JEE Practice Questions (Single Choice Type)

Operation on Sets

Like operations on real numbers such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, we have some operations on the sets.

Union of Two Sets

The union of two sets \(A\) and \(B\) is the set of all those elements which are either in \(A\) or in \(B\) or in both.
This set is denoted by \(A \cup B\) (read as ‘ \(A\) union \(B\) ‘).
Symbolically, \(A \cup B=\{x \mid x \in A\) or \(x \in B\}\)
Clearly, \(x \in A \cup B \Leftrightarrow x \in A\) or \(x \in B\)
For example,
(i) \(A=\{1,2,3\}\) and \(B=\{2,1,5,6\}\)
Then \(A \cup B=\{1,2,3,5,6\}\)
(ii)
\(
\begin{aligned}
& A=\{x: x \text { is a prime number less than } 10\} \text { and } \\
& B=\{x: x \in Z,-5<x<5\} \\
& \text { Then } A=\{2,3,5,7\} \text { and } B=\{-4,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,4\} \\
& \therefore \quad A \cup B=\{-4,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,4,5,7\}
\end{aligned}
\)
(iii)
\(
\begin{aligned}
& A=\{1,2,3\}, B=\{3,5\}, C=\{4,7,8\} \\
& \text { Then } A \cup B \cup C=\{1,2,3,4,5,7,8\}
\end{aligned}
\)

Properties of the union of sets

If \(x \notin A \cup B\), then certainly \(x \notin A\) and \(x \notin B\).
If \(A \subseteq B\), then \(A \cup B=B\).
\(
A \cup B=B \cup A \quad \text { (commutative) }
\)
\(
A \cup B \cup C=(A \cup B) \cup C=A \cup(B \cup C) \quad \text { (Associative) }
\)
\(
\begin{aligned}
& \text { Also. } A \cup B \cup C=B \cup C \cup A=C \cup B \cup A \text { etc. } \\
& A \subseteq A \cup B \text { and } B \subseteq A \cup B \\
& \phi \cup A=A \cup \phi=A
\end{aligned}
\)

Union and the word ‘or’

The word ‘or’ tells us that there is a union of two sets.
For example,
{singers} \(\cup\{\) instrumentalists \(\} \equiv\{\) people who sing or play an instrument};
{vowels} \(\cup\{\) letters in word ARMED \(\} \equiv\{\) letters that are vowels or are in word ARMED};

Union and the word ‘at least’

The word ‘at least’ tells us that there is a union of two sets. Let sets \(A, B\) and \(C\) be the sets of students who play cricket, football and hockey, respectively.
Then set \(A \cup B\) is the set of students who play at least one of the sports cricket and football.
Similarly, \(B \cup C\) is the set of students who play at least one of the sports football and hockey.
Also, \(A \cup B \cup C\) is the set of students who play at least one of the sports, cricket, football and hockey.

Intersection of Two Sets

The intersection of two sets \(A\) and \(B\) is the set of all the elements which are common in \(A\) and \(B\). This set is denoted by \(A \cap B\) (read as ‘ \(A\) intersection \(B\) ‘).
Symbolically, \(A \cap B=\{x \mid x \in A\) and \(x \in D\}\) Clearly, \(x \in A \cap B \Leftrightarrow x \in A\) and \(x \in B\).
For example,
(i) Consider sets, \(A=\{1,2,3\}\) and \(B=\{1,2,5,6\}\)
Here, elements 1 and 2 are common in sets \(A\) and \(B\).
So, \(A \cap B=\{1,2\}\)
(ii) Consider sets \(A=\{1,2,3\}\) and \(B=\{5,6,7,8\}\). We observe that there is no element common in sets \(A\) and \(B\). So, \(A \cap B=\phi\)
(iii) Consider sets \(A=\{1,2,3\}\) and \(B=\{1,2,3,4,5,6\}\).
We observe that all the elements of set \(A\) are in set \(B\). In fact, set \(A\) is a subset of set \(B\).
So, \(A \cap B=\{1,2,3\}=A\)
(iv) Consider sets \(A=\{1,2,3\}, B=\{2,4,6\}\) and \(C=\{1,2\}\). Then \(A \cap B \cap C=\{2\}\)

Properties of the intersection of sets

\(x \notin A\) and \(x \notin B \Leftrightarrow x \notin A \cap B\)
If \(x \notin\left(A_1 \cap A_2 \cap A_3 \cap \ldots\right)\) then \(x\) is not the element of at least one of the sets.
If \(A \subseteq B\) then \(A \cap B=A\).
\(A \cap B=B \cap A\) (commutative)
\(A \cap B \cap C=(A \cap B) \cap C=A \cap(B \cap C)\) (associative)
Also, \(A \cap B \cap C=B \cap C \cap A=C \cap B \cap A\) etc.
\(A \cap B \subseteq A\) and \(A \cap B \subseteq B\)
\(\phi \cap A=A \cap \phi=\phi\)
\((A \cup B) \cap A=A\) and \((A \cup B) \cap B=B\)
\((A \cap B) \cup A=A\) and \((A \cap B) \cup B=B\)
\(A \cup(B \cap C)=(A \cup B) \cap(A \cup C) \quad \text { (Distributive law) }\)
\(A \cap(B \cup C)=(A \cap B) \cup(A \cap C) \quad \text { (Distributive law) }\)

Intersection and the word ‘and’

The word ‘and’ tells us that there is an intersection of two sets. For example,
{singers} \(\cap\) {instrumentalists} \(\equiv\) {people who sing and play an instrument}
{vowels} \(\cap\) {letters of word EXAMINATION} \(\equiv\) {letters that are vowels and are in word EXAMINATION}

Intersection and the word ‘both

The word ‘both’ tells us that there is an intersection of two sets.
Let sets \(A, B\) and \(C\) be the sets of students who play cricket, football and hockey, respectively.
Then set \(A \cap B\) is the set of students who play both the sports cricket and football.
Similarly, \(B \cap C\) is the set of students who play both the sports football and hockey.
Also, \(A \cap B \cap C\) is the set of students who play all the sports cricket, football and hockey.

Disjoint sets

If \(A \cap B=\phi\), then sets \(A\) and \(B\) are called disjoint sets.

Difference of Two Sets

The difference of two sets \(A\) and \(B\) (also called ‘relative complement’ of \(B\) in \(A\) ) is the set of all those elements of \(A\) which are not elements of \(B\). It is denoted by \(A-B\). Thus \(A-B\) can be obtained by discarding the elements of \(B\), present in \(A\).
Symbolically, \(A-B=\{x \mid x \in A\) and \(x \notin B\}\)
For example,
(i) Consider sets, \(A=\{1,3,5,6,7\}\) and \(B=\{2,3,4,5\}\).
Here, elements 3 and 5 are common in sets \(A\) and \(B\).
So, \(A-B=\{1,6,7\}\) and \(B-A=\{2,4\}\)
(ii) Consider sets \(A=\{1,2,3\}\) and \(B=\{5,6,7,8\}\).
We observe that there is no element common between sets \(A\) and \(B\).
So. \(A-B=\{1,2,3\}=A\) and \(B-A=\{5,6,7,8\}=B\)
(iii) Corsider sets \(A=\{1,2,3\}\) and \(B=\{1,2,3,4,5,6\}\).
We observe that all the elements of set \(A\) are in set \(B\). i.e., set \(A\) is subset of set \(B\).
So. \(A-B=\phi\) and \(B-A=\{4,5,6\}\)

Properties of the difference of sets

If \(A \cap B=\phi\) (i.e., sets \(A\) and \(B\) have no common elements), then \(A-B=A\) and \(B-A=B\).
If \(A \subseteq B\), then \(A-B=\phi\).
\(x\) is not the element of set \(A-B\) if \(x \in A\) and \(x \in B\).
\(A-B \neq B-A\)

Difference and the word ‘only’

Consider \(A=\) set of students who play cricket and \(B=\) set of students who play football.
Now, \(A-B=\) set of students who play cricket but not football \(=\) set of students who play cricket only
Similarly, \(B-A=\) set of students who play football only

COMPLEMENT OF A SET

The complement of a set \(A\) (also called ‘absolute complement’ of \(A\) ) is the set of all those elements of the universal set \(U\) which are not the elements of \(A\). It is denoted by \(A^c\) or \(A^{\prime}\).
For example, if set \(U=\{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10\}\) and set \(A=\{1,2,5,7,9\}\) then set \(A^{\prime}=\{3,4,6,8,10\}\).
Clearly, \(A^{\prime}=U-A\).
Symbolically, set \(A^{\prime}=\{x \mid x \in U\) and \(x \notin A\}\)
Thus, if \(x \in A \Leftrightarrow x \notin A^{\prime}\).
Properties of complement of sets
\(A \cap A^{\prime}=\phi\) (as nothing is common between \(A\) and \(A^{\prime}\) )
\(A \cup A^{\prime}=U\)
\(U^{\prime}=\phi\)
\(\left(A^{\prime}\right)^{\prime}=A\)
\(A \subseteq B \Leftrightarrow B^{\prime} \subseteq A^{\prime}\)
\(A-B=B^{\prime}-A^{\prime}\)
\(A-B=A \cap B^{\prime}\)
\(B-A=A^{\prime} \cap B\)

Complement and the word ‘not’

The word ‘not’ corresponds to the complement of a set.
For example, let set \(V=\{\) letters that are vowel \(\}\)
Then complement of set \(V\) is \(V^{\prime}=\{\) letters that are not vowels \(\}\)
\(=\{\) letters that are consonants \(\}\)

De Morgan’s Laws

(i) \((A \cup B)^{\prime}=A^{\prime} \cap B^{\prime}\)
(ii) \((A \cap B)^{\prime}=A^{\prime} \cup B^{\prime}\)
(iii) \(A-(B \cup C)=(A-B) \cap(A-C)\)
(iv) \(A-(B \cap C)=(A-B) \cup(A-C)\)

SOME IMPORTANT RESULTS

If \(A, B\) and \(C\) are finite sets, and \(U\) be the finite universal set, then
(i) \(n(A \cup B)=n(A)+n(B)-n(A \cap B)\)
(ii) \(n(A \cup B)=n(A)+n(B) \Leftrightarrow A, B\) are disjoint non-void sets.
(iii) \(n(A-B)=n(A)-n(A \cap B)\)
i.e. \(n(A-B)+n(A \cap B)=n(A)\)
(iv)
\(
\begin{aligned}
& n(A \Delta B) \\
& =\text { No. of elements which belong to exactly one of } A \text { or } B \\
& =n((A-B) \cup(B-A)) \\
& =n(A-B)+n(B-A)[\because(A-B) \text { and }(B-A) \text { are disjoint }] \\
& =n(A)-n(A \cap B)+n(B)-n(A \cap B) \\
& =n(A)+n(B)-2 n(A \cap B)
\end{aligned}
\)
\(\Delta:\) This symbol represents the symmetric difference of two sets. The symmetric difference of sets A and B, denoted \(A \Delta B\), is the set of elements that are in either A or \(B\), but not in their intersection.

(v)
\(
\begin{aligned}
& n(A \cup B \cup C) \\
& =n(A)+n(B)+n(C)-n(A \cap B)-n(B \cap C)-n(A \cap C) \\
& \quad+n(A \cap B \cap C)
\end{aligned}
\)
(vi) No. of elements in exactly two of the sets \(A, B, C\)
\(
=n(A \cap B)+n(B \cap C)+n(C \cap A)-3 n(A \cap B \cap C) .
\)
\(
\begin{aligned}
&\text { (vii) No. of elements in exactly one of the sets } A, B, C\\
&\begin{gathered}
=n(A)+n(B)+n(C)-2 n(A \cap B)-2 n(B \cap C) \\
-2 n(A \cap C)+3 n(A \cap B \cap C)
\end{gathered}
\end{aligned}
\)
(viii) \(n\left(A^{\prime} \cup B^{\prime}\right)=n\left((A \cap B)^{\prime}\right)=n(U)-n(A \cap B)\)
(ix) \(n\left(A^{\prime} \cap B^{\prime}\right)=n\left((A \cup B)^{\prime}\right)=n(U)-n(A \cup B)\).

You cannot copy content of this page