
# 5: Set Theory


• 5.1: Sets and Operations on Sets
We have used logical operators (conjunction, disjunction, negation) to form new statements from existing statements. In a similar manner, there are several ways to create new sets from sets that have already been defined. In fact, we will form these new sets using the logical operators of conjunction (and), disjunction (or), and negation (not).
• 5.2: Proving Set Relationships
In this section, we will learn how to prove certain relationships about sets. Two of the most basic types of relationships between sets are the equality relation and the subset relation. So if we are asked a question of the form, “How are the sets A and B related?”, we can answer the question if we can prove that the two sets are equal or that one set is a subset of the other set. There are other ways to answer this, but we will concentrate on these two for now.
• 5.3: Properties of Set Operations
This section contains many results concerning the properties of the set operations. We have already proved some of the results. Others will be proved in this section or in the exercises. The primary purpose of this section is to have in one place many of the properties of set operations that we may use in later proofs. These results are part of what is known as the algebra of sets or as set theory.
• 5.4: Cartesian Products
When working with Cartesian products, it is important to remember that the Cartesian product of two sets is itself a set. As a set, it consists of a collection of elements. In this case, the elements of a Cartesian product are ordered pairs. We should think of an ordered pair as a single object that consists of two other objects in a specified order.
• 5.5: Indexed Families of Sets
• 5.S: Set Theory (Summary)

Thumbnail: A Venn diagram illustrating the intersection of two sets. Image used with permission (Public Domain; Cepheus).