Homework 1

Only turn in the assigned problems. They are due Thursday, January 26, at the beginning of
recitation.
Many (but not all) of these problems are from the textbook, however I have rewritten them all here
to make things easier.

Unassigned Problems

1. Consider the following sets and determine whether the statements in (a)-(j) are True or False.

A = {z Z | 3 z 3}
B = {y Z | 5 < y < 6}
C = {x R | x2 9}
D = {x R | x < 3}
E = {n N | n is even}

(a) A B
(b) C D =
(c) 4 E B
(d) {4} A E
(e) 10 C D
(f) A B C
(g) 3 A C
(h) 0 (A B) D
(i) E C Z
(j) 0 6 B C

2. Let A = {, 1, {1, 2}}. Determine whether the statements in (a)-(e) are True or False.

(a) {{1}} P(A)

(b) {{1, 2}} A
(c) {1, 2} P(A)
(d) {} P(A)
(e) (1, 2) A A

3. Find an example of sets A, B, C such that (A B) C = A (B C). Then find an example

where they are not equal.

4. Write the set P({, 0, 1} {}) in roster notation.

5. Let A = {2, 1, and B = {1, 3, 5}. For each i Z let Si = {i 2, i, i + 2, i + 4}.

[ 0, 1, 2} \
Write the sets Si and Si in either set builder or roster notation.
iA iB
 6. Let (a, b) R2 and let R0 (i.e. is a nonnegative real number). Define C(a,b), as the
set of real numbers that are close to (a, b) in the following way:
p
C(a,b), = {(x, y) R2 | (x a)2 + (y b)2 < }

(a) Come up with a geometric description of the set C(a,b), . What happens to the set as we
change a and b? What happens as we change ?
(b) Determine the following sets. Write your answer in the form of C(a,b), or as one of our
standard sets. Briefly justify your answers.
i. C(0,0),1 C(0,0),2
ii. C(0,0),1 C(0,0),2
iii. C(0,0),1 C(2,2,),1
[
7. For each i N define a set Ai so that Ai 6= Q, Ai = Q, and for i < j it is the case that
iN
Ai ( Aj .
Challenge: Prove that your family of sets has all of these properties.
(Note: Before the first exam you should be able to write up a full proof for this problem.)

Assigned Problems

1. Rewrite the following sentences using set-builder notation to define the set. Then, if possible,
write out all the elements of the set in roster notation; if not possible, explain why not and
write out three examples of elements of the set.

(a) Let A be the set of all natural numbers whose squares are less than 39.
(b) Let B be the set of all real numbers that are roots of the equation x2 3x 10 = 0.
(c) Let C be the set of pairs of integers whose sum is non-negative.
(d) Let D be the set of pairs of real numbers whose first coordinate is positive and whose
second coordinate is negative and whose sum is positive.

2. Let I = {1, 0, 1}. For each i I, define Ai = {i 2, i 1, i, i + 1, i + 2} and Bi =

{2i, i, i, 2i}.

(a) Write the following sets in roster notation. (No justification is required.)
[ \
i. Ai and Ai
iI iI
[ \
ii. Bi and Bi .
iI iI
! ! ! !
[ [ \ \
iii. Ai Bi and Ai Bi .
iI iI iI iI
[ \
iv. (Ai Bi ) and (Ai Bi ).
iI iI
(b) Was there a difference between your (respective) answers from (c) and (d)? If so, is
either one a subset of the other?
3. In this problem we are going to define the integers from the natural numbers, though what
we are doing wont be completely evident until later. Be careful not to assume the existence
of nonpositive integers in this problem. For example, if we consider an equation like

x+y =z+w

we cannot deduce that x z = w y since it is possible that x z 6 N or w y 6 N. However,

if we have
x+y =z+y
we can deduce that x = z, since both x, z N.
Let P = N2 . Define the set R by

R = {((a, b), (c, d)) P P | a + d = b + c}

(a) Find three different pairs (c, d) such that ((1, 4), (c, d)) R.
(b) Let (a, b) P . Prove that ((a, b), (a, b)) R.
(c) Let ((a, b), (c, d)) R. Prove that ((c, d), (a, b)) R, as well.
(d) Assume ((a, b), (c, d)) R and ((c, d), (e, f )) R. Prove that ((a, b), (e, f )) R as well.

4. For each x R define the set Px as follows:

Px = {y R | y = xn for some n N}

(a) There are exactly 3 values of x for which Px is finite. What are they and why?
\ [
(b) Determine the sets Px and Px . Provide a brief justification of your answers.
0<x<1 0<x<1
(A full proof is not necessary . . . yet.)
\ \
(c) Determine the sets P2k for n N, and P2k . Provide a brief justification of your
k[n] kN
answers.