorted
as follows:
• Cat, rose, baby, amoeba is a group of living
things.
• Stone, book, diamond, light and cloth is a
group of non living things.

stone cat book

rose diamonds baby

light cloths amoeba

 What is a Set?
• A set is well defined group of objects.
• For example,
• a, e, i,o,u can be defined as a set of vowels.
• 2, 3, 5, 7 can be defined as set of prime
numbers less than 10.
 Example
• A set can be defined by description or using
set notation.
• For example,
• By description
A is a set of integers from 1 to 5
• By set notation
A  1,2,3,4,5

A  x : 1  x  5, x is an integer  which is read
as “A is a set of all 𝑥 such that 𝑥 is from 1 to 5
and 𝑥 is an integer”
 Activity
• Define the following sets using set notation
• P is a set of multiples of 3 from 1 to 10.
P  3,6,9

• Q is a set of consonants from the word

“MALAYSIA”.
Q  M , L, Y , S 

• R is a set of quadrilaterals with all equal

sides.
 
R  Square, R hom bus
 Elements of a Set
• The symbol isused to denote ‘is an element
of’ or ‘a member of’.
• For example,
• p is an element of set p, q, r
• p  p, q, r
• The symbol is used to denote ‘is not an
element of’ or ‘not a member of’.
• For example,
• s is not an element of p, q, r
• s  p, q, r
 Activity
If A  odd numbers less than 12
A  1,3,5,7,9,11

and B  factors of 18

B  1,2,3,6,9,18
1. 7  A
2. 5 B
3. 13  A
4. 18  B
 Number of Elements in a Set
• The number of elements in set 𝐴 is denoted
by the notation 𝑛 𝐴 .
• For example, 𝐴 = 1,3,5 thus, 𝑛 𝐴 = 3 .
 Example
State the number of elements in each of the
following sets.
a) A  {Selangor , Perak , Johor}
n( A)  3

b) B  {1,2,4,8}
n( B )  4

c) C  {x : x is multiples of 5 less than 40}

C  {5,10,15,20,25,30,35}
n(C )  7
 Empty Set
• The empty set or null set is a set which has no
elements.

• It is denoted by the symbol ∅ or { }

• {0} is not an empty set. It is a set which has one

element, that is, zero.

• {∅} is not the symbol for empty set.

It is a set containing an empty an empty set.
 Activity
Determine whether each of the following sets is
an empty set
a) 𝑃 = {odd numbers which are divisible by 2}
𝑃 = ∅ or { }

b) 𝑄 = {month that start with the letter Z}

𝑄=∅

c) 𝑅 = {prime numbers less than 10}

𝑅≠∅
R  {2,3,5,7}
 Equal Sets
• Two sets are equal if they have exactly the
same elements.

• The order of the elements in each set does

not matter.

• For example, 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 = {𝑏, 𝑎, 𝑐}

 Example
Determine whether the sets in each of the
following pairs are equal.

1. A={8,11, 15} , B={15, 8, 11}

A=B
2. 𝑃 = odd numbers between 10 and 18
𝑃 = {11, 13, 15, 17}
𝑄 = {11, 13, 17}
𝑃≠𝑄
 Venn Diagrams
• Venn diagrams are diagrams representing sets.
• Usually, the universal set is represented by a
closed geometrical shapes such as ovals,
circles, squares and so on within the
rectangle.
• In a Venn diagram, each elements or member
of the set is represented by a dot.
 Example
Represent each of the following sets using a
Venn diagram. A
•b
a. A  {a, b, c}
•a

•c

b. B  int egers between 7 and 12

B  8,9,10,11
B
• 8
• 9

• 10 • 11
 Universal Set
 The universal set is the set which
contains all the elements under
discussion.
 It is denoted by the symbol .
 All the other sets under discussion are
subsets of the universal set,  .
 Example
Given that the universal set,  ={whole numbers less
than 7}, P={prime numbers} and Q={multiple of 6},
illustrate the relationships between the following sets
using Venn diagrams.
a)  and P
b)  , P and Q

={whole numbers less than 7}

={0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
P={prime numbers}
P={2, 3, 5}
Q={multiple of 6}
Q={6}
 Illustrate the relationships between the following sets
using Venn diagrams.
a)  and P b) , P and Q
 •0 P  •0
•1 P •1
•2 •2
•5
•3
•3
•5
•4 •4 Q
•6 •6
 You are given two sets A and B. State
the similarities between set A and B.
A B
•2 •2 •3
•3 •1 •1
•5
•5
•6
•6
•4 •4 •6
 A B
•2 •3 •1
•5
•6
•4

 Notice that set B is within set A.

 We can also say that B is contained in A.
 Set B is a subset of set A.
 Notice that every element in set B is in set A.
 Therefore, set B is a subset of set A.
 Symbolic Notation

A B
•2 •3 •1
•5
•6
•4

 The symbol  is used to denote “is a

subset of”.
 For example,
A  B (Set A is a subset of set B)
 Q
P
•6 •2 •7 •9
•1
•3 •4 •8
•5

 Notice that set P is not within set Q.

 We can also say that Q is not contained in P.
 Set Q is a subset of set P.
 Notice that every element in set P is in set Q.
 Therefore, set Q is a subset of set P.
 The symbol  is used to denote “is not a subset
of”.
 For example,
 Q  P (Set Q is not a subset of set P)
 IMPORTANT
 An empty set is a subset of any set.
{}  A
 A set is a subset of itself.
A A
 Example
Find the subsets of the given sets
1. A= {1, 2}
All the subsets of set A are {}, {1}, {2} and {1, 2}.
2. B= {a, b, c}
All the subsets of set A are {}, {a}, {b}, {c},
{a, b}, {a, c}, {b, c} and {a, b, c}.
3. P = {p, q, r, s}
All the subsets of set P are {}, {p}, {q}, {r}, {s},
{p, q}, {p, r} {p, s}, {q, r}, {q, s}, {s, r}, {p, q, r},
{p, r, s}, {p, q, s}, {q, r, s} and {p, q, r, s}.
 Illustrate the relationships between the following sets
using Venn diagrams.
a)  and P b) , P and Q
 •0 P  •0
•1 P •1
•2 •2
•5
•3
•3
•5
•4 •4 Q
•6 •6
 Complement of a Set
•The complement of set A is the set of all
elements of the universal set, which are
not elements of the set A
•It is denoted by A’.
 Example
State the complement of set P
 ={whole numbers less than 7}

={0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
P={prime numbers}
P={2, 3, 5}
'
P = {0,1,4,6}
State the complement of set A

A

•3 •2
•1

•4

 ={1, 2, 3, 4}
A={1, 2}
A '={3, 4}
 Number Of Subsets
n
The number of subsets of set A=2 , where n
is the number of elements of set A
For example,
if A= {1, 2},
2
then the number of subsets of set A= 2
=4
All the subsets of set A are {}, {1}, {2}
and{1, 2}.