Sets and Mathematical Proofs: A Primer

20Summary of results

In Propositions 30 to 38, X and Y are subsets of a domain U.

Proposition 1 (double inclusion). For any sets X and Y, if XY and YX, then X = Y.

Proposition 2 (every set is a subset of itself). Every set is a subset of itself.

Proposition 3 (transitivity of inclusion). For any sets X, Y and Z, if XY and YZ, then XZ.

Proposition 4 (an empty set is a subset of anything). For any sets X and Y, if X contains no elements, then XY.

Proposition 5 (the empty set is unique). Any two sets with no elements are identical.

Proposition 6 (the only subset of ∅). For any set X, if X ⊂ ∅, then X = ∅.

Proposition 7 (equivalent criteria give the same set). If two sets have equivalent inclusion criteria, then they are identical.

Proposition 8 (an intersection is a subset of each set). For any sets X and Y, XYX and XYY.

Proposition 9 (intersection respects inclusion). For any sets X, Y and Z, if XY, then XZYZ.

Proposition 10 (intersection commutes). For any sets X and Y, XY = YX.

Proposition 11 (intersection is associative). For any sets X, Y and Z, (XY) ∩ Z = X ∩ (YZ).

Proposition 12 (intersecting a set with itself). For any set X, XX = X.

Proposition 13 (intersecting with the empty set). For any set X, X ∩ ∅ = ∅.

Proposition 14 (inclusion via intersection). For any sets X and Y, XY if and only if XY = X.

Proposition 15 (each set is a subset of the union). For any sets X and Y, XXY and YXY.

Proposition 16 (union commutes). For any sets X and Y, XY = YX.

Proposition 17 (union is associative). For any sets X, Y and Z, (XY) ∪ Z = X ∪ (YZ).

Proposition 18 (uniting a set with itself). For any set X, XX = X.

Proposition 19 (uniting with the empty set). For any set X, X ∪ ∅ = X.

Proposition 20 (union respects inclusion). For any sets X, Y and Z, if XY, then XZYZ.

Proposition 21 (the union is the smallest set containing both). For any sets X, Y and Z, if XZ and YZ, then XYZ.

Proposition 22 (inclusion via union). For any sets X and Y, XY if and only if XY = Y.

Proposition 23 (intersection distributes over union). For any sets X, Y and Z, X ∩ (YZ) = (XY) ∪ (XZ).

Proposition 24 (union distributes over intersection). For any sets X, Y and Z, X ∪ (YZ) = (XY) ∩ (XZ).

Proposition 25 (absorption for union). For any sets X and Y, X ∪ (XY) = X.

Proposition 26 (absorption for intersection). For any sets X and Y, X ∩ (XY) = X.

Proposition 27 (a relative complement is a subset). For any sets X and Y, XYX.

Proposition 28 (subtracting the empty set). For any set X, X ∖ ∅ = X.

Proposition 29 (subtracting a set from itself). For any set X, XX = ∅.

Proposition 30 (a set and its complement exhaust the domain). XXc = U.

Proposition 31 (a set and its complement are disjoint). XXc = ∅.

Proposition 32 (the complement of a complement). (Xc)c = X.

Proposition 33 (the complement of the empty set). c = U.

Proposition 34 (the complement of the domain). Uc = ∅.

Proposition 35 (relative complement via complement). XY = XYc.

Proposition 36 (De Morgan, for intersection). (XY)c = XcYc.

Proposition 37 (De Morgan, for union). (XY)c = XcYc.

Proposition 38 (complements reverse inclusion). XY if and only if YcXc.

Proposition 39 (a set is disjoint from what is taken off another). For any sets X and Y, X and YX are disjoint.

Proposition 40 (disjointness passes to subsets). For any sets X, Y and Z, if X and Y are disjoint and ZX, then Z and Y are disjoint.

Proposition 41 (splitting a set around a subset). For any sets X and Y, if XY, then Y = X ∪ (YX).

Proposition 42 (splitting a union into disjoint pieces). For any sets X and Y, XY = X ∪ (YX).

Proposition 43 (splitting a set by another set). For any sets X and Y, Y = (YX) ∪ (XY).

Proposition 44 (a union of sets disjoint from Z is disjoint from Z). For any sets X, Y and Z, if X and Z are disjoint and Y and Z are disjoint, then XY and Z are disjoint.

Proposition 45 (each set is a subset of the union of its collection). For any collection and any X ∈ ℱ, X ⊂ ⋃ ℱ.

Proposition 46 (the intersection of a collection is a subset of each). For any collection and any X ∈ ℱ, ⋂ ℱ ⊂ X.

Proposition 47 (each element lies in exactly one cell). If is a partition of X, then every element of X belongs to exactly one element of .