3.

1 Set
1. A set is a collection of objects according to certain characteristics
2. The objects in a set are known as elements.
3. Sets are usually denoted by capital letters and notation used for sets is braces, {
}.
Example:
A = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}
4. In set notation, the symbol means is an element of or belongs to
and means is not an element of or does not belong to.
Example 1:
Given that P = {factors of 15} and Q = {positive perfect squares less than 28}. By
using the symbol or , complete each of the following:
(a) 5 ___ P
(b) 20 ___ P
(c) 25 ___ Q
(d) 8 ___ Q
Solution:
P = {1, 3, 5, 15}, Q = {1, 4, 9, 16, 25}

(a) 5 P 5 is an element of set P (b) 20 P 20 is not a

n element of set P (c) 25 Q 25 is an element of set Q (d
) 8 Q 8 is not an element of set Q
(A) Represent sets by using Venn diagram
5. A set can be represented by a Venn diagram using closed geometry shapes such
as circles, rectangles, triangles and etc.
6. A dot to the left of an object in a Venn diagram indicates that the object is
an element of the set.
7. When a Venn diagram represents the number of elements in a set, no dot is
placed to the left of the number.
Example 2:
(a) Draw a Venn diagram to represent each of the following sets.
(b) State the number of elements for each of the set.
A = {2, 3, 5, 7}
B = {k, m, r, t, y}

Solution:
(a)

(b)
n (A) = 4
n (B) = 5

(B) Determine whether a set is an empty set

8. A set with no elements is called an empty set or null set. The
symbol or empty braces, { }, denotes empty set.
For example, if set A is an empty set, then A = { } or A = and
n (A) = 0.
9. If B = {0} or {} does not denote that B is an empty set. B = {0} means that
there is an element 0 in set B.
B = {} means that there is an element in set B.

3.2a Subsets
1. If every element of a set A is also an element of a set B, then
set A is called subset of set B.
2. The symbol is used to denote is a subset of.
Therefore, set A is a subset of set B. In set notation, it is written as
Example:
A = {11, 12, 13} and B = {10, 11, 12, 13, 14}

AB.

Every element of set A is an element of set B.

Therefore AB.
3. AB can be illustrated using Venn diagram as below:

4. The symbol is used to denote is not a subset of.

5. An empty set is a subset of any set.
For example, A
6. A set is a subset of itself.
For example, BB
7. The number of subsets for a set with n elements is 2n.
For example, if A = {3, 7}
So n = 2, then number of subsets of set A = 22 = 4
All the subsets of set A are { }, {3}, {7} and {3, 7}.
3.2b Universal Set
1. Universal set is a set that contains all the elements under consideration.
2. In set notation, the symbol denotes a universal set.
Example:

Given that the universal set, = {whole numbers less than 9}, A = {prime
number} and B = {multiple of 4}.
(a) List all the elements of set A and set B.
(b) Illustrate the relationships between the following sets using Venn
diagrams.
(i) and A
(ii) , A and B
Solution:
(a) = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
A = {2, 3, 5, 7}
B = {4, 8}
(b)(i)

(b)(ii)

3.2c Complement of a Set

1. The complement of set B is the set of all elements in the universal set, ,
which are not elements of set B, and is denoted by B.
Example 1:
If = {17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23} and
B = {17, 20, 21} then
B = {18, 19, 22, 23}
2. The Venn diagram below shows the relationship between B, B and the
universal set, .

The complement of set B is represented by the shaded region inside the

universal set, , but outside set B.
3.3a Intersection of Sets
1. The intersection of set P and set Q, denoted by PQ is the set
consisting of all elements common to set P and set Q.
2. The intersection of set P, set Q and set R, denoted by PQR is
the set consisting of all elements common to set P, set Q and set R.
3. Represent the intersection of sets using Venn diagrams.

(a) PQ

(b) QP, then PQ=Q

(c) PQ=, There is no intersection between set P and set

Q.

(d) PQR

Example 1:
Given that A = {3, 4, 5, 6, 7}, B = {4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12} and C = {3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10}.
(a) Find ABC.
(b) Draw a Venn diagram to represent ABC.
Solution:
(a) ABC = {5, 7}
(b)

4. The complement of the intersection of two sets, P and Q, represented

by (P Q), is a set that consists of all the elements of the universal set, ,
but not the elements of P Q.
5. The complement of set (P Q) is represented by the shaded region
as shown in the Venn diagram.

3.3b Union of Sets

1. The union of set A and set B, denoted by A B is the set consisting of

all elements in set A or set B or both the sets.

The Venn diagram of A B is illustrated as below:

2. The union of set A, set B and set C, denoted by A B C is the set

consisting of all elements in set A, set B or set C or all the three sets.

The Venn diagram of A B C is illustrated as below:

Example 1:
The Venn diagram below shows the number of elements in the universal set, ,
set P, set Q and R.

Given n(Q) = n (P

R), find n().

Solution:

n(Q) = n (P R)
2x + 6 + 1 + 5 = 2x + 2x
2x + 12 = 4x
2x = 12
x=6
n() = 2x + 2x + x + 7 + 6 + 1 + 5
= 5x + 19
= 5(6) + 19
= 30 + 19
= 49

Example 2:
Diagram below is a Venn diagram showing the universal set, = {Form 3
students}, set A = {Students who play piano} and set B = {Students who play
violin}.

Given n() = 60, n(A) = 25, n(B) = 12 and n(A B) = 8, find the number of
students who do not play the two instruments.

Solution:
The students who do not play the two instruments are represented by the shaded
region, (A

B).

Number of students who do not play the two instruments

= n (A

B)

= 60 17 8 4
= 31

Example 1:

List all the subsets of set P = {r, s}.

Solution:

There are 2 elements, so the number of subsets of set P is 2n = 22 = 4.

Set P = {r, s}
Therefore subsets of set P = {r}, {s}, {r, s}, { }.

Example 2:

Diagram above shows a Venn diagram with the universal set, = Q P.

List all the subset of set P.
Solution:

Set P has 3 elements, so the number of subsets of set P is 2n = 23 = 8.

Set P = {2, 3, 5}
Therefore subsets of set P = { }, {2}, {3}, {5}, {2, 3}, {2, 5}, {3, 5},
{2, 3, 5}.

Example 3:

It is given that the universal set, = {x : 30 x < 42, x is an integer} and

set P = {x : x is a number such that the sum of it its two digits is an even
number}.
Find set P.

Solution:

= {30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41}
P = {31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 40}
Therefore P = {30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 41}.

Example 4:

Given that universal set = {x : 3 < x 16, x is an integer},

Set A = {4, 11, 13, 16},
Set B = {x : x is an odd number} and
Set C = {x : x is a multiple of 3}.
The elements of the set (A C) B are
Solution:

= {4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16}

A = {4, 11, 13, 16}
B = {5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15}
C = {6, 9, 12, 15}
(A C) = {5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14}
Therefore (A C) B = {5, 7}.

Example 1:
The Venn diagrams in the answer space shows sets X, Y and Z such that the universal
set, = X Y Z.
On the diagrams in the answer space, shade
(a) X'Y,(b) (XY')Z

Solution:
(a)
X Y means the intersection of the region outside X with the region Y.

(b)
Find the region of (X Y) first.
(X Y) means the union of the region X and the region outside Y.
The region then intersects with region Z to give the result of (X Y) Z.

Example 2:
The Venn diagrams in the answer space shows sets P, Q and R such that the universal
set, = P Q R

On the diagrams in the answer space, shade

(a) Q R,
(b) (P R) Q.

Solution:
(a)
Q R means the intersection of the region Q and the region R.

(b)
Find the region of (P R) first.
(P R) means the region that is outside P and is inside R.
The union of this region with region Q give the result of (P R) Q.

Example 3:
(a) The Venn diagrams in the answer space shows sets P and Q such that the
universal set, = P Q.
Shade the set P Q.
(b) The Venn diagrams in the answer space shows sets X and Y and Z, such that
the universal set, = X Y Z.
Shade the set (X Z) Y.
Solution:
(a)

P Q means the intersection of the region P and the region Q.

(b)

 (X Z) means the union of the region X and the region Z.

The region then intersects with region Y to give the result (X Z) Y.

Example 4:
The Venn diagrams in the answer space shows sets P, Q and R such that the universal
set, = P Q R
On the diagrams in the answer space, shade
(a) P R,
(b) P (Q R).

Solution:
(a)
P R

(b)
P (Q R)

Question 1:
It is given that y varies directly as the cube of x and y = 192 when x = 4. Calculate the
value of x when y = 24.
Solution:
y x
y = kx
192 = k (4)
192 = 64 k
k=3
y = 3 x
when y = 24
24 = 3 x
x = 8
x=2

Question 2:
It is given that y varies directly as the square of x and y = 9 when x = 2. Calculate the
value of x when y = 16.
Solution:
y x
y = kx
9 = k (2)
k = 94

y=94x2 When y = 1616 =

94x2x2=649x=83

Question 3:
Given that y varies inversely as w and x and y = 45 when w = 2 and x =
value of x when y = 15 and w = 13

16

. Find the

Solution:

1wxy=kwx45=k(2)(16)k=4513=15y=15wxwhen

y=15,

w=1315=15(13)xx3=1x=3

Question 4:
Given that p
and r = 4.

1qr

and p = 3 when q = 2 and r = 16, find the value of p when q= 3

Solution:

1qrp=kqr3=k(2)16k=24p=24qrwhen

q=3, r=4p=2434p=246=4