Power Sets, Cartesian Products, and Partitions

1.) Sets, Sequences, and Ordered Tuples.

Definitions:
A set is a list of elements or terms, which is completely determined or defined by its elements, and the
order in which the elements are listed is irrelevant. We enclose the elementseqweasdas of a set in
braces.

A sequence is a list of elements or terms, which is determined or defined by its elements and the order
in which they are listed.

An ordered n-tuple is a list of n elements or terms, which is determined or defined by its elements and
the order in which they are listed. We enclose the elements of an ordered tuple in parentheses. An
ordered 2-tuple is called an ordered pair, an ordered 3-tuple is called an ordered triple.

Examples:
These sets are the same: {1, 5, 3, 17} and {17, 1, 3, 5}

These sequences are not the same: 1, 5, 3, 17 and 17, 1, 3, 5

These ordered pairs are not the same: (5, 3) and (3, 5)

2.) Power Set.

Definition:
If S is a set, then the power set of S is the set of all subsets of S.

Notation: We will use script P to denote power set. Thus, we will write power set(S) for the power set of
S.

Examples:
Let S = {1, 5}. Then power set(S) = {empty set, {1}, {5}, S}, a set with 4 elements.

Let S = empty set. Then power set(S) = ?

Let S = {empty set}. Then power set(S) = ?

Let S = {x, y, z}. Then power set(S) = ?

3.) Cartesian Product of Sets.

Definition:
If A and B are sets, then the cartesian product of A and B is the set of all ordered pairs (a, b), such that a
is in A and b is in B.

Notation: We will use cross product to denote the cartesian product, and we will read A cross product B
as A cross B.

A cross product B = {(a, b) | a element of A and b element of B}

Examples:
Let A = {1, 5} and B = {17, 4}. Then A cross product B = {(1, 17), (1, 4), (5, 17), (5, 4)}

Let A = {x, y} and B = {17, 4}. Then A cross product B = ?

Let A = {17, 4}. Then A cross product A = ?

Let A = {1, 5, 17, 4, -45, 3019, -2} and B = {17, 4, -13, 12}.

Then how many elements are there in the set A cross product B?

4.) Disjoint Sets, Partition of a Set.

Definition:
Two sets are disjoint if they have no elements in common.

Thus, two sets A and B are disjoint if and only if A intersection B = empty set.
Definition: Sets A1, A2, ..., An are mutually disjoint (or pairwise disjoint, or nonoverlapping) if for all i,
j in 1, 2, ..., n, Ai and Aj are disjoint whenever i not equal j.

Thus, A1, A2, ..., An are mutually disjoint if and only if for all i, j element of {1, 2, ..., n} i not equal j
implies A intersection B = empty set

Definition: A set of nonempty sets {A1, A2, ..., An} is a partition of a set A if:
A = A1 union A2 union ... union An

A1, A2, ..., An are mutually disjoint

Note: In this case we would say that A is a union of mutually disjoint subsets.

Examples:
A = {5, 17, 4, 3}, A1 = {17}, A2 = {5, 3}, A3 = {4}

Is {A1, A2, A3} a partition of A?

A = {5, 17, 4, 3}, A1 = {17}, A2 = {4, 5, 3}, A3 = empty set

Is {A1, A2, A3} a partition of A?

B = integers

B1 = {n element of integers | there exists k element of integers | n = 2k}, the even integers

B2 = {n element of integers | there exists k element of integers | n = 2k+1}, the odd integers

Is {B1, B2} a partition of B?

S = integers

C1 = integers+, the positive integers

C2 = integers-, the negative integers

C3 = {0}
Is {C1, C2, C3} a partition of S?

N = { n element of integers | n > 1 }. In other words N = {2, 3, 4, ... }

P = { n element of N | the only positive divisors of n are n and 1}. So, P = the prime numbers

C = { n element of N | there exists a positive divisor of n other than n and 1}. So, C = the positive
composite numbers

Is {P, C} a partition of N?

P = the xy plane

Q1 = the upper right quadrant

Q2 = the upper left quadrant

Q3 = the lower left quadrant

Q4 = the lower right quadrant

Is {Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4} a partition of P? FourQuadrants.jpg