Using

Mathematics
As Language To
Solve Problems
 FOUR BASIC CONCEPTS

• sets
• functions
• relations
• binary
operations
 SETS
Set was introduced in 1879 by Georg
Cantor (1845-1918). We consider set as a
collection of well-defined objects or
things that can be written is either in
a set-roster or set-builder notation.
 SETS
The individual objects in a set are called
the members or elements and is denoted
by є .
Sets are denoted by any capital letter of
the English alphabet, while, the elements
by small letters. Say, for instance, the set
of integers is denoted by letter ℤ.
 Two Ways of
Describing a Set
There are two ways of describing a
set, namely: the tabular or roster
method and the rule method.
 The rule
The tabular or method makes
roster method use of
enumerates or description by
lists the giving the
distinct common
elements of a characteristics
set of the
elements.
• To write sets using set-roster
notation, name the set using CAPITAL
LETTERS, lowercase letters for
elements, use braces { } to group the
elements, and separate each element by
commas (,). If the elements are infinite,
use an ellipsis (…) to indicate that
there are still more elements included.
Examples:
1. A = {a, b, c}, B = {a, a, b}, C = {a, a, c, c,
b}
All the 3 sets A, B, C have the same elements
a, b, c represented in different ways.
2. P = {e, z, a, {n}}
P has 4 elements, the first 3 are e, z, a, and
the last element is {n}.
3. Q is a set of positive integers.
Q = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ….}
The rule method is customarily
denoted by {x |
condition/characteristics of the
elements}. The vertical bar, |, is a
symbolic representation for the
phrase “such that”
Note that the notation in the rule
method is called set-builder
notation. This is a more compact
and efficient notation for describing
sets especially those which cannot
be specified by enumeration
Examples:
1.
The set is an open interval of real numbers
between -2 and 4.
2. {x J ԑ I -5≤x≤5}
The set is a closed interval of integers from -5
to 5.
Different Types Of
Sets
 Different Types Of Sets

• FINITE SET
• INFINITE SET
• EMPTY SET/ NULL • EQUAL SET
SET • DISJOINT SET
• UNIT SET • JOINT SET
• CARDINAL • EQUIVALENT SET
 FINITE SET

It is a set whose elements are

countable.

Example
1. A= { 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}
2. number of siblings in a family.
 INFINITE SET
It is a set with no last element and
uses the symbol ….

Example
1. B= {….. -2,-1,0,1,2…..}
2. number of COVID -19 cases in the
world.
 EMPTY SET/ NULL SET;
It has no element and sometimes called
an empty set or void set.

Example
1. A= {}
2. set of students aged 60-80 enrolled in
GEC 113
 UNIT SET
A set with only one element.

Example
1. A= {C} ; B={ banana}
2. number of Dean in the College of
Communication.
 EQUIVALENT SET

Two sets that have exact number of

elements.

Example
2. A= { 1,2,3,4,5}
B= { a,b,c,d,e}
 EQUAL SET
Two sets with the same number of
cardinality and elements are identical.

Example
2. A= { 1,2,3,4,5}
B= {3,5,1,2,4}
 CARDINAL NUMBER

Numbers that used to measure

the number of elements in a
given set. (counting the total
number of element in a set.)

A= {2,4,6,8,10} n= 5
B= {a,b,c,d,e} n= 5
 UNIVERSAL SET

It is the collection of all

elements of different sets.

Example
1. U= {a,b,c,d,…….z}
2. A set of Real Numbers with counting
numbers, whole numbers, integers, fractions,
radicals
 JOINT SET

A set that has common elements.

Example
A= { 1,2,3,4,5}
common: 5
B= {5,10,15,20}
 DISJOINT SET

A set that are mutually exclusive or if

they don’t have a common element/s.

Example
A= { 1,2,3,4,5} no
common
B= {10,20,30,40}
OPERATION
ON
SETS
 UNION OF SETS

• DENOTED BY AUB
• It is the union or combination of all
elements in a set.

• EXAMPLE
• A= {1,2,3} AND B= {4,5} THEN
AUB={ 1,2,3,4,5}
 INTERSECTION OF SETS
• DENOTED BY A∩B
• Elements which are common to both A and B
• common number of each sets
EXAMPLE
A= {1,2,3} AND B= {1,2,4,5} THEN A ∩
B={ 1,2}
 DIFFERENCE OF SETS
• DENOTED BY A-B
• Sets of all elements of A that are not an element of B

• EXAMPLE
1. A= {1,2,3} AND B= {1,2,4,5} THEN A-B={ 3}
2. A={ a,b,c,d} and B= {a,c,e} THEN A-B = {b,d}
 COMPLIMENT OF SET

• For a set A, the difference U-A, where U is

the universe is called the complement of
A and it is denoted by . Thus is the set of
everything that is not in A.

EXAMPLE
U= {a,e,i,o,u} and A= {a,e} then = { i,o,u}
 CARTESIAN PRODUCT
• Given sets A and B, the Cartesian Product of A and B,
denoted by AxB and read as “ A cross B” is the set of
all ordered pair (a,b) where a is in A and b is in B.

EXAMPLE
A= {1,2,3} and B= {a,b}
AxB= { (1,a), (1,b),(2,a),(2,b),(3,a),(3,b)}
Identification.
.__________1. He introduced the set.
__________2. A collection of well-defined objects.
__________3-4. Two ways of describing set
__________5. Numbers that used to measure the number of elements in a given set.
__________6. Two sets are equal if and only if they have equal number of cardinality and the
elements are identical.
__________7. A set that are mutually exclusive or if they don’t have a common elements.
__________8. A set that have common elements.
__________9. Two sets that have exact number of elements.
__________10. A collection of different sets.

Presentation title 30
 Identification.
._________________1. Set that elements in a given set is countable.
_________________2. Elements in a given set that has no end or not countable.
_________________3. A set that has no element.
_________________4. A set that contains only one element.
_________________5. Numbers that used to measure the number of elements in a given set.
_________________6. Two sets are equal if and only if they have equal number of cardinality and
the elements are identical.
_________________7. A set that are mutually exclusive or if they don’t have a common elements.
_________________8. A set that have common elements.
_________________9. Two sets that have exact number of elements.
Presentation title 31
_________________10. A set that all elements are under discussion.
Relations
and
Functions
Relations
• From the mathematical standpoint, a
RELATION is any set of ordered pairs
(x,y) of real numbers and is usually
considered a subset of a cartesian
product. The set of all values of x is called
the domain of the relation while the set of
all values of y is called the range of the
relation. We shall denote the domain of the
relation by D and the range of the relation
by R.
Functions
• Function is a special kind of relation in
which every element of the domain is the
x-coordinate of an ordered pair of the
function and no two ordered pairs have
the same x-coordinate.
• Hence, when all ordered pairs of a
relation are listed, one can decide whether
such a relation is a function or not by
simply examining its x-coordinates.
• In discussing functions, it is
customary to use lowercase letters.
However, this is not mandatory.
Consider the function denoted by f, the
symbol f(x) read as “f of x” or “f at x”
is used as an abbreviation to denote
the unique y-coordinate. Hence, in
general, if (x, y) є f, then y = f(x).
• Note that it is f which represents the
function while f(x) is the functional
value of f at x. Another notation of
function is written symbolically as f:
x → y, where x is an element of the
domain, and y is an element of the
range.
 Binary
Operations
• A binary operation on a non-
empty set A are functions from A x
A (read “A cross A”) to A.
• It is an operation of two elements
of the set whose domain and co-
domain are in the same set. It is
usually denoted by the symbol *
(read “star”).
• The binary operations associate any two
components of a group. Some familiar
examples of binary operations are “addition”
(+), “subtraction” (-), “multiplication”(x or
• ), “division” (÷) and “exponential.” Since
the result of performing the operation
on the pair of elements of set A is again
an element of set A, the operation is called
a closed binary operation on A
(sometimes expressed as having the
property of closure)
• There are five other properties that a
binary operation may have aside from
closure property these are as follows:
• Commutative
• Associative
• Distributive
• Identity
• Inverse
1. Commutative: Consider a non-empty set
A.
The operation ∗ is said to be commutative if
a ∗ b is always equal to b ∗ a.
In symbol, a ∗ b = b ∗ a.
Suppose addition be the binary operation
and N be the set of natural numbers. Let,
a = 4 and b = 5, a + b = 9 = b + a.
2. Associative: If for non-empty set A, a ∗
(b ∗ c) is always equal to (a ∗ b) ∗ c.
In symbol, a ∗ (b ∗ c)= (a ∗ b) ∗ c.
Suppose Z be the set of integers and
multiplication be the binary operation. Let, a
= -3, b = 5, and c = -16. We can write (a ×
b) × c = 240 = a × (b × c). Please note that
all binary operations are not associative, for
example, subtraction denoted by '-'.
• 3. Distributive: Let ∗ and ∘ be two binary
operations. The binary operations are distributive if
a ∗ (b ∘ c)= (a ∗ b) ∘ (a ∗ c) or (b ∘ c) ∗ a = (b ∗
a) ∘ (c ∗ a)

Suppose * is the multiplication operation and # is the

subtraction operation defined on Z (set of integers).
Let, a = 3, b = 4, and c = 7. Then, a*(b # c) = a × (b −
c) = 3 × (4 − 7) = -9. And, (a * b) # (a * c) = (a × b) −
(a × c) = (3 × 4) − (3 × 7) = 12 − 21 = -9. Therefore,
a* (b # c) = (a * b) # (a * c), for all {a, b, c} ∈ Z.
4. Identity: An element e of A is called
an identity for ∗,
if e ∗ a = a ∗ e = a for every element
a of A. The identities for “addition” and
“multiplication”, respectively are 0 and
1.
• 5. Inverse: If ∗ has an identity e and
a belongs to A, then an inverse for a
is an element b provided that
• a ∗ b = b ∗ a = e.

• Here, a is the inverse of b, b is the inverse of a

and e is the identity element.
• Note that the operations
“addition” and “multiplication”
are commutative and
associative,
• whereas “subtraction”,
“division”, and “exponential” are
neither commutative nor
associative.