I was to answer this question: How are the idea of subsets and proper subsets used in counting to identify relationships between whole numbers? Here is what I said: If A is a subset of B, a=b. If A is a proper subset of B, a<b. If A is a subset of B and B is a subset of A, a=b. Did I answer the question? Thanks for your help.

User Icon for bobpursley bobpursley answered
15 years ago

yes, ignoring the limitations of ascii symbols.

A proper subset excludes at least one member of the set. For instance, in the set 1,2,3,4

A subset could be 1;2 or 1;2;3;4, in which the subset is = to the set.

A proper subset does not allow this, at least one of the members has to be excluded.