How to Formally Describe Various Sets in Mathematics?

  • Thread starter spaghetti3451
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In summary: Thank you for pointing that out. The "greater than" symbol should be used instead of the "greater than or equal to" symbol to accurately represent the set. The correct answer should be (b) ## \{ i\ |\ i \in \mathbb{N}\ \text{and}\ i > 5 \} ##.
  • #1
spaghetti3451
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Homework Statement



Write formal descriptions of the following sets.

(a) The set containing the numbers 1, 10, and 100
(b) The set containing all integers that are greater than 5
(c) The set containing all natural numbers that are less than 5
(d) The set containing the string aba
(e) The set containing the empty string
(f) The set containing nothing at all

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution



(a) ## \{1, 10, 100 \} ##
(b) ## \{ i\ |\ i \in \mathbb{N}\ \text{and}\ i \geq 5 \} ##
(c) ## \{ 1, 2, 3, 4 \} ##
(d) ## \{ aba \} ##
(e) ## \{ \epsilon \} ##
(f) ## \{ \} ##

Are my answers correct?
 
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  • #2
..except that I would have written:
(d) {"aba"}
(e) {""}
(f) Ø
 
  • #3
Ah! I see!

I am fairly confident that ## \{ \}## and ## \emptyset ## mean the same thing.

Since I am new to the representation of strings, I haven't seen the apostrophe's used for strings before, though!
 
  • #4
failexam said:

Homework Statement



Write formal descriptions of the following sets.

(a) The set containing the numbers 1, 10, and 100
(b) The set containing all integers that are greater than 5
(c) The set containing all natural numbers that are less than 5
(d) The set containing the string aba
(e) The set containing the empty string
(f) The set containing nothing at all

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution



(a) ## \{1, 10, 100 \} ##
(b) ## \{ i\ |\ i \in \mathbb{N}\ \text{and}\ i \geq 5 \} ##
(c) ## \{ 1, 2, 3, 4 \} ##
(d) ## \{ aba \} ##
(e) ## \{ \epsilon \} ##
(f) ## \{ \} ##

Are my answers correct?
To add to what Svein said, the answer to (b) should be (b) ## \{ i\ |\ i \in \mathbb{N}\ \text{and}\ i > 5 \} ##
Do you see the difference?
 
  • #5
Yes.
 

Related to How to Formally Describe Various Sets in Mathematics?

1. What is a formal description of sets?

A formal description of sets is a mathematical notation used to define and describe a collection of objects or elements that have a common characteristic. It involves using symbols and logical operators to represent the elements and relationships within the set.

2. How are sets represented in a formal description?

Sets are typically represented using curly braces { } and listing the elements or objects within the set, separated by commas. For example, the set of even numbers can be represented as {2, 4, 6, 8, ...}.

3. What is the difference between a set and an element?

A set is a collection of elements, while an element is an individual object or value within the set. For example, the set of all prime numbers contains the elements 2, 3, 5, 7, etc.

4. How are sets related to other mathematical concepts?

Sets are closely related to other mathematical concepts such as functions, relations, and logic. Sets can be used to define the domain and range of a function, and they can also be represented using logical statements and operations.

5. Why is a formal description of sets important?

A formal description of sets allows for precise and unambiguous communication in mathematics. It also provides a foundation for other mathematical concepts and allows for the development of proofs and theorems in various areas of mathematics.

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