Subset Calculator

Generate all subsets of a set and calculate subset counts with proper mathematical notation

Calculate Set Subsets

Enter distinct numbers only. Duplicates will be automatically removed.

Subset Calculation Results

Mathematical Formulas

Total subsets: 2ⁿ (where n is the number of elements)
Proper subsets: 2ⁿ - 1 (excludes the set itself)
Subsets with k elements: C(n,k) = n! / (k! × (n-k)!)

Example Calculation

Example: Set A = 3

Set elements: n = 3

Total subsets: 2³ = 8

Proper subsets: 2³ - 1 = 7

All subsets: ∅, 1, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3

Subset Count by Size

Size 0: C(3,0) = 1 subset → ∅

Size 1: C(3,1) = 3 subsets → 1, 2, 3

Size 2: C(3,2) = 3 subsets → 2, 3, 3

Size 3: C(3,3) = 1 subset → 3

Total: 1 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 8 subsets

Types of Subsets

Subset

A ⊆ B: All elements of A are in B

Includes the set itself

Proper Subset

A ⊊ B: A ⊆ B and A ≠ B

Excludes the set itself

Empty Set

∅: Subset of every set

Contains no elements

Quick Facts

Every set has at least one subset: ∅

The empty set has no proper subsets

A set with n elements has 2ⁿ subsets

Pascal's triangle shows subset counts by size

Understanding Subsets and Power Sets

What is a Subset?

A subset is a set where every element also belongs to another set. If A is a subset of B, then all elements of A are contained in B, but B may have additional elements.

Subset vs Proper Subset

  • Subset (⊆): Includes the set itself as a subset
  • Proper subset (⊊): Excludes the set itself
  • Empty set (∅): Proper subset of all non-empty sets

Mathematical Formulas

Total subsets = 2ⁿ

Proper subsets = 2ⁿ - 1

k-element subsets = C(n,k)

n: Number of elements in the original set

k: Number of elements in the subset

C(n,k): Binomial coefficient "n choose k"

Power Set: The set of all subsets of a given set, denoted as P(A).

Applications

Probability

Counting favorable outcomes in sample spaces

Combinatorics

Selecting items from larger collections

Computer Science

Algorithm design and data structures