Sets

Partition of Sets

Theory

1.4.1 Power set:

It is defined as a set of all possible subsets which contains
2n elements. It is denoted by P(A) for set A
eg. A={1,2,3} here n=3 therefore 2n=23=8
P(A)={{1},{2},{3},{1,2},{1,3},{2,3},{1,2,3},{}}
A={a,b,c,d} P(A)=?

consider

Here n=4 2n=24=16

P(A)={{a},{b},{c},{d},{a,b},{a,c},{a,d},{b,c},{b,d},{c,d},{a,b,c},
{a,c,d},{b,c,d},{a,b,d},{a,b,c,d},{}}
1.4.2 Class of sets:
Sometimes subsets of a given set can be treated as elements
of a set. Such a collection of sets is called class of sets.
Eg if A={1,2,3} then set S whose elements are subsets of A.
S={{1},{2},{1,2}}. Here S is class of sets.
1.4.3 Partition of set:
For set A,if A1,A2,A3An are n subset of A such that if
2)
Then A1,A2,A3An are partition of set A

Sets

Partition of Sets

Theory

Eg.Consider foll set A ={a ,b,c,d,e ,f,g,h} for given subsets of A

A1={a,b,c,d}
A2={a,c,e,g,h}
A3={a,c,e,g}
A4={b,d}
A5={f,h}
Determine whether each of following is a subset of A. Justify
your answer
1) {A1,A2}
2) {A1,A5}
3) {A3,A4,A5}
1) {A1,A2}= {a,b,c,d,e,g,h} it is not a partition because A1,A2
are not disjoint
2) {A1,A3}= {a,b,c,d,f,h} it is not a partition because
A1 U A5 A
3) {A3,A4,A5}= {a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h} its a partition because
A3 U A4 U A5=A
And A3 A4 A5=

Sets

Partition of Sets

Theory

1.4.4 Cartesian product:

For two sets A and B the Cartesian product is denoted by
and it is defined as set of all ordered pairs
where
Symbolically,
Eg. A={a,b,c}

B={e,f,g}

A B={(a,e),(a,f),(a,g),(b,e),(b,f),(b,g),(c,e),(c,f),(c,g)}
On horizontal axis and vertical axis representation of A B is
as

1.4.5. Cardinality of a set:

is defined as
set. It is denoted by |A|, for set A.
1)
2)

present in any

Cardinally of null set is 0. i.e. ||= 0

Cardinally of singleton set is 1 i.e. |A|=1 if A is
singleton.In general, cardinality of any set containing n
element is n.
3

Sets

Partition of Sets

Theory

1.4.6. The Inclusion-exclusion principle:

It states that number of elements in set operations can be
calculated by
which are
counted
already (
them) and
(not counting)
elements which are already added.
This
eg if we want number of elements in (A U B) then we add
n(A) and n(B) and subtract n(A B) because we want to
avoid double counting of n(AB).

Theorem1:
If A and B are two finite sets and n(A), n(B) denote number
of elements in A and B,then
n(A U B)= n(A) + n(B) n(A B)
Proof:

Let A and B be two finite sets having cardinality = a + b = n(A)

and n(B)= b+c=n(B).
Also,
n(A B)=b [shaded region]
4

Sets

Partition of Sets

Theory

now n(A U B)=a+b+c=(a+b)+(b+c)-b

n(A B)=n(A) + n(B) n(A B)
if A and B are disjoint sets, A B=

therefore n(A B)=0

therefore n(A B)= n(A) + n(B)

also called

Theorem2:
If A,B,C are three finite sets then,
n(A U B U C)= n(A) + n(B) + n(C) n(A B) n(A C) - n(B
C) + n(A B C)
Proof:
n(AUBUC)=n(AU(BUC))
=n(A) + n(B U C) n(A (B U C)) -By theorem1
=n(A) + n(B U C) [n((A B) (A C))] By distributive
law
=n(A) + n(B) + n(C) n(B C) n(A B) n(A C) +
n[(A B) (A C)] -Theorem1
= n(A) + n(B) + n(C) n(A B) n(B C) n(A C) +
n[(A B) (A C)]

Sets

Partition of Sets

Further results using theorem 1 and 2

1) n(A - B)= n(A) n(A B) - 1
and n(B - A)=n(B) n(A B) - 2
2) n(A B)= n(A - B) + n(B - A)
= n(A) + n(B) -2[n(A B)] - Adding 1 and 2
3) n(A)= n(S) n(A) [ S or U ]
4) n(A B)= n(S) n(A B)
5) n(A B)=n(U) n(A B)

Theory