Description:
Set theory is the study of collections of objects called sets. It forms the foundation of modern mathematics and is widely used in logic, computer science, and probability.
Key Concepts:
- Set: A collection of distinct objects.
- Example: A = {1, 2, 3, 4}
- Types of Sets:
- Finite & Infinite: {1,2,3} vs {1,2,3,…}
- Empty Set: ∅ (no elements)
- Universal Set: U (all possible elements)
- Subset: A ⊆ B → every element of A is in B
- Proper Subset: A ⊂ B → A ⊆ B but A ≠ B
- Power Set: P(A) = set of all subsets of A
- Operations on Sets:
- Union: A ∪ B → elements in A or B or both
- Intersection: A ∩ B → elements common to A and B
- Difference: A – B → elements in A but not in B
- Complement: A’ → elements not in A
- Venn Diagrams: Visual representation of sets and operations.
Example Problem:
If A = {1,2,3}, B = {2,3,4}, find:
- A ∪ B = {1,2,3,4}
- A ∩ B = {2,3}
- A – B = {1}