Properties of Relations

LECTURE 9 TR1333 DISCRETE MATHEMATICS

Outline
 Reflexive
 Symmetric
 Transitive
 Partial order and Total order
 Equivalence relation and Equivalence classes
Reflexive
Reflexive, Not reflexive, Anti-reflexive
REFLEXIVE
R is reflexive if (x,x)  R for every xX. 1 2
The digraph of a reflexive relation has a loop at 1 2
EVERY vertex (node).
4 3
NOT REFLEXIVE 4 3
A relation R on X is not reflexive if there exists REFLEXIVE
xX such that (x,x)  R or do NOT have a NOT
loop. REFLEXIVE
1 2
ANTI-REFLEXIVE
When (x,x)  R for every xX.
4 3
ANTI-REFLEXIVE
Example
Let R be the relation on X = {1, 2, 3, 4} defined by (x, y)
 R if x  y; x, y  X. Then
R = {(1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (1, 4), (2, 2), (2, 3), (2, 4), (3, 3),
(3, 4), (4, 4)}
The domain of R is the set {1, 2, 3, 4} and the range of R
is the set {1, 2, 3, 4}. Hence the domain and the range of
R are both equal to X.

The relation R on X = {1, 2, 3, 4} is reflexive because for

all elements x  X and (x, x)  R.
Thus the reflexive elements are
(1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3) and (4, 4).
Example
The relation R = {(a,a), (b,c), (c,b),
(d,d)} on X = {a, b, c, d} is not
reflexive.
For example, b ∈ X, but (b, b)  R.
That this relation is not reflexive can
also be seen by looking at its digraph;
vertex b does not have a loop.
 Example
Consider the following relations on {a, b, c}:
R1 = {(a, a), (a, b), (b, b), (b, c), (c, c)}
R2 = {(a, a), (a, b), (b, b), (a, c), (b, c)}
R3 = {(a, a), (b, b), (c, c)}
R4 = {(a, b), (a, c), (b, c)} R1 R3

The relations R1 and R3 are reflexive because both relations

contain all pairs of the form (x, x).
The relations R2 is not reflexive because the relation contains
some pairs of the form (x, x).
The relations R4 is anti reflexive because the relation do not
contains all pairs of the form (x, x). R2 R4
Symmetric
 Symmetric, Not symmetric, Anti-symmetric
SYMMETRIC
1 2 1 2
R is symmetric if for all x, y  X such that (x,y) 
R then (y,x)  R.
The digraph has the property that whenever 4 3
◦ there is a directed edge from a to b. 4 3
◦ there is also a directed edge from b to a.
SYMMETRIC
NOT SYMMETRIC NOT SYMMETRIC
◦ A relation R is not symmetric if there exist x, y 
X such that (x,y) R and (y,x)  R. 1 2
ANTI SYMMETRIC
◦ If for all x,yX, if (x,y)  R and (y,x)  R then x
 y. 4 3
ANTI SYMMETRIC
Example
The relation R = {(a,a), (b,c), (c,b),
(d,d)} on X = {a, b, c, d} is symmetric
because for all x, y, if (x, y) ∈ R, then (y,
x) ∈ R.
For example, (b, c) is in R and (c, b) is
also in R.
Notice that the digraph of this relation
has the property that for every directed
edge from b to c, there is also a directed
edge from c to b.
Example
The relation R on X = {1, 2, 3, 4} defined
by (x, y) ∈ R if x ≤ y, x, y ∈ X, is anti
symmetric.
For example, (2, 3) ∈ R, but (3, 2)  R.
The digraph of this relation has a directed
edge from 2 to 3, but there is no directed
edge from 3 to 2.
Transitive
Transitive, Not transitive
TRANSITIVE
R is transitive if for all x,y,z  X, if (x,y)  R 1 2
and (y,z)  R, then (x,z)  R.
The digraph has the property that whenever:
◦ there are directed edges from x to y and from
y to z, 4 3 TRANSITIVE
◦ there is also a directed edge from x to z.
NOT TRANSITIVE
◦ A relation R is not transitive if there exists 1 2
x,y,z X such that (x,y)  R and (y,z)  R
but (x,z) is not in R.

4 3
NOT TRANSITIVE
Example
The relation R on X = {1, 2, 3, 4} defined by (x, y)
∈ R if x ≤ y, x, y ∈ X, is transitive because for all
x, y, z, if (x, y) and (y,z) ∈ R, then (x,z) ∈ R.
The digraph of a transitive relation has the property
that whenever there are directed edges from x to y
and from y to z, there is also a directed edge from x
to z.
Notice that the digraph of this relation has this
property.
Example
The relation R = {(a,a), (b,c), (c,b),
(d,d)} on X = {a, b, c, d} is not
transitive.
For example, (b, c) and (c, b) are in R,
but (b, b) is not in R.
Notice that in the digraph of this relation
there are directed edges from b to c and
from c to b, but there is no directed edge
from b to b.
Activity 1
1. Write each of the relations below as relations on sets and determine the properties of relations.
(a) The relation R on {1, 2, 3, 4} defined by (x, y )  R if x2  y.
(b) The relation R on {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} defined by (x, y )  R if y = 2x.
(c) Relation R on the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} defined by the rule (x, y )  R if 3 divides x – y.
(d) Relation R on the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} defined by the rule (x, y )  R if x + y  6.
(e) Relation R on the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} defined by the rule (x, y )  R if x = y – 1.
Partial order and
Total order
Partial Orders

A relation R on a set X is called

a partial order if R is
reflexive,
antisymmetric and
transitive.
Example
Consider the relation R on the set
X = {1,2,3,4,5} defined by (x,y) ∈ R if x divides y.
So R = {(1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4), (1,5), (2,2), (2,4) (3,3), (4,4), (5,5)}.

R is reflexive since (1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5) are in R.

R is antisymmetric since (2,1), (3,1), (4,1), (5,1) and (4,2) are not in R.
R is transitive since (1,2), (2,4) and (1,4) are in R.
Thus R is a partial order.
Order Relations–Partial Order
Let X be a set and R a relation on X.
Let (x,y) X
◦ If (x,y) or (y,x) are in R, then x and y are comparable
◦ If (x,y) R and (y,x) R then x and y are incomparable
Example
Given X={1,2,3,4}
R={(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(1,4), (2,4), (2,2),(3,3), (4,4)}

SOLUTION
•R is a partial order; reflexive, antisymmetric and transitive
•(1,1)  X and (1,1)  R, then 1 and 1 are comparable
•(1,2)  X and (1,2)  R, then 1 and 2 are comparable
•(2,3)  X but (2,3)  R and (3,2) R then 2 and 3 are incomparable
Order Relations–Total Order

If every pair of elements in X are comparable, then R is

a total order on X
Example
X = {Z+} and R is defined as “x is less than or equal to y”

SOLUTION

R is a total order on X.
The less than or equal to relation on the positive integers is a total
order since, if x and y are integers, either x ≤ y or y ≤ x.
Equivalence Relations
and Equivalence
Classes
Equivalence Relations

A relation that is reflexive, symmetric and transitive on a

set X is called an equivalence relation on X.
Example
Consider the relation R on {1,2,3,4,5} defined as
R = {(1,1), (1,3), (1,5), (2,2), (2,4), (3,1), (3,3), (3,5), (4,2), (4,4), (5,1), (5,3),
(5,5)}.

R is reflexive because (1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5) ∈ R.

R is symmetric because whenever (x,y) is in R, (y,x) is also in R.
R is transitive because whenever (x,y) and (y,z) are in, (x,z) is also in R.
Thus, R is an equivalence relation on {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}.
Partitions

A partition S on a set X is a family {A1, A2,…, An} of

subsets of X, such that
 A1A2A3…An = X
 Aj  Ak =  for every j, k with j  k, 1 < j, k < n.
Example
If X = {1,2,3,4,5,6}, S = {{1,3,5}, {2,6},{4}}
where A = {1,3,5}, B = {2,6}, C = {4} and;
A  B  C = X and A  B  C = .
Therefore {A,B, C} is a partition of X.

From, the partition S,

the relation R = {(1,1), (1,3), (1,5), (3,1), (3,3), (3,5), (5,1), (5,3), (5,5), (2,2),
(2,6), (6,2), (6,6), (4,4)}.
R is reflexive, symmetric and transitive.
Thus, R is an equivalence relation on {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}.
Equivalence Classes
Consider the relation
R = {(1,1), (1,3), (1,5), (2,2), (2,4), (3,1), (3,3), (3,5), (4,2), (4,4), (5,1), (5,3),
(5,5)} on X = {1,2,3,4,5}.
The relation R is an equivalence relation. Thus the equivalence classes:
[1] = {1,3,5}
[2] = {2,4}
[3] = {1,3,5}
[4] = {2,4}
[5] = {1,3,5}
S = {{1,3,5},{2,4}}
Activity 2
1. Determine whether each of the relations defined below on the set of positive
integers is a partial order?
(a) (x,y) ∈ R if x = y2
(b) (x,y) ∈ R if x > y
(c) (x,y) ∈ R if 3 divides x - y
Activity 2
2. Determine whether the given relation is equivalence relation on {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}.
If it is ER, find its equivalence classes.
(a) {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5), (1,3), (3,1)}
(b) {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5), (1,5), (5,1), (3,5), (5,3), (1,3), (3,1)}}

For the following question, x, y ∈ {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}.

(c) {(x, y) | 1 ≤ x ≤ 5, 1≤ y ≤ 5}.
(d) {(x, y) | 3 divides x + y}.