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Sets and operations

Membership, subsets, union, intersection, complement, and Venn diagrams.

A set is a collection; the operations combine them: union (either), intersection (both), difference, complement. Picture it: a Venn diagram; each region is a combination of memberships. Think it: the operations satisfy the same laws as and/or/not — sets and logic are the same algebra (Boolean algebra).

Esempio di funzionamento: {1,2,3,4} union {3,4,5,6}

Set-Theory · Sets

{1,2,3,4} union {3,4,5,6}

Passo dopo passo

  1. A = \left\{1, 2, 3, 4\right\},\quad B = \left\{3, 4, 5, 6\right\}

    The two sets.

  2. A \cup B = \left\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\right\}

    Keep everything in either set.

  3. |A| = 4,\ |B| = 4,\ |A \cup B| = 6

    Cardinalities. Note |A ∪ B| = |A| + |B| − |A ∩ B|.

Rivela la risposta
A \cup B = \left\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\right\}

Symbols used here

A \cup B,\ A \cap B,\ A \setminus B
union, intersection, difference
In either; in both; in A but not B.
\leq,\ \geq
less/greater than or equal
Inequalities that allow equality; < and > exclude it.
\neq
not equal
The two sides are different.
\infty
infinity
Not a number: "grows without bound" in limits and intervals.
\mathbb{N},\ \mathbb{Z},\ \mathbb{Q},\ \mathbb{R},\ \mathbb{C}
number sets
Naturals, integers, rationals, reals, complex numbers.
x \in A,\ A \subseteq B
element of, subset
x belongs to A; every element of A is in B.
\emptyset,\ |A|
empty set, cardinality
The set with no elements; the number of elements of A.
\forall,\ \exists
for all, there exists
Quantifiers: every x; at least one x.
\neg,\ \wedge,\ \vee,\ \Rightarrow,\ \Leftrightarrow
not, and, or, implies, iff
Logical connectives.
\blacksquare\ \text{or}\ \square
end of proof (halmos)
Marks the point where the statement has been established.

How to: Sets and operations

  1. Write each set explicitly, or describe it by a property.
  2. For a union keep everything in either; for an intersection only what is in both.
  3. Check |A ∪ B| = |A| + |B| − |A ∩ B|.

Questions people ask

Are some infinities bigger than others?

Yes. The integers and the rationals can be listed; the real numbers cannot (Cantor's diagonal argument), so there are strictly more reals than integers.

What is the difference between a relation and a function?

A relation pairs inputs with outputs freely; a function is a relation in which every input gets exactly one output.

Prova il tuo

Più in Set Theory & Logic

Relations, functions and equivalenceCardinality and infinityLogic and methods of proof