Sets

Set-Builder Notation

Set-builder notation is a way of describing a set

using an algebraic expression.

General Form: {formula for elements: restrictions} or

{formula for elements| restrictions}

Examples

1) A = {x: -2
x
2, x
Z}

This is read as: A is a set of all integers x such that x

lies between -2 and 2, inclusive.

2) {x: x 3} - the set of all real numbers

except 3
 3) {x | x < 5} - the set of all real numbers less
than 5

4) { x | x is a real number} - { | x is a real

2 2
x

number}

5) {2n + 1: n is an integer} - the set of all odd

integers (e.g. ..., -3, -1, 1, 3, 5,...)

Symbols that are used in set-builder

notation:
1)
- is less than
2)
- is greater than
3)
- is less than or equal to
4)
- is greater than or equal to
5) : - such that
6)
- is an element of
7) W - Whole numbers
8) N - Natural numbers
9) Z - Integers
10) Q - Rational numbers
 11) R - Real numbers

1) Natural or Counting numbers - {1, 2, 3, 4,

5 ...}

2) Whole numbers - {0, 1, 2, 3, 4 ...}

3) Integers - {... -2, -1, 0, 1, 2 ...}

4) Rational Numbers - {can be expressed as

a
b } where a and b are integers but b
0

5) Irrational Numbers - { real number

that cannot be written as a simple fraction e.g.
, e, 2 , 3 }

6) Real Numbers - {are rational and

irrational numbers}

Subsets
If all the elements of a set B can be found
in a set A, then B is a subset of A, e.g.

A = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
B = {1, 2, 3}

B is a subset of A.

B A is read as B is a subset of A.
A _ B is read as A contains B.