Poset and Lattice
Uploaded by
Bhavesh GargPoset and Lattice
Uploaded by
Bhavesh GargPartially Ordered Sets (POSets)
Let R be a relation on a set S. Then R is called a
partial order if it is
• Reflexive
a R a, a S
• Antisymmetric
If a R b and b R a → a = b
• Transitive
If a R b and b R c → a R c
The set S with partial order is called partially
ordered set or poset.
Ex. The relation “” on the real numbers, is a partial
order.
Sol. Reflexive : a a for all real numbers
Antisymmetric : If a b, b a then a = b
Transitive : If a b, b c then a c
This order relation on N or R is called usual order
Ex. (Z+, | ), the relation “divides” on +ve integers.
Ex. (Z, | ), the relation “divides” on integers.
Ex. (2S, ), the relation “subset” on set of all
subsets of S.
Comparability
Let a and b be the elements in a partially ordered set
(S, ≼). Then a and b are called comparable if a ≼ b
or b ≼ a (≼ or ).
They are incomparable or non-comparable, written
as a b if neither a b nor b a.
Ex. In poset (Z+, |), 3 and 6 are comparable, 6 and 3
are comparable, 3 and 5 are not, 8 and 12 are not.
Dual Order Let be any partial ordering of set S. If
the relation is also a partial ordering of S, then it is
called dual order.
Ordered Subsets
Let A be any subset of an ordered set S
Suppose a, b A.
Define a b as elements of A whenever a b as
elements of S.
This defines a partial ordering of A called the induced
order on A.
The subset A with the induced order is called an
ordered subset of S.
Totally Ordered Set
If (S, ≼) is a poset and every two elements of S
are comparable, then S is called totally ordered or
linearly ordered.
A totally ordered set is also called a chain.
Ex. The poset (Z, ), is totally ordered, because
either a b or b a when a and b are integers.
Ex. The poset (Z+, |), is not totally ordered because it
contains elements that are incomparable such as 5
and 7.
Which of the following pairs of elements are
comparable in the poset (𝑍 + ,/)
(a)2, 4 (b) 4, 6 (c) 5, 5 (d) 6, 8
Which of the following are posets ?
(a) (Z, =)
(b) (𝑍, ≠)
( c) (Z, >)
(d) (𝑍, ≥)
Hasse Diagram
Let S be a partially ordered set
let a, b S
If a b, then
a is called an immediate predecessor of b,
or b is known an immediate successor of a,
or b is a cover of a, written as a b
but no element in S lies between a and b,
i.e., there exists no element c in S
such that a c b
The set of pairs (a, b) such that b covers a is called the
covering relation of the poset S.
Hasse Diagram
Let S be a finite partially ordered set.
The Hasse diagram of S is the directed graph
whose vertices are the elements of S and
there is a directed edge from a to b
whenever a b in S.
(At place of an arrow from a to b, we can place b
higher than a and draw a line between them)
Constructing a Hasse Diagram
Start with a directed graph of relations .
Remove the loops at all the vertices .
If a < b , then we can place b higher than a and draw a
line between them.
Remove all edges whose existence is implied by the
transitive property a R b and b R a → a R c.
Consider the set A = { 4, 5, 6, 7} . Let R be the relation on A .
Draw the directed graph and Hasse diagram of R.
R = {(4, 4),(5, 5),(6, 6),(7, 7),(4, 5),(5, 6),(6, 7),(4,6),(5,7), (4,7)}
Directed Graph –
Hasse Diagram -
Ex. Hasse diagram of poset ( {1, 2, 3, 4}, )
Also find the covering relation
Ex. Draw the Hasse diagram representing
the partial ordering { (a, b) | a divides b }
on {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12}
12
8
4 6
2 3
Also find the covering relation
Ex. Draw the Hasse diagram for the partial ordering
{ (A,B) | A B } on the power set P(S)
where S = {a, b, c}
{a,b,c}
{a,b} {b,c}
{a,c}
{a} {c}
{b}
{} or
Also find the covering relation
1. Let X = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ,6}, then / is a partial order
relation on X. Draw the Hasse Diagram of (X, /).
2. Let 𝐷𝑚 denote the positive divisors of m ordered by
divisibility. Draw Hasse Diagram of 𝐷12 .
Minimal and Maximal Elements
Let S be a partially ordered set.
An element a in S is called minimal if no other
element of S strictly precedes a.
An element b in S is called maximal if no element
of S strictly succeeds b.
They are respectively bottom and top elements in
the diagram.
A Poset can have more than one minimal and
more than one maximal elements.
Ex. Which elements of the poset
({2, 4, 5, 10, 12, 20, 25}, | ) are maximal, and
which are minimal.
20
12
4 10 25
2 5
The maximal elements are 12, 20 and 25, and the
minimal elements are 2 and 5.
Least and Greatest Elements
An element a in a poset S is called least (or first)
element if a precedes every other element of S.
An element b in poset S is called the greatest (or last)
element if b succeeds every other element of S.
Ex Find greatest and least elements in Hasse diagrams
d
b c d d e d
b c
e c c
a b b a
a a
Determine whether the poset represented by Hasse
Diagram below have a greatest element, least element
maximal element and minimal elements.
Upper and Lower Bound
Let A be a subset of partially ordered set S.
An element u in S is called an upper bound of A if u
succeeds every element of A.
An element l in a poset S is called a lower bound of A if l
precedes every element of A.
Supremum
If an upper bound of A precedes every other upper bound of
A, then it is called the supremum or least upper bound of A
and is denoted by sup(A) or lub(A).
Infimum
If a lower bound of A succeeds every other lower bound of
A, then it is called the infimum or greatest lower bound of A
and is denoted by inf(A) or glb(A).
Ex. Find the lower and upper bounds of the subsets
{a, b, c}, {j, h} and {a, c, d, f} in the poset with the
given Hasse diagram.
Sol. For {a, b, c},
Upper bounds : e, f, j, h Lower bound : a
For {j, h}, No Upper bound.
Lower bounds : a, b, c, d, e, f
For {a, c, d, f}, h j
Upper bounds : f, h, j
Lower bound : a g f
d e
b c
a
Ex. Find glb and lub of {b, d, g}, if they exist, in the
poset.
Upper bounds of {b, d, g}= { g, h}
Since g ≺ h, g is the least upper bound
lub = {g}
Lower bounds of {b, d, g} = { a, b}
Since a≺b, b is the greatest lower bound.
h j
glb = {b}
g f
d e
b c
a
Ex. In the poset shown below , find upper bound, lub ,
lower bound and glb for A = {2, 3} and B ={4, 6}, if they
exist.
For A= {2, 3}
Upper Bound = {4, 5 , 7, 8}
lub = does not exists
Lower Bound = does not Exists
glb = does not exists
For B = {4, 6}
Upper Bound = {8}
lub = {8}
Lower Bound = {1, 3}
glb =does not exists
In the poset shown below , find upper bound, lub,
lower bound and glb for {a, b, c} if they exist
Upper Bound = {e, f , h, i}
lub ={e}
Lower Bound = {a}
glb ={a}
In the poset shown below , find upper bound, lub,
lower bound and glb for {i, h} if they exist.
Upper Bound = Does not exists
lub = Does not exists
Lower Bound ={a, b, c , d, f}
glb = {f}
In the poset shown , find upper bound, upper lub,
lower bound and glb for {a, c, d, f} if they exist.
Also find glb and lub for {b, d, g}
For {a, c, d, f}
Upper Bound = {f, i, h}
lub = {f}
Lower Bound = {a}
glb = {a}
For {b, d, g}
glb ={b}
Lub= {g}
Lattice
A partially ordered set in which every
pair of elements has both a least
upper bound and a greatest lower
bound is called lattice.
The least upper bound is known as join ().
The greatest lower bound is known as meet ().
Ex. Determine whether the posets represented
by each of the Hasse diagrams are lattices.
Join and Meet Table
Construct the join and meet table of the lattice as shown:
The following tables show the join table of the Lattice
The following tables show the meet table of the Lattice
1.Construct a join and meet table for 𝐷10 .
2. Construct join and meet table for the following lattice.
Ex. Is the poset (Z+, |) a lattice?
Sol. Let a and b be two positive integers.
The least upper bound of two integers are the L.C.M.
and the greatest lower bound of two integers are the
greatest common divisor.
this poset is a lattice.
Ex. Determine whether the poset ({1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, |)
and ({1, 2, 4, 8, 16}, |) are lattices.
Ex. Determine whether (P(S), ) is a lattice where S
is a set.
Lattices
Let L be a nonempty set closed under two binary
operations called meet() and join().
Then L is called a lattice if it satisfies:
L1: Commutative Law
ab=ba and ab=ba
L2: Associative Law
(a b) c = a (b c) and
(a b) c = a (b c)
L3: Absorption Law
a (a b) = a and a (a b) = a
where a, b, c are elements in L
Duality
The dual of any statement in a lattice is the
statement obtained by interchanging meet and join.
Ex. The dual of a (b a) = a a
is a (b a) = a a
Properties of Lattice
Commutative :Show that the operations of meet and
join on a lattice is commutative
a b = b a and a b = b a
Proof:
ab
= glb {a, b} = glb {b, a}
=ba
ab
= lub {a, b} = lub {b, a}
=ba
