Set Theory Symbols

Table of set theory symbols

Meaning /
Symbol Symbol Name Example
definition

A = {3,7,9,14},
{} set a collection of elements
B = {9,14,28}

| such that so that A = {x | x∈ , x<0}

A ∩ B = {9,14}
objects that belong to
A∩B intersection
set A and set B

A ∪ B = {3,7,9,14,28}
objects that belong to
A∪B union
set A or set B

subset has fewer

A⊆B subset elements or equal to the {9,14,28} ⊆ {9,14,28}
set

{9,14} ⊂ {9,14,28}
proper subset / strict subset has fewer
A⊂B subset elements than the set

{9,66} ⊄ {9,14,28}
left set not a subset of
A⊄B not subset
right set

set A has more

A⊇B superset elements or equal to the {9,14,28} ⊇ {9,14,28}
set B

{9,14,28} ⊃ {9,14}
proper superset / strict set A has more
A⊃B superset elements than set B

A⊅B not superset

set A is not a superset
of set B
{9,14,28} ⊅ {9,66}

2A power set all subsets of A

power set all subsets of A

A=B equality both sets have the A={3,9,14},

 same members B={3,9,14},
A=B
all the objects that do
Ac complement
not belong to set A

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A
A\B relative complement
and not to B B = {1,2,3},
A \ B = {9,14}

A = {3,9,14},
objects that belong to A
A-B relative complement
and not to B B = {1,2,3},
A - B = {9,14}

objects that belong to A A = {3,9,14},

A∆B symmetric difference or B but not to their B = {1,2,3},
intersection A ∆ B = {1,2,9,14}

objects that belong to A A = {3,9,14},

A⊖B symmetric difference or B but not to their B = {1,2,3},
intersection A ⊖ B = {1,2,9,14}

a∈A element of set membership A={3,9,14}, 3 ∈ A

x∉A not element of no set membership A={3,9,14}, 1 ∉ A

(a,b) ordered pair collection of 2 elements

set of all ordered pairs

A×B cartesian product
from A and B

the number of elements

|A| cardinality
of set A A={3,9,14}, |A|=3

the number of elements

#A cardinality
of set A A={3,9,14}, #A=3

infinite cardinality of
aleph-null
natural numbers set
 cardinality of countable
aleph-one
ordinal numbers set

Ø empty set Ø = {} A=Ø

universal set set of all possible values

0
natural numbers / whole
numbers set (with zero) 0 = {0,1,2,3,4,...} 0∈ 0

natural numbers / whole

1 numbers set (without 1 = {1,2,3,4,5,...} 6∈ 1
zero)

= {...-3,-2,-
integer numbers set -6 ∈
1,0,1,2,3,...}

= {x | x=a/b, a,b∈
rational numbers set 2/6 ∈
}

real numbers set = {x | -∞ < x <∞} 6.343434 ∈

= {z | z=a+bi, -
complex numbers set 6+2i ∈
∞<a<∞, -∞<b<∞}