01 If A⊆U and Aᶜ={x∈U: x∉A}, why is A∩Aᶜ empty?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Because no element can be both in A and not in A.
Explanation: By definition, an element belongs to Aᶜ exactly when it belongs to U but does not belong to A. An element in A∩Aᶜ would therefore have to satisfy both x∈A and x∉A at the same time. This is logically impossible, so no element can be common to A and Aᶜ. Consequently, A∩Aᶜ=∅ for every subset A of U, regardless of whether A is empty or equal to U.