Q.If A = {1, 2, 3, 4} and B = {3, 4, 5, 6}, find A union B, A intersection B, and A minus B.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The key idea is to apply the standard set operations — union (all elements from both sets), intersection (common elements), and difference (elements in A not in B). For and , we get , , and .
This problem is a straightforward exercise in the three fundamental set operations. Understanding these operations is essential because they form the building blocks for everything from probability to database queries. Let's break each one down.
1. Union () — The union of two sets is the set of all elements that belong to at least one of the sets. Think of it as "combining" the two collections without repeating any element.
We list every element from and :
- From : 1, 2, 3, 4
- From : 3, 4, 5, 6
Now, remove duplicates (3 and 4 appear in both). The combined collection is .
A quick way to find the union: write down all elements of the first set, then add any element from the second set that isn't already listed. This avoids accidental omission.
2. Intersection () — The intersection is the set of elements that are common to both sets. Only the elements that appear in both and qualify.
Scan both sets:
- 1 is in but not in → no.
- 2 is in but not in → no.
- 3 is in both and → yes.
- 4 is in both and → yes.
- 5 and 6 are only in → no.
So the intersection is . …
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