All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only
Question

Consider the following in respect of sets A and B:

1. (A - B) ∪ B = A

2. (A - B) ∪ A = A

3. (A - B) ∩ B = ϕ

4. A ⊆ B ⇒ A ∪ B = B

Which of the above are correct?

This question was previously asked in
NDA I 2017 GAT Previous Year Paper (23-Apr-2017)
The correct answer is

2, 3 and 4

Analyzing Set Operations for Sets A and B

The question asks us to determine which of the given statements regarding set operations on sets A and B are correct. We will examine each statement individually using the definitions of the set operations involved.

Statement 1: (A - B) ∪ B = A

This statement involves the set difference and union operations. The set difference \(A - B\) (or \(A \setminus B\)) consists of all elements that are in set A but not in set B. The union \(X \cup Y\) consists of all elements that are in set X or in set Y (or both).

Let's consider an element \(x\).

  • If \(x \in A\) and \(x \in B\), then \(x \notin A - B\), but \(x \in B\). So \(x \in (A - B) \cup B\). Here, \(x \in A\).
  • If \(x \in A\) and \(x \notin B\), then \(x \in A - B\), and \(x \notin B\). So \(x \in (A - B) \cup B\). Here, \(x \in A\).
  • If \(x \notin A\) and \(x \in B\), then \(x \notin A - B\), but \(x \in B\). So \(x \in (A - B) \cup B\). Here, \(x \notin A\).
  • If \(x \notin A\) and \(x \notin B\), then \(x \notin A - B\), and \(x \notin B\). So \(x \notin (A - B) \cup B\). Here, \(x \notin A\).

From this analysis, we see that any element in A is also in \((A - B) \cup B\). However, elements that are in B but not in A are in \((A - B) \cup B\) but not in A. Thus, \((A - B) \cup B\) is actually equal to \(A \cup B\), not necessarily A.

Therefore, statement 1 is incorrect.

Statement 2: (A - B) ∪ A = A

This statement also involves set difference and union. \(A - B\) contains elements of A that are not in B. Every element in \(A - B\) is also an element of A by definition.

When we take the union of a set \(A - B\) with a set A, which contains \(A - B\) as a subset, the union is simply the larger set A.

Let's consider an element \(x\):

  • If \(x \in (A - B) \cup A\), then \(x \in (A - B)\) or \(x \in A\).
    • If \(x \in (A - B)\), then \(x \in A\) and \(x \notin B\). Thus \(x \in A\).
    • If \(x \in A\), then \(x \in A\).
    Thus, if \(x \in (A - B) \cup A\), then \(x \in A\).
  • If \(x \in A\), then \(x \in (A - B) \cup A\) is true since A is part of the union.

Both inclusions hold, so \((A - B) \cup A = A\).

Therefore, statement 2 is correct.

Statement 3: (A - B) ∩ B = ϕ

This statement involves set difference and intersection. \(A - B\) contains elements that are in A but not in B. The intersection \(X \cap Y\) contains elements that are in both set X and set Y.

For an element to be in \((A - B) \cap B\), it must satisfy two conditions simultaneously:

  • It must be in \(A - B\), meaning it is in A and not in B.
  • It must be in B.

It is impossible for an element to be both "not in B" and "in B" at the same time. Therefore, there are no elements that can be in both \(A - B\) and B.

The intersection \((A - B) \cap B\) is the empty set, denoted by \(\varphi\).

Therefore, statement 3 is correct.

Statement 4: A ⊆ B ⇒ A ∪ B = B

This statement involves the concept of a subset and the union operation. The symbol \(\subseteq\) means 'is a subset of'. \(A \subseteq B\) means that every element in set A is also an element in set B. The symbol \(\implies\) means 'implies' or 'if... then...'.

The statement says: If A is a subset of B, then the union of A and B is equal to B.

Let's consider the union \(A \cup B\). This set contains all elements that are in A or in B.

If \(A \subseteq B\), then any element \(x\) that is in A is also in B. So, if \(x \in A\), then \(x \in B\).

Consider an element \(y \in A \cup B\). By definition, \(y \in A\) or \(y \in B\).

  • If \(y \in A\), since \(A \subseteq B\), it follows that \(y \in B\).
  • If \(y \in B\), then \(y \in B\).

In either case, if \(y \in A \cup B\) and \(A \subseteq B\), then \(y \in B\). This shows that \(A \cup B \subseteq B\).

Now consider an element \(z \in B\). By definition of union, if \(z \in B\), then \(z \in A \cup B\) is true. This shows that \(B \subseteq A \cup B\).

Since both \(A \cup B \subseteq B\) and \(B \subseteq A \cup B\), we conclude that \(A \cup B = B\) when \(A \subseteq B\).

Therefore, statement 4 is correct.

Summary of Correct Statements

Based on our analysis, the correct statements are:

  • Statement 2: \((A - B) \cup A = A\)
  • Statement 3: \((A - B) \cap B = \varphi\)
  • Statement 4: \(A \subseteq B \implies A \cup B = B\)

Statement 1: \((A - B) \cup B = A\) was found to be incorrect; it equals \(A \cup B\).

Final Answer

The statements that are correct are 2, 3, and 4.

Revision Table: Set Operations Properties

Operation Notation Definition Example/Property
Union \(A \cup B\) Elements in A or B or both \(A \cup B = B \cup A\) (Commutative)
Intersection \(A \cap B\) Elements in both A and B \(A \cap B = B \cap A\) (Commutative)
Difference \(A - B\) or \(A \setminus B\) Elements in A but not in B \(A - B = A \cap B'\) (where B' is complement of B)
Subset \(A \subseteq B\) Every element of A is in B If \(A \subseteq B\), then \(A \cap B = A\) and \(A \cup B = B\)
Empty Set \(\varphi\) or \(\emptyset\) Set with no elements \(A \cap \varphi = \varphi\), \(A \cup \varphi = A\)

Additional Information: Understanding Set Theory

Set theory is a fundamental branch of mathematics that studies sets, which are collections of objects. Understanding basic set operations like union, intersection, and difference is crucial for many areas of mathematics and computer science.

  • Venn Diagrams: These diagrams are often used to visually represent sets and their relationships, including the outcomes of set operations. For example, a Venn diagram can clearly show that the region representing \(A - B\) and the region representing B have no overlap, illustrating that \((A - B) \cap B = \varphi\).
  • Algebra of Sets: Set operations follow certain laws, similar to algebra with numbers. These include commutative, associative, distributive, and identity laws. For instance, the statement \((A - B) \cup A = A\) can be seen as a form of the absorption law when considering \(A - B\) as a part of A.
  • Set Difference Property: The set difference \(A - B\) can be formally defined as \(A \cap B'\), where \(B'\) is the complement of B with respect to a universal set U. This definition is useful in proving identities involving set difference using other known set properties.

Mastering these basic concepts and properties is key to solving more complex problems in set theory.

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions

  1. Consider the following statements:

    Statement 1: The function f : R → R such that f(x) = x 3for all x ∈ R is one-one

    Statement 2: f(a) = f(b) ⇒ a = b for all a, b ∈ R if the function f is one-one.

    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  2. If \({\rm{f}}\left( {\rm{x}} \right) = \frac{{\rm{x}}}{{{\rm{x}} - 1}},\) then what is \(\frac{{{\rm{f}}\left( {\rm{a}} \right)}}{{{\rm{f}}\left( {{\rm{a}} + 1} \right)}}\)  equal to?

  3. Let A = {7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; 14, 15, 16} and let f ∶ A → N be defined by f(x) = the highest prime factor of x.

    How many elements are there in the range of f?

  4. Let R be a relation from N to N defined by R = {(x, y): x, y ∈ N and x 2 = y 3}. Which of the following are not correct?

    1. (x, x) ∈ R for all x ∈ N

    2. (x, y) ∈ R ⇒ (y, x) ∈ R

    3. (x, y) ∈ R and (y, z) ∈ R ⇒ (x, z) ∈ R

    Select the correct answer using the code given below :

  5. If \(\displaystyle\sum_{x=2}^n\) f(x) = 2044, then what is the value of n ?

  6. What is \(\displaystyle\sum_{x=1}^5\) f(2x − 1) equal to ?

  7. What is \(\displaystyle\sum_{x=1}^{6} 2^{x}\,f(x)\) equal to?

  8. If f(α) = \(\sqrt{\sec^2\alpha−1}\) , then what is  \(\frac{f(\alpha)+f(\beta)}{1−f(\alpha) f(\beta)}\)  equal to ?

  9. If f(x) = ln (x + \(\sqrt{1+\text{x}^2}\) ), then which one of the following is correct ?
  10. Let f(x) be a function such that f'(x) = g(x) and f''(x) = −f(x). Let h(x) = {f(x)} 2+ {g(x)} 2. Then consider the following statements :

    1. h'(3) = 0

    2. h(1) = h(2)

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?


Important Questions from Relations and Functions

  1. If the function of \(f(x)=\dfrac{x}{x-1}\) express f(3x) in terms of f(x)

  2. If \(f(x)-\dfrac{1}{1+2^{1/x}}\) then at x = 0 the function is:

  3. If f(x) is a periodic function and a is a positive real number such that f(x + 2α) + f(x) = 0 for all x ∈ ℝ, then the period of f(x) is:

  4. If \(f(x)=\frac{1}{1+x}\), g(x) = f{f(x)} and h(x) = f[f{f(x)}], then the value of f(x).g(x).h(x) is:

  5. If \(f(x) = {\sin ^{ - 1}}\left[ {\frac{{\sqrt 3 }}{2}x - \frac{1}{2}\sqrt {1 - {x^2}} } \right]\)\(x \in \left[ { - \frac{1}{2},1} \right]\), then f(x) will be

Need Expert Advice?
Test Series
NDA img
Defence
NDA 2026 Mock Test Series (Latest Pattern)
503 Tests 1 Tests Free
1066 Attempts
4.6(137)
English, Hindi

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Download the app from Google Play & App Store
Prepp Mobile App