TheoremBase

The Principle of Inclusion and Exclusion

The number of elements of a finite set lying in none, or in at least one, of finitely many subsets is the alternating sum of the sizes of their intersections.

Statement

In the setting of Finite Combinatorics: Notation, let XX be a finite set, m∈N0m\in\mathbb{N}_{0} and A1,…,Am⊆XA_{1},\dots,A_{m}\subseteq X, and let ⋃i=1mAi\bigcup_{i=1}^{m}A_{i} be the union of the family (Ai)i∈[m](A_{i})_{i\in[m]}. Let A∅=XA_{\emptyset}=X, and for nonempty S⊆[m]S\subseteq[m] let

AS={x∈X:x∈Ai for every i∈S}.A_{S}=\{x\in X:x\in A_{i}\text{ for every }i\in S\}.

Elements in none of the sets.

#(X∖⋃i=1mAi)=∑S∈P([m])(−1)#S #AS.\#\Big(X\setminus\bigcup_{i=1}^{m}A_{i}\Big)=\sum_{S\in\mathcal{P}([m])}(-1)^{\#S}\,\#A_{S}.

Elements in at least one of the sets.

#⋃i=1mAi=∑S∈P([m])∖{∅}(−1)#S+1 #AS.\#\bigcup_{i=1}^{m}A_{i}=\sum_{S\in\mathcal{P}([m])\setminus\{\emptyset\}}(-1)^{\#S+1}\,\#A_{S}.

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