INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

SET – is any well-defined collection of

objects.

It is a collection of distinct objects,

without repetition and without
ordering.

SYMBOL: { }
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

METHODS IN DESCRIBING A SET

LISTING METHOD/ROSTER/TABULAR FORM

It is listing or enumerating all the elements of
a given set.

Example:

A = {a, b, c} B = {1, 2, 3}
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

METHODS IN DESCRIBING A SET

RULE METHOD/SET-BUILDER NOTATION

Describing a set of elements which have
properties in common.

Elements must satisfy a given rule/condition.

Example:

A = { x │ x is a positive number < 4}

A = {1, 2, 3}
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

ELEMENTS

It is a member of a given set or an object in

the collection.

Example:

A = {a, b, c}
a Є A; b Є A; c Є A; d∉
A
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

TYPES OF SET

FINITE – elements can be counted.

INFINITE – elements which cannot be

counted.
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

SUBSET (⊆)

A is a subset of B, if A is
contained in B or if every element of
A is in B.

Example:
A = {a, b}
B = {a, b, c}
A ⊆ B but B ⊄ A
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

Note:
1. Every set is a subset of itself.
2. An empty set is a subset of every
set.
3. If A ⊄ B, then there is at least one
element in A that is not in B.
Example: A = {1, 2, 3}
Subsets of A are:
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

Example: A = {1, 2, 3}

Subsets of A are:
P(A) = { {1}, {2}, {3}, {1, 2}, {1, 3}, {2,3},
{1, 2, 3}, { } }

n 3
Checking: │ A │ = 2 = 2 = 8
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

PROPER SUBSET
If X is a subset of Y and X does
not equal Y.
POWER SET – P(A)
It is a family of all subset of a
given set.
The set of all subset.
n
Formula: P(x) = 2
n refers to the cardinality of a given set
Cardinality is the number of elements in a
given set.
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

EMPTY/NULL SET
It is a set with no element and is
denoted by Ø.
EQUAL SET
It is a set having exactly the same
cardinality and kind of elements.
Example:
A = {1, 2, 3}
B = {1, 2, 3}
A ⊆ B; B ⊆ A; A=B
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

EQUIVALENT SET
It is a set having the same
cardinality.
Example:
A = {1, 2, 3}
B = {4, 5, 6}
A∼B
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

UNION SET (A ∪ B)
It is a new set of elements that
belong to A or to B or to both A
and B.
Example:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}
B = {2, 4, 6, 7}
A ∪ B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7}
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

INTERSECTION SET (A ∩ B)
It is a new set of elements that
belong to both A and B.

Example:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}
B = {2, 4, 6, 7}
A ∩ B = {2, 4}
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

DISJOINT SET
Sets having no common elements.

Example:
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}
B = {5, 6, 7, 8}
A≠B
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

PAIRWISE DISJOINT
In a collection of sets α, if whenever
X and Y are distinct sets in α, X and
Y are disjoint.
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

DIFFERENCE/RELATIVE COMPLEMENT
The difference X – Y consists of all
elements in X that are not in Y.

Example:
A = {1, 3, 5}
B = {4, 5, 6}
A – B = {1, 3}
B – A = {4, 6}
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

SYMMETRIC DIFFERENCE
A new set of elements that
belong to A or B but not to A and B.

Example:
A = {2, 3, 5}
B = {2, 3, 6}
C = {1, 8, 5}
A ⊕ B = {5, 6}
A ⊕ C = {1, 2, 3, 8}
INTRODUCTION TO DISCRETE STRUCTURES

UNIVERSAL SET
It is the biggest set under
investigation wherein the other sets
are subset of this given set.

Example:
u = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
A = {1, 2, 3}
B = {4, 5, 6}
C = {5, 6}