THE LANGUAGE OF

RELATIONS AND FUNCTIONS

WE HAVE ALREADY HAD EXPERIENCES WITH CORRESPONDENCES
IN EVERYDAY LIFE.

Example.
1. To each person there corresponds an age.
2. To each item in a store there corresponds a price.
3. To each automobile there corresponds a license number.
RELATIONS

◼ A relation 𝑟 between a set 𝐴 and 𝐵is any subset of the cartesian product 𝐴 × 𝐵. Thus, every element of 𝑟 is
an ordered pair.
◼ The domain of 𝑟, denoted by 𝑑𝑟 , is
𝑑𝑟 = {𝑥: (𝑥, 𝑦) ∈ 𝑟}
and the image of 𝑟, denoted by 𝑖𝑟 , is
𝑖𝑟 = {𝑦: (𝑥, 𝑦) ∈ 𝑟}
◼ If 𝑑𝑟 = 𝐴, we say that 𝑟 is a relation from 𝐴 to 𝐵. The set 𝐵 is called the range of 𝑟. If (𝑥, 𝑦) ∈ 𝑟 we say that
𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 is associated with 𝑦 ∈ 𝑩, or 𝑥 corresponds to 𝑦 under 𝑟.
Example.

1. Let 𝐻 = 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑 , 𝐾 = {0,1,2,3}, and 𝑟 = { 𝑎, 1 , 𝑏, 2 , 𝑐, 3 }.

Then 𝑟 is a relation between 𝐻 and 𝐾 with domain {𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐} and image {1,2,3}
𝐻 × 𝐾 = { 𝑎, 0 , 𝑎, 1 , 𝑎, 2 , 𝑎, 3 , 𝑏, 0 , 𝑏, 1 , 𝑏, 2 , 𝑏, 3 , 𝑐, 0 , 𝑐, 1 , 𝑐, 2 , 𝑐, 3 , 𝑑, 0 , 𝑑, 1 , 𝑑, 2 , 𝑑, 3 }
2. Let 𝐶 = {2,4,6} and 𝐷 = {1,3,5,7}.
Then the set
𝑡 = { 2,3 , 2,5 , 2,7 , 4,5 , 4,7 , 6,7 }
is a relation between 𝐶 and 𝐷.
We may also express 𝑡 as
𝑡 = { 𝑥, 𝑦 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶, 𝑦 ∈ 𝐷, 𝑥 < 𝑦}.
3. Let 𝑃 = {−1,0,1,2} and 𝑄 = {0,1,2,3,4}.
Then the set
𝑠 = { 𝑥, 𝑦 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝑃, 𝑦 ∈ 𝑄, 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 }
is a relation from 𝑃 to 𝑄.

The ordered pairs in 𝑠 are:

−1,1 , 0,0 , 1,1 , and (2,4).
Graphs

H K C D P Q
r t s
a 0 2 1 -1 0
b 1 4 3 0 1
c 2 6 5 1 2
d 3 7 2 3
4
Example 2
Example 1 Example 3
𝐶 = {2,4,6} and 𝐷 = {1,3,5,7}
𝐻 = 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑 , 𝐾 = {0,1,2,3}, 𝑃 = {−1,0,1,2} and 𝑄 = 0,1,2,3,4
.𝑡 = { 2,3 , 2,5 , 2,7 , 4,5 , 4,7 , 6,7 }
𝑟 = { 𝑎, 1 , 𝑏, 2 , 𝑐, 3 }. 𝑠 = −1,1 , 0,0 , 1,1 , and (2,4).

.
FUNCTIONS

 A function 𝒇 from a set 𝐴 to a set 𝐵 is a relation whose domain is 𝐴, with the

property that each element of 𝐴 corresponds to exactly one element of 𝐵. In other
words, no element of 𝐴 corresponds to two or more elements of 𝐵. As a set of
ordered pairs, no two distinct elements of 𝑓 have the same first coordinates.
 More precisely, a relation 𝑓 from 𝐴 to 𝐵 is a function from 𝐴 to 𝐵 if and only if
𝑥, 𝑦1 , (𝑥, 𝑦2 ) ∈ 𝑓, implies 𝑦1 = 𝑦2 .
Example.

1. Let 𝐻 = 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑 , 𝐾 = {0,1,2,3}, and 𝑟 = { 𝑎, 1 , 𝑏, 2 , 𝑐, 3 }.

Then 𝑟 is a relation between 𝐻 and 𝐾 with domain {𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐} and image {1,2,3}

2. Let 𝐶 = {2,4,6} and 𝐷 = {1,3,5,7}.

Then the set
𝑡 = { 2,3 , 2,5 , 2,7 , 4,5 , 4,7 , 6,7 }
is a relation between 𝐶 and 𝐷.
We may also express 𝑡 as
𝑡 = { 𝑥, 𝑦 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝐶, 𝑦 ∈ 𝐷, 𝑥 < 𝑦}.
3. Let 𝑃 = {−1,0,1,2} and 𝑄 = {0,1,2,3,4}.
Then the set
𝑠 = { 𝑥, 𝑦 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝑃, 𝑦 ∈ 𝑄, 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 }
is a relation from 𝑃 to 𝑄.

The ordered pairs in 𝑠 are:

−1,1 , 0,0 , 1,1 , and (2,4).
Graphs

H K C D P Q
r t s
a 0 2 1 -1 0
b 1 4 3 0 1
c 2 6 5 1 2
d 3 7 2 3
4

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Graphs

H K C D P Q
r t s
a 0 2 1 -1 0
b 1 4 3 0 1
c 2 6 5 1 2
d 3 7 2 3
4
Example 2
Example 1 Example 3
𝐶 = {2,4,6} and 𝐷 = {1,3,5,7}
𝐻 = 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑 , 𝐾 = {0,1,2,3}, 𝑃 = {−1,0,1,2} and 𝑄 = 0,1,2,3,4
.𝑡 = { 2,3 , 2,5 , 2,7 , 4,5 , 4,7 , 6,7 }
𝑟 = { 𝑎, 1 , 𝑏, 2 , 𝑐, 3 }. 𝑠 = −1,1 , 0,0 , 1,1 , and (2,4).

.
FUNCTIONAL NOTATION

◼ We use symbol 𝑓: 𝐴 → 𝐵 to indicate that 𝑓 is a function from 𝐴 to 𝐵. For each 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴, we denote by 𝑓(𝑥) the
unique element of 𝐵 to which 𝑥 corresponds.
◼ We say that 𝑓(𝑥) is the value of 𝑓 at 𝑥

𝐴 𝐵

𝑓
x f(x)
Example.

Suppose 𝑔 𝑥 = 2𝑥 + 1, ℎ 𝑥 = 𝑥.
Then,
𝑔 25 = 2 25 + 1 = 51
𝑔 3𝑡 = 2 3𝑡 + 1 = 6𝑡 + 1
𝑔 ℎ 𝑥 = 2ℎ 𝑥 + 1 = 2 𝑥 + 1
ℎ 25 = 25 = 5
ℎ 3𝑡 = 3𝑡
4
ℎ ℎ 𝑥 = ℎ(𝑥) = 𝑥= 𝑥
◼ Given 𝑓: 𝐴 → 𝐵, if (𝑥, 𝑦) ∈ 𝑓, we write 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥)
◼ We say that 𝑦 or 𝑓(𝑥) is the image of 𝑥 under 𝑓, and that 𝑥 is a preimage or domain of 𝑦 under 𝑓. The image
𝑖𝑓 of 𝑓 is the set of all images of the elements of the domain; that is,
𝑖𝑓 = {𝑓 𝑥 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴}
Example.

Let 𝑓: ℝ → ℝ be the function defined by 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 2 .

Then, the image of 3 and -3 is
𝑓 3 = 32 = 9.
𝑓 −3 = (−3)2 = 9
EQUALITY OF FUNCTIONS

We say that functions 𝑓: 𝐴 → 𝐵 and 𝑔: 𝐴 → 𝐵 are equal, that is, 𝑓 = 𝑔, if 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑔(𝑥) for all 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴.

Example. Consider the functions 𝑓, 𝑔 and ℎ from ℜ to itself defined by:

𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥+1 2

𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑥+1
ℎ 𝑥 =𝑥+1
Since 𝑥+1 2 = 𝑥 + 1 for all 𝑥
Then,
𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑔(𝑥) for all 𝑥 ∈ ℜ
Hence,
𝑓=𝑔
However, 𝑓 ≠ ℎ
Since there are values of 𝑥 for which 𝑓(𝑥) ≠ ℎ(𝑥).
For instance , 𝑥 = −2
𝑓 −2 = (−2 + 1)2 = (−1)2 = 1 = 1
ℎ −2 = −2 + 1 = −1
Thus, 𝑓(−2) ≠ ℎ(−2)
EVALUATION AND OPERATIONS OF FUNCTIONS

The value of a function f at x is usually denoted by f(x) which reads as “f

of x”. In general, the statement “y is a function of x “ is commonly written
as 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥). This way of writing functions is equally convenient for
computing the value of f at specified values of x.
◼
◼
GENERALIZATION