The discussion centers on the meanings of the notations S* and S*, with S representing a set. Initial inquiries reveal uncertainty due to the lack of context, with suggestions including concepts like upper and lower Riemann sums or morphism operations. The user speculates that the notation might relate to basic set theory, particularly regarding supremum and infimum. Ultimately, the user discovers that A* denotes the set of all elements greater than those in A, while A* represents the set of all elements smaller than those in A. This clarification highlights that the notation is not standard but specific to the textbook in question.