Definition:Subset

A set $$S$$ is a subset of a set $$T$$ if and only if all of the elements of $$S$$ are also elements of $$T$$, and it is written $$S \subseteq T$$.

This can also be read as "$$S$$ is contained in $$T$$", or "$$T$$ contains $$S$$".

If the elements of $$S$$ are not all also elements of $$T$$, then $$S$$ is not a subset of $$T$$:

$$S \not \subseteq T$$ means $$\lnot \left( {S \subseteq T}\right)$$

For example, if $$S = \left\{ {1, 2, 3} \right\}$$ and $$T = \left\{ {1, 2, 3, 4} \right\}$$, then $$S \subseteq T$$.

So, if we can prove that if an element is in $$S$$ then it is also in $$T$$, then we have proved that $$S$$ is a subset of $$T$$.

Alternatively, the notation $$T \supseteq S$$ means the same thing, meaning "$$T$$ contains "$$S$$".

Note the difference between $$x \in T$$ and $$S \subseteq T$$.

We can see that "is a subset of" is a relation. Given any two sets $$S$$ and $$T$$, we can say that either $$S$$ is or is not a subset of $$T$$.