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JEE Main 2026 Preparation: Question Papers, Solutions, Mock Tests & Strategy Unacademy » JEE Study Material » Mathematics » Sets Questions

Sets Questions

The term "set" in mathematics refers to a collection of separate items that are joined together to form a group of objects. A set can consist of any collection of items, such as a collection of numbers, days of the week, or different types of automobiles, among other things.

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In mathematics, a set is essentially a collection of different things that come together to form a group. A set can consist of any collection of items, such as a collection of numbers, days of the week, or different types of automobiles, among other things. Every object in the collection is referred to as an element of the collection. When writing a set, it is necessary to utilise curly brackets. As an example of a very simple set, consider the following scenario: Set A = {1,2,3,4,5}.  There are a variety of notations that can be used to denote elements in a set. Roster forms and set builder forms are commonly used to represent sets in the real world.

Elements of a Set

The components that make up a set are referred to as elements or members of a set, depending on the context. The elements in a set are denoted by curly brackets, which are separated by commas between them. The sign  ‘∈’  is used to indicate that an element is contained within a collection.   Whenever an element is not a member of a set, the symbol ‘∉’ is used to represent that fact. In this case, 5 ∉ A.




Cardinal Number of a Set

The total number of items in a set is denoted by the cardinal number, cardinality, or order of the members in the set. n(A) = 4 for natural even numbers less than or equal to 10. Sets are defined as a collection of elements that are distinct from one another. One of the most fundamental conditions for defining a set is that all of the items of the set should be related to one another and share a common characteristic. We can claim, for example, that all the members of a set are the names of the months in a year if we define a set with its components as the names of months in a year.

 

Representation of Sets

There are several distinct set notations that can be used to express different types of sets. The way in which the elements are listed differs between the two. The three set notations that are commonly used to represent sets are as follows:

  • Semantic form.

  • Roster form.

  • Set builder form



Semantic Form

The semantic notation defines a statement that demonstrates which components of a set are being discussed. Set A, for example, is a list containing the first five odd numbers in the sequence.



Roster Format

Using roster form, all of the items of the set are listed one after another, separated by commas, and encased between curly braces.

Consider the following example: If the set includes all of the leap years occurring between the years 1995 and 2015, it would be described in Roster form as: A ={1996,2000,2004,2008,2012}

Set Builder Form

In the set builder form, all of the elements have a common property that they all share. There are some items that are not part of the set that are not affected by this property.



S={ x: x is an even prime number}, where x is an even prime number, and ‘x’ is a symbolic representation used to express the element.

‘:’ is an abbreviation for ‘in such a way as’

‘The set of all’ is represented by the symbol ‘{}’.

As a result,S = { x:x is an even prime number }  can be understood as ‘the set of all x such that x is an even prime number’ in the context of prime numbers. S = 2 would be the roster form for this particular set S. Singleton/unit sets are what these types of sets are referred to as.





Visual Representation of Sets Using Venn Diagram

In a Venn Diagram, each set is represented by a circle, and the diagram is used to illustrate groups of sets. Within the rings are the elements of a set that are present. In other cases, the circles are encircled by a rectangle, which represents the universal set. The Venn diagram depicts the relationship between the two sets of data that have been provided.






Sets Symbols

When defining the elements of a given set, set symbols are utilised to help you out. Some of these symbols, as well as their meanings, are shown in the following table.

 

Symbols

Meaning

U

Universal set

n(X)

Cardinal number of set X

b ∈ A

‘b’ is an element of set A

a ∉ B

‘a’ is not an element of set B

{}

Denotes a set

∅

Null or empty set

A U B

Set A union set B

A ∩ B

Set A intersection set B

 

A ⊆ B

Set A is a subset of set B

B ⊇ A

Set B is the superset of set A

  







Sets Formulas

Sets are used in a variety of fields, including algebra, statistics, and probability. There are several critical set formulas, which are given below.

Suppose there are any two overlapping sets A and B.

  • n(A U B) = n(A) + n(B) – n(A ∩ B)

  • n (A ∩ B) = n(A) + n(B) – n(A U B)

  • n(A) = n(A U B) + n(A ∩ B) – n(B)

  • n(B) = n(A U B) + n(A ∩ B) – n(A)

 

  • n(A – B) = n(A) – n(A ∩ B)

For either two sets A and B that are disjoint,

  • n(A U B) = n(A) + n(B)

  • A ∩ B = ∅

  • n(A – B) = n(A)





Properties of Sets

Sets have qualities that are similar to those of numbers, such as associative property, commutative property, and so on. There are six important features of sets that should be noted. The following are the properties of the three sets A, B, and C, which are given as examples.

 

Property

Example

Commutative Property

A U B = B U A

A ∩ B = B ∩ A

Associative Property

(A ∩ B) ∩ C = A ∩ (B ∩ C)

(A U B) U C = A U (B U C)

Distributive Property

A U (B ∩ C) = (A U B) ∩ (A U C)

A ∩ (B U C) = (A ∩ B) U (A ∩ C)

Identity Property

A U ∅ = A

A ∩ U = A

Complement Property

A U A’ = U

Idempotent Property

A ∩ A = A

A U A = A

  




Cartesian Product of Sets

An ordered pair of elements is obtained by taking the cartesian product of two sets denoted by A and B, which is the product of two non-empty sets denoted by the symbol A and B. For example,, {1, 4} × {1, 4} = {(1, 1), (1, 4), (4, 1), (4, 4)}.

Conclusion

Sets and subsets are some of the fundamental concepts in pure mathematics, and they are the building blocks of higher modern algebra. Instead of using numerical or variable examples for this topic, you may use real-life examples. You may demonstrate how the symbols of belongs to, contained, and other popular symbols used in mathematics relate to one another by using symbols such as For example, consider the classroom, which is composed of a teacher and pupils who are members of the set named classroom, which is a subset of the larger set called school.

 

faq

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the JEE Examination Preparation.

What are some examples of the term "set"?

Ans.  Using the curly brackets { } to indicate a collection of items, numbers...Read full

What exactly is a ∩ B?

Ans. When two sets A and B intersect, the intersection B is a set that contain...Read full

What do you call a set that does not include any elements?

Ans: The empty set is a set that does not contain any elements.

Ans.  Using the curly brackets { } to indicate a collection of items, numbers, or objects, we can represent a set. For example,  {1,2,3,4}.

 

Ans. When two sets A and B intersect, the intersection B is a set that contains elements that are shared by both sets A and B.

 

Ans: The empty set is a set that does not contain any elements.

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