Relation-Part 1

Mahmuda Naznin
CSE 103
 Relations and Properties.
The most direct way to express a
relationship between elements of two sets
is to use ordered pairs.
For this reason, sets of ordered pairs are
called binary relations.
Example 1-
A : the set of students in your school.
B : the set of courses.
R = { (a, b) : aA, bB, a is enrolled in course b }
 Set and Relation
Def .1.a. Let A and B be sets. A binary
relation
from A to B is a subset R of AB.
( Note AB = { (a,b) : aA and bB } )
Def. 1.b. We use the notation aRb to denote
that (a, b)R, and aRb to denote that
(a,b)R.
Moreover, a is said to be related to b
by R if aRb.
Example. Let A={0, 1, 2} and B={a, b},
then {(0,a),(0,b),(1,a),(2,b)} is a relation R
from A to B. This means, for instance, that
0Ra, but that 1Rb

A B R  AB = { (0,a) , (0,b) , (1,a)

(1,b) , (2,a) , (2,b)}
0
a R R
1
b
2

R
 Relations vs. Functions
Note. Relations vs. Functions
A relation can be used to express a 1-to-
many
relationship between the elements of the
sets
A and B. (For function it can not be 1 to many
Def. 2. A relation on the set A is a subset of A  A
output)
( i.e., a relation from A to A ).
 Example– Relation
Example. Let A be the set {1, 2, 3, 4}. Which
ordered pairs are in the relation R = { (a, b)| a
divides b }?

Sol : 1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4

R = { (1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4),

(2,2), (2,4),
(3,3),
(4,4) }
 Example . Consider the following relations
on Z.
R1 = { (a, b) | a  b } Which of these relations
R2 = { (a, b) | a > b }
contain each of the pairs
R3 = { (a, b) | a = b or a = -b }
(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (1,-1),
R4 = { (a, b) | a = b }
and (2,2)?
R5 = { (a, b) | a = b+1 }
R6 = { (a, b) | a + b  3 }

(1,1) (1,2) (2,1) (1,-1) (2,2)

R1 x x x

R2 x x

R3 x x x

R4 x x

R5 x

R6 x x x x
 Reflexive Relation
Def. 3. A relation R on a set A is called
reflexive
if (a,a)R for every aA.
Example. Consider the following relations on
{1, 2, 3, 4} :
R2 = { (1,1), (1,2), (2,1) }
R3 = { (1,1), (1,2), (1,4), (2,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,1), (4,4) }
R4 = { (2,1), (3,1), (3,2), (4,1), (4,2), (4,3) }
which of them are reflexive ?

Sol :
R3
 Reflexive Relation
Example. Which of the relations

R1 =are
{ (a,reflexive
b) | a  b ?
}
R2 = { (a, b) | a > b }
R3 = { (a, b) | a = b or a = -b }
R4 = { (a, b) | a = b }
R5 = { (a, b) | a = b+1 }
R6 = { (a, b) | a + b  3 }

Sol :
 Symmetric, Antisymmetric
Relation
Def. 4.
(1) A relation R on a set A is called symmetric
if for a, bA,
(a, b)R  (b, a)R.
(2) A relation R on a set A is called
antisymmetric if for a, bA,
(a, b)R and (b, a)R  a = b.
 Example– Symmetric and
Antisymmetric Relation

Example . Which of the relations from

are symmetric or antisymmetric ?
R2 = { (1,1), (1,2), (2,1) }
R3 = { (1,1), (1,2), (1,4), (2,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,1), (4,4) }
R4 = { (2,1), (3,1), (3,2), (4,1), (4,2), (4,3) }

Sol :
R2, R3 are symmetric
R4 are antisymmetric. [(2,1) but no (1,2)…so on]
 Transitive Relation

Def. 5. A relation R on a set A is

called
transitive if for a, b, c A,
(a, b)R and (b, c)R  (a, c)R.
 Example– Transitive Relation
Example- Which of the relations are transitive ?
R2 = { (1,1), (1,2), (2,1) }
R3 = { (1,1), (1,2), (1,4), (2,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,1), (4,4) }
R4 = { (2,1), (3,1), (3,2), (4,1), (4,2), (4,3) }

Sol :
R2 is not transitive since
(2,1)  R2 and (1,2)  R2 but (2,2)  R2.
R3 is not transitive since
(2,1)  R3 and (1,4)  R3 but (2,4)  R3.
R4 is transitive.
 Operations on Relation

Example . Let A = {1, 2, 3} and B = {1, 2, 3, 4}.

The relation R1 = {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3)}
and R2 = {(1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4)} can be
combined to obtain
R1 ∪ R2 ={(1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4)}
R1 ∩ R2 = {(1,1)}
R1 － R2 = {(2,2), (3,3)}
R2 － R1 = {(1,2), (1,3), (1,4)}
R1 R2 = {(2,2), (3,3), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4)}
 Example– Relation

Example - Let A = {1,2,3}, find a relation R on A s.t.

R is both symmetric and antisymmetric, but
not reflexive.
Sol :
R = { (1,1), (2,2) } [(3, 3) is missing]
 Representing Relations by
Matrices
Matrices
Suppose that R is a relation from A={a1, a2, …, am}
to B = {b1, b2,…, bn }.
The relation R can be represented by the matrix
MR = [mij], where
1, if (ai,bj)R
mij =
0, if (ai,bj)R
 Relation Representation Using
Matrix
Example . Suppose that A = {1,2,3} and B =
{1,2}
Let R = {(a, b) | a > b, aA, bB}.
What is MR ?
B
Sol : 1 2
1  0 0  0 0
A
   
2

1 0
  M R  1 0 
3  1 1
  1 1
Symmetric Relation Using Matrix

The relation R is symmetric iff (ai,aj)R  (aj,ai)R.

This means mij = mji
 1 
 
 
M R  1 0 ( M R )t
 
 
 0 
 Reflexive Relation Using Matrix

Let A={a1, a2, …,an}.

A relation R on A is reflexive iff (ai,ai)R,i.
a1 a2 … … an
i.e., a1 1 
a2  1 
 
M R :   
 
:   
an  1
 AntiSymmetric Relation Using
Matrix
The relation R is antisymmetric iff
(ai,aj)R and i  j  (aj,ai)R.
This means that if mij=1 with i≠j, then mji=0.
i.e.,
 1 
0 0 
M R  
 1 0
 
 0 
Relations in 0-1 Matrix
 Relation Using 0-1 Matrix

Example . Suppose that the relation R on a set is

represented by the matrix
 1 1 0
M R  1 1 1
 0 1 1
Is R reflexive, symmetric, and / or antisymmetric ?

Sol :
reflexive, symmetric, not antisymmetric.
 Examples of Relations Using
Example. SupposeMatrix
that S={0,1,2,3} Let R be a
relation containing (a, b) if a  b, where a  S and b
 S. Is R reflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric ?

Sol :
0 1 2 3

∴ R is reflexive and
0 1 1 1 1
1
0 1 1 
1
MR   antisymmetric,
2 0 0 1 1 not symmetric.
 
3 0 0 0 1
Examples of Relations
Using Matrix
 Union and Intersection
Operations on Relations Using
Matrix
Composite Operations of
Relations Using Matrix
Set A={1,2,3}, Relations R and S
R={(1,1),(1,3),(2,1),(2,2)}
S={(1,2), (2,3), (3,1), (3,3)}

R.S={11, 12= (1,2)

13, 31= (1,1)
21, 12= (2,2)
13, 33= (1,3)
22, 23= (2,3)}
So, Composite R.S={(1,1), (1,2),
(1,3), (2,2), (2,3)}
 Representing Relations Using Digraphs.

(Directed Graphs)
Example. Show the directed graph (digraph)
of the relation R={(1,1),(1,3),(2,1),(2,3),(2,4),
(3,1),(3,2),(4,1)} on the set {1,2,3,4}.
Sol : 1 2
vertex : 1, 2, 3, 4
edge : 11, 13, 21
23, 24, 31
32, 41
4 3
 Reflexive and Symmetric
Relation Using Digraph
The relation R is reflexive iff
for every vertex,
(loop)

The relation R is symmetric iff

 x y
x y
Transitive Relation Using Graph
The relation R is transitive iff
for a, b, c A,
(a, b)R and (b, c)R  (a, c)R.
This means:
a b a b

d c d c
Example. Determine whether the relations R
and S are reflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric,
or transitive a b

Sol :
reflexive, S
R: a not symmetric, c d
not antisymmetric,
not transitive not reflexive,
(a→b, b→c, a→c) symmetric
not antisymmetric
not transitive
(b→a, a→c, b→c)
b c
(a,b), (b,c),(c,b),(a,a) (a,b), (b,a),(a,d),(d,a)
(b,b),(c,c),(c,a) (a,c),(c,a),(b,b)
 Acknowledgement
• Kenneth Rosen
• Susanna S. Epp (Reading Materials)
• R.S.Chang, CSIE, NDHU