Union Distributes over Intersection

Theorem
Set union is distributive over set intersection:


 * $R \cup \left({S \cap T}\right) = \left({R \cup S}\right) \cap \left({R \cup T}\right)$

General Result
Let $S$ and $T$ be sets.

Let $\mathcal P \left({T}\right)$ be the power set of $T$.

Let $\mathbb T$ be a subset of $\mathcal P \left({T}\right)$.

Then:
 * $\displaystyle S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T = \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$

Union Subset of Intersection
Let $\displaystyle x \in S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$.

We need to show that $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$ and then by definition of subset we will have shown that $\displaystyle S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T \subseteq \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$.

So, we have that $\displaystyle x \in S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$.

By definition of set union, $x \in S$ or $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap \mathbb T$.

So there are two cases:


 * Suppose $x \in S$.

Then by definition of set union, $\displaystyle \forall X \in \mathbb T: x \in S \cup X$.

So:
 * $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$


 * Suppose $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap \mathbb T$.

Then by definition of set intersection, $\displaystyle \forall X \in \mathbb T: x \in X$.

So by definition of set union, $\displaystyle \forall X \in \mathbb T: x \in S \cup X$.

So:
 * $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$

In both cases we see that:
 * $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$

so by Proof by Cases, we have that:
 * $\displaystyle S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T \subseteq \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$

Intersection Subset of Union
Let $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$.

We need to show that $\displaystyle x \in S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$ and then by definition of subset we will have shown that $\displaystyle \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right) \subseteq S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$.

So, we have that $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$.

By definition of set intersection, $\forall X \in \mathbb T: x \in S \cup X$.

Take any one of these instances of $S \cup X$.

Again there are two cases:


 * Suppose $x \in S$.

Then by definition of set union:
 * $\displaystyle x \in S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$


 * Suppose $x \in X$.

Then by definition of set intersection and the set $X$, we have that $\displaystyle x \in \bigcap \mathbb T$.

So by definition of set union:
 * $\displaystyle x \in S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$

In both cases we see that:
 * $\displaystyle x \in S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$

so by Proof by Cases, we have that:
 * $\displaystyle \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right) \subseteq S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$

So we have that:
 * $S\displaystyle \cup \bigcap \mathbb T \subseteq \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$

and
 * $\displaystyle \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right) \subseteq S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T$

and so by definition of Equality of Sets:
 * $\displaystyle S \cup \bigcap \mathbb T = \bigcap_{X \in \mathbb T} \left({S \cup X}\right)$

Also see

 * Intersection Distributes over Union