Functions

FUNCTION
DEF1:Let A and B be nonempty sets. A function f from A to B is an
assignment of exactly one
element of B to each element of A. We write f (a) = b if b is the unique element of B
assigned by the function f to the element a of A. If f is a function from A to B, we write
f : A → B.

DEF2If f is a function from A to B, we say that A is the domain of f and B is the

codomain of f.
If f (a) = b, we say that b is the image of a and a is a preimage of b. The range, or
image,
of f is the set of all images of elements of A. Also, if f is a function from A to B, we say
that f maps A to B.

EXAMPLE Let f be the function that assigns the last two bits of a bit string of length 2
or greater to that
string. For example, f (11010) = 10. Then, the domain of f is the set of all bit strings of
length
2 or greater, and both the codomain and range are the set {00, 01, 10, 11}. ▲\
EXAMPLE Let f : Z → Z assign the square of an integer to this integer. Then, f (x) = x2,
where the domain
of f is the set of all integers, the codomain of f is the set of all integers, and the range of
f is
the set of all integers that are perfect squares, namely, {0, 1, 4, 9, . . . }.

One-to-One and Onto Functions

Afunction f is said to be one-to-one, or an injunction, if and only if f (a) = f (b) implies
that
a = b for all a and b in the domain of f.A function is said to be injective if it is one-to-one

EXAMPLE Determine whether the function f from {a, b, c, d} to {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} with f

(a) = 4, f (b) = 5,
f (c) = 1, and f (d) = 3 is one-to-one.
Solution: The function f is one-to-one because f takes on different values at the four
elements
of its domain. This is illustrated in Figure 3
EXAMPLE Determine whether the function f (x) = x + 1 from the set of real numbers
to itself is one-toone.
Solution: The function f (x) = x + 1 is a one-to-one function. To demonstrate this, note
that
x + 1 _= y + 1 when x _= y.

Onto Function.
A function f from A to B is called onto, or a surjection, if and only if for every element
b ∈ B there is an element a ∈ A with f (a) = b.A function f is called surjective if it is
onto.

EXAMPLE 12 Let f be the function from {a, b, c, d} to {1, 2, 3} defined by f (a) = 3, f

(b) = 2, f (c) = 1,
and f (d) = 3. Is f an onto function?
Solution: Because all three elements of the codomain are images of elements in the
domain, we
see that f is onto. This is illustrated in Figure 4. Note that if the codomain were {1, 2, 3,
4},
then f would not be onto.
Suppose that f : A → B.
To show that f is injective Show that if f (x) = f (y) for arbitrary x, y ∈ A with x _= y,
then x = y.
To show that f is not injective Find particular elements x, y ∈ A such that x _= y and
f (x) = f (y).
To show that f is surjective Consider an arbitrary element y ∈ B and find an element x ∈
A
such that f (x) = y.
To show that f is not surjective Find a particular y ∈ B such that f (x) _= y for all x ∈ A.

Inverse Functions
Let f be a one-to-one correspondence from the set A to the set B. The inverse function
of
f is the function that assigns to an element b belonging to B the unique element a in A
such that f (a) = b. The inverse function of f is denoted by f
−1. Hence, f
−1(b) = a when
f (a) = b.

EXAMPLE Let f be the function from {a, b, c} to {1, 2, 3} such that f (a) = 2, f (b) = 3,
and f (c) = 1.
Is f invertible, and if it is, what is its inverse?
Solution: The function f is invertible because it is a one-to-one correspondence. The
inverse
function f
−1 reverses the correspondence given by f , so f
−1(1) = c, f
−1(2) = a, and
f
−1(3) = b.

Compositions of Functions
Let g be a function from the set A to the set B and let f be a function from the set B to
the
set C. The composition of the functions f and g, denoted for all a ∈ A by f ◦ g, is defined
by
(f ◦ g)(a) = f (g(a)).

EXAMPLE Let g be the function from the set {a, b, c} to itself such that g(a) = b, g(b)
= c, and g(c) = a.
Let f be the function from the set {a, b, c} to the set {1, 2, 3} such that f (a) = 3, f (b)
= 2, and
f (c) = 1. What is the composition of f and g, and what is the composition of g and f ?
Solution: The composition f ◦ g is defined by (f ◦ g)(a) = f (g(a)) = f (b) = 2,
(f ◦ g) (b) = f (g(b)) = f (c) = 1, and (f ◦ g)(c) = f (g(c)) = f (a) = 3.
Note that g ◦ f is not defined, because the range of f is not a subset of the domain of
g.▲

EXAMPLE Let f and g be the functions from the set of integers to the set of integers
defined by
f (x) = 2x + 3 and g(x) = 3x + 2. What is the composition of f and g? What is the
composition
of g and f ?
Solution: Both the compositions f ◦ g and g ◦ f are defined. Moreover,
(f ◦ g)(x) = f (g(x)) = f (3x + 2) = 2(3x + 2) + 3 = 6x + 7
and
(g ◦ f )(x) = g(f (x)) = g(2x + 3) = 3(2x + 3) + 2 = 6x + 11.

EXERCISE

QUESTION Let X = {1, 2, 3, 4}. Determine whether each relation on X is a function from X
into X.
(a) f = {(2, 3), (1, 4), (2, 1), (3.2), (4, 4)}
(b) g = {(3, 1), (4, 2), (1, 1)}
(c) h = {(2, 1), (3, 4), (1, 4), (2, 1), (4, 4)}

ANSWER:
Recall that a subset f of X×X is a function f: X → X if and only if each a ∈ X appears as the first
coordinate
in exactly one ordered pair in f.
(a) No. Two different ordered pairs (2, 3) and (2, 1) in f have the same number 2 as their first
coordinate.
(b) No. The element 2 ∈ X does not appear as the first coordinate in any ordered pair in g.
(c) Yes. Although 2 ∈ X appears as the first coordinate in two ordered pairs in h, these two ordered
pairs are equal.

QUESTION Let A = {a, b, c},B = {x, y, z},C = {r, s, t}. Let f: A → B and g: B → C be defined
by:
f = {(a, y)(b, x), (c, y)} and g = {(x, s), (y, t ), (z, r)}.
Find: (a) composition function g◦f: A → C; (b) Im(f ), Im(g), Im(g◦f ).

ANSWER:
(a) Use the definition of the composition function to compute:
(g◦f )(a) = g(f (a)) = g(y) = t
(g◦f )(b) = g(f (b)) = g(x) = s
 (g◦f )(c) = g(f (c)) = g(y) = t
That is g◦f = {(a, t ), (b, s), (c, t)}.

(b) Find the image points (or second coordinates):

Im(f ) = {x, y}, Im(g) = {r, s, t}, Im(g◦f ) = {s, t}

QUESTION Let f : R → R and g: R → R be defined by f (x) = 2x + 1 and g(x) = x2 − 2. Find

the formula for the composition function g◦f .

ANSWER:
Compute g◦f as follows:
(g◦f )(x) = g(f (x)) = g(2x + 1) = (2x + 1)2 − 2 = 4x2 + 4x − 1.
Observe that the same answer can be found by writing
y = f (x) = 2x + 1 and z = g(y) = y2 − 2
and then eliminating y from both equations:
z = y2 − 2 = (2x + 1)2 − 2 = 4x2 + 4x – 1

QUESTION. Let the functions f: A → B, g: B → C, h: C → D be defined by Fig. 3-9. Determine

if each function is:
(a) onto, (b) one-to-one, (c) invertible.
Fig. 3

ANSWER:
(a) The function f: A → B is not onto since 3 ∈ B is not the image of any element in A.
The function g: B → C is not onto since z ∈ C is not the image of any element in B.
The function h: C → D is onto since each element in D is the image of some element of C.

(b) The function f: A → B is not one-to-one since a and c have the same image 2.
The function g: B → C is one-to-one since 1, 2 and 3 have distinct images.
The function h: C → D is not one-to-one since x and z have the same image 4.

(c) No function is one-to-one and onto; hence no function is invertible.

QUESTION Consider permutations and in

S6 .Find composition and

ANSWER:
Note that σ sends 1 into 3 and τ sends 3 into 6. So the composition τ◦σ sends 1 into 6. I.e. (τ◦σ)(1) =
6. Moreover,
τ◦σ sends 2 into 6 into 1 that is, (τ◦σ)(2) = 1, Similarly,
(τ◦σ)(3) = 5, (τ ◦σ)(4) = 3, (τ ◦σ) = 2, (τ ◦σ)(6) = 4
Thus

b) Look for 1 in the second row of σ. Note σ sends 5 into 1. Hence σ−1(1) = 5. Look for 2 in the second
row of σ.
Note σ sends 6 into 2. Hence σ−1(2) = 6. Similarly, σ−1(3) = 1, σ−1(4) = 3, σ−1(5) = 4, σ−1(6) = 2.
Thus

QUESTION Consider functions f: A → B and g: B → C. Prove the following:

(a) If f and g are one-to-one, then the composition function g◦f is one-to-one.
(b) If f and g are onto functions, then g◦f is an onto function.

ANSWER:
(a) Suppose (g◦f )(x) = (g◦f )(y); then g(f (x)) = g(f (y)). Hence f (x) = f (y) because g is one-to-one.
Furthermore,
x = y since f is one-to-one. Accordingly g◦f is one-to-one.

(b) Let c be any arbitrary element of C. Since g is onto, there exists a b ∈ B such that g(b) = c. Since f
is onto, there
exists an a ∈ A such that f (a) = b. But then

(g◦f )(a) = g(f (a)) = g(b) = c

Hence each c ∈ C is the image of some element a ∈ A. Accordingly, g◦f is an onto function.

QUESTION Let f: R → R be defined by f (x) = 2x −3. Now f is one-to-one and onto; hence f
has an inverse function
f−1. Find a formula for f−1.

QUESTION
Let y be the image of x under the function f :
y = f (x) = 2x − 3
Consequently, x will be the image of y under the inverse function f−1. Solve for x in terms of y in the
above equation:
x = (y + 3)/2
Then f−1(y) = (y + 3)/2. Replace y by x to obtain
f−1(x) = (x + 3)/2
which is the formula for f−1 using the usual independent variable x.