Set Theory Problems
1. Problem: At a luncheon party for 37 people, given various counts of requests for fried rice (F), salad (S), and shredded beef (B), find:
(i) the number of people requesting all three dishes;
(ii) number requesting exactly two dishes;
(iii) number requesting only one dish.
2. Let's denote:
- $n(F)=25$, $n(S)=15$, $n(B)=20$
- $n(F \cap S)=7$, $n(F \cap B)=13$, $n(S \cap B)=8$
- $n(F \text{ only})=10$, $n(S \text{ only})=5$
3. First, find $n(F \cap S \cap B)$ (all three). Using inclusion-exclusion for three sets:
$$ n(F \cup S \cup B) = n(F) + n(S) + n(B) - n(F \cap S) - n(F \cap B) - n(S \cap B) + n(F \cap S \cap B) $$
Given all 37 requested at least one dish, so $n(F \cup S \cup B) = 37$.
So,
$$37 = 25 + 15 + 20 - 7 - 13 - 8 + n(F \cap S \cap B)$$
$$37 = 60 - 28 + n(F \cap S \cap B)$$
$$37 = 32 + n(F \cap S \cap B)$$
$$n(F \cap S \cap B) = 37 - 32 = 5$$
4. Number requesting exactly two dishes is:
$$n(F \cap S) + n(F \cap B) + n(S \cap B) - 3 \times n(F \cap S \cap B)$$
$$= 7 + 13 + 8 - 3 \times 5 = 28 - 15 = 13$$
5. Number requesting only one dish is given as:
$$n(F \text{ only}) + n(S \text{ only}) + n(B \text{ only})$$
We know $n(F \text{ only})=10$, $n(S \text{ only})=5$.
Find $n(B \text{ only})$:
$$n(B) = n(B \text{ only}) + n(F \cap B) + n(S \cap B) - n(F \cap S \cap B)$$
$$20 = n(B \text{ only}) + 13 + 8 - 5$$
$$20 = n(B \text{ only}) + 16$$
$$n(B \text{ only}) = 4$$
6. Total only one dish:
$$10 + 5 + 4 = 19$$
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7. Problem: College staff club beer brands. Given intersections and only counts, find:
(i) number who drank Star (S);
(ii) Trophy (T);
(iii) Club (C);
(iv) total members.
8. Data:
- $n(S \cap T) = 5$, $n(S \cap C) = 7$, $n(T \cap C) = 10$
- $n(S \text{ only})=6$, $n(T \text{ only})=11$, $n(C \text{ only})=5$
- $n(S \cap T \cap C) =3$
9. Use inclusion-exclusion to find totals:
$$n(S) = n(S \text{ only}) + n(S \cap T) + n(S \cap C) - n(S \cap T \cap C)$$
$$= 6 + 5 + 7 - 3 = 15$$
$$n(T) = n(T \text{ only}) + n(S \cap T) + n(T \cap C) - n(S \cap T \cap C)$$
$$= 11 + 5 + 10 - 3 = 23$$
$$n(C) = n(C \text{ only}) + n(S \cap C) + n(T \cap C) - n(S \cap T \cap C)$$
$$= 5 + 7 + 10 - 3 = 19$$
10. Total members:
$$n(S \cup T \cup C) = n(S) + n(T) + n(C) - n(S \cap T) - n(S \cap C) - n(T \cap C) + n(S \cap T \cap C)$$
$$= 15 + 23 + 19 - 5 - 7 - 10 + 3 = 57 - 22 + 3 = 38$$
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11. Problem: In a school with 80 students playing hockey (H) or football (F), with conditions:
- $n(F) = 5 + 2 n(H)$
- $n(H \cap F) = 15$
- All play at least one game.
Find:
(i) $n(F)$
(ii) number who play football but not hockey
(iii) number who play hockey but not football
12. Let $h = n(H)$, $f = n(F)$. Given $f = 5 + 2h$
Total players:
$$n(H \cup F) = h + f - n(H \cap F) = 80$$
Substitute $f$:
$$h + (5 + 2h) - 15 = 80$$
$$3h - 10 = 80$$
$$3h = 90$$
$$h = 30$$
Then,
$$f = 5 + 2 \times 30 = 65$$
13. Number who play football but not hockey:
$$n(F) - n(H \cap F) = 65 - 15 = 50$$
14. Number who play hockey but not football:
$$n(H) - n(H \cap F) = 30 - 15 = 15$$
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15. Problem: Sets $P = \{x : 0 \leq x \leq 3\}$ and $Q = \{x : 3 < x < 2\}$. Find $P \cup Q$.
16. Notice $Q = \{ x : 3 < x < 2 \}$ is empty (no real $x$ satisfies $3 < x < 2$). Thus:
$$P \cup Q = P = \{ x : 0 \leq x \leq 3 \}$$
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17. Problem: Given $P=\{3,9,11,13\}$ and $Q=\{3,7,9,15\}$ subsets of universal $U=\{1,3,7,9,11,13,15\}$. Find $P \cap Q$.
18. Elements common to both:
$$P \cap Q = \{3,9\}$$
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19. Problem: Sets $P=\{2,5,8\}$, $Q=\{2,3,5,7\}$, $U=\{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10\}$. Find $P \cap Q$.
20. Common elements:
$$P \cap Q = \{2,5\}$$
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21. Problem: $P=\{2x : 1 \leq x \leq 5\}$, $Q=\{x+1 : 2 \leq x \leq 8\}$ with $x$ integer, universal $U=\{x : 1 \leq x \leq 10\}$.
Find:
- (a) $P$ and $Q$ explicit sets
- (b) $P \cup Q$
22. Compute $P$:
$x=1,2,3,4,5$ gives
$$P = \{2,4,6,8,10\}$$
23. Compute $Q$:
$x=2$ to $8$ gives
$$Q = \{3,4,5,6,7,8,9\}$$
24. Union:
$$P \cup Q = \{2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10\}$$
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25. Problem: 50 candidates sat exam, 31 passed chemistry (C), 29 passed physics (P), 3 failed both.
Find number passed chemistry only.
26. Since 3 failed both, number passing at least one is:
$$50 - 3 = 47$$
27. Using inclusion-exclusion:
$$n(C \cup P) = n(C) + n(P) - n(C \cap P) = 47$$
Solve for $n(C \cap P)$:
$$31 + 29 - n(C \cap P) = 47$$
$$60 - n(C \cap P) = 47$$
$$n(C \cap P) = 13$$
28. Chemistry only:
$$n(C) - n(C \cap P) = 31 - 13 = 18$$
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29. Problem: Sets $P$, $Q$ with $n(P)=10$, $n(Q)=6$. Find smallest possible $n(P \cap Q)$.
30. The smallest intersection happens when $Q$ has minimal overlap with $P$:
Since $Q$ size is 6 and $P$ size is 10, the smallest intersection is:
$$\max(0, n(P) + n(Q) - n(U))$$
Since $n(U)$ unknown, minimum intersection is 0 if universal set is large enough.
But for non-empty $P,Q$, the smallest possible $n(P \cap Q)$ is 0.
Final Answers:
(i) 5
(ii) 13
(iii) 19
(iv) 15, 23, 19, 38 (for problem 9)
(v) Football=65, Football only=50, Hockey only=15
(vi) $P \cup Q = \{x : 0 \leq x \leq 3\}$
(vii) $P \cap Q=\{3,9\}$
(viii) $P \cap Q=\{2,5\}$
(ix) $P=\{2,4,6,8,10\}$, $Q=\{3,4,5,6,7,8,9\}$, $P \cup Q=\{2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10\}$
(x) Chemistry only = 18
(xi) Smallest $n(P \cap Q) = 0$