Discrete Structures Practice Questions

List the ordered pairs in the relation R from A = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4} to B = {0, 1, 2, 3}, where (a, b) ∈
R if and only if

a) a = b.

b) a + b = 4.

c) a > b.

d) a | b.

e) gcd(a, b) = 1.

f ) lcm(a, b) = 2.

For each of these relations on the set {1, 2, 3, 4}, decide whether it is reflexive, whether it is
irreflexive, whether it is symmetric, whether it is antisymmetric, whether it is asymmetric, and
whether it is transitive.

a) {(2, 2), (2, 3), (2, 4), (3, 2), (3, 3), (3, 4)}

b) {(1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), (4, 4)}

c) {(2, 4), (4, 2)}

d) {(1, 2), (2, 3), (3, 4)}

e) {(1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), (4, 4)}

f ) {(1, 3), (1, 4), (2, 3), (2, 4), (3, 1), (3, 4)}

Determine whether the relation R on the set of all integers is reflexive, symmetric,
antisymmetric, and/or transitive, where (x, y) ∈ R if and only if

a) x ≠ y.

b) xy ≥ 1.

c) x = y + 1 or x = y − 1.

1
d) x ≡ y (mod 7).
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 Topic: Relations
Discrete Structures Practice Questions

e) x is a multiple of y.

f ) x and y are both negative or both nonnegative.

g) x = y2.

h) x ≥ y2.

Give an example of a relation on a set that is

a) both symmetric and antisymmetric.

b) neither symmetric nor antisymmetric.

How many different relations are there from a set with m elements to a set with n elements?

Let R be the relation R = {(a, b) | a divides b} on the set of positive integers.

Find a) R −1.

�
b) ���� .

Suppose that the function ���� from A to B is a one-to-one correspondence. Let R be the
relation that equals the graph of f . That is, R = {(a, f (a)) | a ∈ A}. What is the inverse relation
R−1?

Consider following relations:

R1 = {(a, b) ∈ R2 | a > b}, the “greater than” relation,

R2 = {(a, b) ∈ R2 | a ≥ b}, the “greater than or equal to” relation,

R3 = {(a, b) ∈ R2 | a < b}, the “less than” relation,

R4 = {(a, b) ∈ R2 | a ≤ b}, the “less than or equal to” relation,

 2
2
R5 = {(a, b) ∈ R | a = b}, the “equal to” relation,
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Topic: Relations
Discrete Structures Practice Questions

R6 = {(a, b) ∈ R2 | a ≠ b}, the “unequal to” relation.

Find

a) R2 ∪ R4.

b) R3 ∪ R6.

c) R3 ∩ R6.

d) R4 ∩ R6.

e) R3 − R6.

f ) R6 − R3.

g) R2 ⊕ R6.

h) R3 ⊕ R5.

How many relations are there on the set {a, b, c, d}?

How many relations are there on the set {a, b, c, d} that contain the pair (a, a)?

Find the error in the “proof” of the following “theorem.”

“Theorem”: Let R be a relation on a set A that is symmetric and transitive. Then R is

reflexive.

“Proof ”: Let a ∈ A. Take an element b ∈ A such that (a, b) ∈ R. Because R is

symmetric, we also have (b, a) ∈R. Now using the transitive property, we can conclude
that (a, a) ∈ R because (a, b) ∈ R and (b, a) ∈ R.
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Topic: Relations
Discrete Structures Practice Questions

Represent each of these relations on {1, 2, 3} with a matrix (with the elements of this set listed
in increasing order).

a) {(1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3)}

b) {(1, 2), (2, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3)}

c) {(1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (2, 2), (2, 3), (3, 3)}

d) {(1, 3), (3, 1)}

List the ordered pairs in the relations on {1, 2, 3} corresponding to these matrices (where the
rows and columns correspond to the integers listed in increasing order).

How can the matrix representing a relation R on a set A be used to determine whether the
relation is irreflexive?

Determine whether the relations represented by the following matrices are reflexive,
irreflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric, and/or transitive.
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Topic: Relations
Discrete Structures Practice Questions

How many nonzero entries does the matrix representing the relation R on A = {1, 2, 3, . . . , 100}
consisting of the first 100 positive integers have if R is

a) {(a, b) | a > b}?

b) {(a, b) | a ≠ b}?

c) {(a, b) | a = b + 1}?

d) {(a, b) | a = 1}?

e) {(a, b) | ab = 1}?

�
How can the matrix for ���� , the complement of the relation R, be found from
the matrix representing R, when R is a relation on a finite set A?

Let R be the relation represented by the matrix

Find the matrix representing

 a) R −1.
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�
b) ���� .

Topic: Relations
Discrete Structures Practice Questions

List the ordered pairs in the relations represented by the directed graphs.

Determine whether the relations represented by the above directed graphs are
reflexive, irreflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric, and/or transitive.

Let R be a relation on a set A. Explain how to use the directed graph representing R to obtain
the directed graph representing the inverse relation R−1.
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Topic: Relations
Discrete Structures Practice Questions

Let R be a relation on a set A. Explain how to use the directed graph representing R to obtain
�
the directed graph representing the compliment relation ���� .

Which of these relations on {0, 1, 2, 3} are equivalence relations? Determine the properties of
an equivalence relation that the others lack.

a) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3)}

b) {(0, 0), (0, 2), (2, 0), (2, 2), (2, 3), (3, 2), (3, 3)}

c) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3)}

d) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (1, 3), (2, 2), (2, 3), (3, 1), (3, 2), (3, 3)}

e) {(0, 0), (0, 1), (0, 2), (1, 0), (1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 0), (2, 2), (3, 3)}

Which of these relations on the set of all people are equivalence relations? Determine the
properties of an equivalence relation that the others lack.

a) {(a, b) | a and b are the same age}

b) {(a, b) | a and b have the same parents}

c) {(a, b) | a and b share a common parent}

d) {(a, b) | a and b have met}

e) {(a, b) | a and b speak a common language}

Show that the relation R consisting of all pairs (x, y) such that x and y are bit strings that agree
in their first and third bits is an equivalence relation on the set of all bit strings of length three
or more.
Let R be the relation on the set of ordered pairs of positive integers such that ((a, b), (c, d)) ∈ R
if and only if a + d = b + c. Show that R is an equivalence relation.

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Topic: Relations
Discrete Structures Practice Questions

What is the congruence class [n]5 (that is, the equivalence class of n with respect to congruence
modulo 5) when n is

a) 2? b) 3? c) 6? d) −3?

Which of these collections of subsets are partitions of {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}?

a) {1, 2}, {2, 3, 4}, {4, 5, 6} b) {1}, {2, 3, 6}, {4}, {5}

c) {2, 4, 6}, {1, 3, 5} d) {1, 4, 5}, {2, 6}

Let R be the relation {(a, b) | a ≠ b} on the set of integers. What is the reflexive closure of R?

Let R be the relation {(a, b) | a divides b} on the set of integers. What is the symmetric closure
of R?

How can the directed graph representing the reflexive closure of a relation on a finite set be
constructed from the directed graph of the relation?

How can the directed graph representing the symmetric closure of a relation on a finite set be
constructed from the directed graph for this relation?

Let R be the relation on the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} containing the ordered pairs (1, 3), (2, 4), (3, 1),
(3, 5), (4, 3), (5, 1), (5, 2), and (5, 4). Find

a) R2 b) R3 c) R4

d) R5 e) R6 f ) R∗
The following relation on the set {1, 2, 3, 4} is not transitive. Find its transitive closure. 8
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R = {(1, 3), (1, 4), (2, 1), (3, 2)}

Topic: Relations