SETS FORMULAS IN SET THEORY

Sets find their application in the field of algebra, statistics and probability. There are
some important set theory formulas in set theory as listed below.
For any two overlapping sets A and B,

 n (AU B) = n (A) + n (B) – n (A ∩ B)

 n (A ∩ B) = n (A) + n (B) – n (A U B)
 n (A) = n (A U B) + n (A ∩ B) – n (B)
 n (B) = n (A U B) + n (A ∩ B) – n (A)
 n (A - B) = n (A U B) – n (B)
 n (A - B) = n (A) – n (A ∩ B)
For any two sets A and B that are disjoint,

 n (A U B) = n (A) + n (B)
 A∩B=∅
 n (A - B) = n (A)
PROPERTIES OF SETS
Similar to numbers, sets also have properties like associative property, commutative
property, and so on. There are six important properties of sets. Given, three sets A, B, and C,
the properties for these sets are as follows.

Property of Set Example

A U B = B U A
Commutative Property
A∩B=B∩A

(A ∩ B) ∩ C = A ∩ (B ∩ C)
Associative Property
(A U B) U C = A U (B U C)

A U (B ∩ C) = (A U B) ∩ (A U C)
Distributive Property
A ∩ (B U C) = (A ∩ B) U (A ∩ C)

AU∅=A
Identity Property
A∩U=A

Complement Property A U A' = U

 Property of Set Example

A∩A=A
Idempotent Property
AUA=A

EXAMPLE PROBLEMS

1. If A = {2, 3, 4, 5} B = {4, 5, 6, 7} C = {6, 7, 8, 9} D = {8, 9, 10, 11}, find

(a)A∪B(b)A∪C(c)B∪C (d)B∪D(e)(A∪B)∪C (f)A∪(B∪C) (g)B∪(C∪D)

Solution:

(a){2,3,4,5,6,7}
(b){2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
(c){4,5,6,7,8,9}
(d){4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11}
(e){2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
(f){2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}
(g) {4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11}

2. If A = {4, 6, 8, 10, 12} B = {8, 10, 12, 14} C = {12, 14, 16} D = {16, 18},

find
(a)A∩B (b)B∩C (c)A∩(C∩D) (d)A∩C (e)B∩D (f)(A∩B)∪C (g)A∩(B∪D) (h)(A∩B)∪(B∩C) (i)
(A∪D)∩(B∪C)

Solution:

(a){8,10,12}
(b){12,14}
(c)∅
(d){12}
(e){8,10,12}
(f){8,10,12,14,16}
(g){8,10,12}
(h){8,10,12,14}
(i){8,10,12,16}

3.If A = {4,7,10,13,16,19,22} B = {5,9,13,17,20} C ={3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17} D = {6,11,16,21}

Then find.

(a)A-C(b)D-A (c)D-B (d)A-D (e)B-C (f)C-D (g)B-A (h)B-D (i)D-C (j)A-B (k)C-B (l)C-A

Solution:

(a){4,10,16,19,22}
(b){6,11,21}
(c){6,11,16,21}
(d){4,7,10,13,19,22}
(e){20}
(f){3,5,7,9,13,15,17}
(g){5,19,17,20}
(h){5,9,13,17,20}
(i){6,16,21}
(j){4,7,10,16,19,22}
(k){3,7,11,15}
(l){3,5,9,11,15,17}

4.Let X = {2, 4, 5, 6} Y = {3, 4, 7, 8} Z = {5, 6, 7, 8}, find

(a)(X-Y)∪(Y-X)
(b)(X-Y)∩(Y-X)
(c)(Y-Z)∪(Z-Y)
(d)(Y-Z)∩(Z-Y)

Solution:

(a){2,3,5,6,7,8}
(b)Empty Set
(c){3,4,5,6}
(d) Empty Set

5.Let ξ = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7} and A = {1,2,3,4,5} B = {2,5,7}

show that
(a)(A∪B)'=A'∩B'
(b)(A∩B)'=A'∪B'
(c)(A∩B)=B∩A
(d)(A∪B)=B∪A

Solution:

(a)L. H. S = R. H. S = {6}
(b)L. H. S = R. H. S = {1,3,4,6,7}
(c){2,5}
(d){1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7}

6.Let P = {a, b, c, d} Q = {b, d, f} R = {a, c, e} verify that

(a)(P∪Q)∪R = P∪(Q∪R)
(b)(P∩Q)∩R = P∩(Q∩R)

Solution:

(a){a, b, c, d, e, f}
(b) Empty set

7. Write the following sets in the roster form.

(i) A = {x | x is a positive integer less than 10 and 2x – 1 is an odd number}
(ii) C = {x: x2 + 7x – 8 = 0, x ∈ R}
Solution:
(i) 2x – 1 is always an odd number for all positive integral values of x since 2 x is an even
number.

In particular, 2x – 1 is an odd number for x = 1, 2, … 9.

Therefore, A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9}
(ii) x2 + 7x – 8 = 0
(x + 8) (x – 1) = 0
x = – 8 or x = 1
Therefore, C = {– 8, 1}
8. Write the following sets in roster form
(i) A = {x: x is an integer and –3 ≤ x < 7}
(ii) B = {x: x is a natural number less than 6}

Solution:
(i) A = {x: x is an integer and –3 ≤ x < 7}
Integers are …-5, -4, -3, -2, -2, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, …..
A = {-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
(ii) B = {x: x is a natural number less than 6}
Natural numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, ……
B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
9. Given that N = {1, 2, 3, …, 100}, then

(i) Write the subset A of N, whose elements are odd numbers.

(ii) Write the subset B of N, whose elements are represented by x + 2, where x ∈ N.

Solution:
(i) A = {x | x ∈ N and x is odd}
A = {1, 3, 5, 7, …, 99}
(ii) B = {y | y = x + 2, x ∈ N}
1 ∈ N, y = 1 + 2 = 3
2 ∈ N, y = 2 + 2 = 4, and so on.
Therefore, B = {3, 4, 5, 6, … ,100}
10. Let X = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. If n represent any member of X, express the following as

(i) n ∈ X but 2n ∉ X
sets

(ii) n + 5 = 8
(iii) n is greater than 4
Solution:
(i) For X = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, it is given that n ∈ X, but 2n ∉ X.
Let, A = {x | x ∈ X and 2x ∉ X}
Now, 1 ∉ A as 2.1 = 2 ∈ X
2 ∉ A as 2.2 = 4 ∈ X
3 ∉ A as 2.3 = 6 ∈ X
But 4 ∈ A as 2.4 = 8 ∉ X
5 ∈ A as 2.5 = 10 ∉ X
6 ∈ A as 2.6 = 12 ∉ X
Therefore, A = {4, 5, 6}
(ii) Let B = {x | x ∈ X and x + 5 = 8}
Here, B = {3} as x = 3 ∈ X and 3 + 5 = 8 and there is no other element belonging to X such
that x + 5 = 8.
(iii) Let C = {x | x ∈ X, x > 4}
Therefore, C = {5, 6}
11. Let U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, A = {2, 3} and B = {3, 4, 5}.

Find A′, B′, A′ ∩ B′, A ∪ B and hence show that (A ∪ B) ′ = A′∩ B′.
Solution:
Given,
U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}, A = {2, 3} and B = {3, 4, 5}
A′ = {1, 4, 5, 6} B ′ = {1, 2, 6}.

Also, A ∪ B = {2, 3, 4, 5}, (A ∪ B) ′ = {1, 6}

Hence, A′ ∩ B′ = {1, 6}

Therefore, (A ∪ B) ′ = {1, 6} = A′ ∩ B′
12. Use the properties of sets to prove that for all the sets A and B, A – (A ∩ B) = A – B
Solution:
A – (A ∩ B) = A ∩ (A ∩ B) ′ (since A – B = A ∩ B′)
= A ∩ (A′ ∪ B′) [by De Morgan’s law)
= (A∩A′) ∪ (A∩ B′) [by distributive law]
= φ ∪ (A ∩ B′)
= A ∩ B′ = A – B
Hence, proved that A – (A ∩ B) = A – B.
13. Let U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}, A = {2, 4, 6}, B = {3, 5} and C = {1, 2, 4, 7}, find
(i) A′ ∪ (B ∩ C′)
(ii) (B – A) ∪ (A – C)
Solution:
Given U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}, A = {2, 4, 6}, B = {3, 5} and C = {1, 2, 4, 7}
(i) A′ = {1, 3, 5, 7}C′ = {3, 5, 6}

A′ ∪ (B ∩ C′) = {1, 3, 5, 7}
B ∩ C′ = {3, 5}

(B – A) ∪ (A – C) = {3, 5, 6}
(ii) B – A = {3, 5} A – C = {6}

14. Let U = {x: x ∈ N, x ≤ 9}; A = {x: x is an even number, 0 < x < 10}; B = {2, 3, 5, 7}.
Write the set (A U B)’.
Solution:
Let U = {x: x ∈ N, x ≤ 9}; A = {x: x is an even number, 0 < x < 10}; B = {2, 3, 5, 7}
U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} A = {2, 4, 6, 8}
A U B = {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
(A U B)’ = {1, 9}
15. In a survey of 600 students in a school, 150 students were found to be drinking Tea
and 225 drinking Coffee, 100 were drinking both Tea and Coffee. Find how many
students were drinking neither Tea nor Coffee.
Solution:
Given, Total number of students = 600
Number of students who were drinking Tea = n (T) = 150
Number of students who were drinking Coffee = n (C) = 225
Number of students who were drinking both Tea and Coffee = n (T ∩ C) = 100
n (T U C) = n (T) + n (C) – n (T ∩ C)
= 150 + 225 -100
= 375 – 100 = 275
Hence, the number of students who are drinking neither Tea nor Coffee = 600 – 275 = 325
16. From the adjoining Venn diagram, find the following sets.

(i)A (ii) B (iii) ξ (iv) A’ (v) B’ (vi) C’ (vii)C-A (viii) B-C (ix) A-B (x) AUB (xi) BUC (xii) A∩C
(xiii) B∩C (xiv)(B∪C)' (xv)(A∩B)' (xvi)(A∪B)∩C(xvii) A ∩ (B ∩ C)

Solution:

(i) A={1, 3, 4, 5}
(ii) B={2, 4, 5, 6}
(iii) ξ={1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
(iv) A'={2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}all elements of universal set leaving the elements of set A.
(v) B'={1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10} all elements of universal set leaving the elements of set B.
(vi) C’ = ?To find C={1,5,6,7,10}. Therefore, C' = {2, 3, 4, 8, 9} all elements of universal set leaving the
elements of set C.
(vii) C-A
Here C = {1,5,6,7,10} A = {1,3,4,5}. Then C- A = {6, 7, 10} excluding all elements of A from C.

(viii) B-C
Here B = {2,4,5,6} C = {1,5,6,7,10}. Then B- C = {2, 4} excluding all elements of C from B.

(ix)B-A
Here B = {2,4,5,6} A = {1,3,4,5}. Then B – A = {2, 6} excluding all elements of A from B.

(x) A∪B

Here A = {1, 3, 4, 5} B = {2, 4, 5, 6} & A∪B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

(xi) B∪C

Here B = {2, 4, 5, 6} C = {1, 5, 6, 7, 10} & B∪C = {1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10}

(xii) (B∪C)'

Since, B∪C = {1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10}

Therefore, (B∪C)' = {3, 8, 9}

(xiii) (A∩B)'

Here A = {1,3,4,5} B = {2, 4, 5, 6}

A∩B = {4,5}

(A∩B)' ={1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10}

(xiv) (A∪B)∩C

A={1,3,4,5} B={2,4,5,6} C={1,5,6,7,10}

A∪B = {1,2,3,4,5,6}

(A∪B)∩C={1,5,6}

(xv) A∩(B∩C)

A={1,3,4,5} B={2,4,5,6} C={1,5,6,7,10}

B∩C = {5,6}; A∩(B