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Equivalence Relations

This document discusses different types of binary relations including equivalence relations, partial orders, and total orders. It provides definitions and examples of each. An equivalence relation is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive. A partial order is reflexive, transitive, and antisymmetric. A total order is a partial order where all elements are comparable. Examples of each type of relation are given applying to sets of integers, triangles, people, words, and subsets.

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334 views6 pages

Equivalence Relations

This document discusses different types of binary relations including equivalence relations, partial orders, and total orders. It provides definitions and examples of each. An equivalence relation is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive. A partial order is reflexive, transitive, and antisymmetric. A total order is a partial order where all elements are comparable. Examples of each type of relation are given applying to sets of integers, triangles, people, words, and subsets.

Uploaded by

gdeepthi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

Equivalence relations
Definition:
A relation R is an equivalence relation if and only if it is reflexive,
symmetric and transitive.
Examples:
Let m and n be integers and let d be a positive integer. The notation
m n (mod d)
is read "m is congruent to n modulo d".
The meaning is: the integer division of d into m gives the same
remainder
as the integer division of d into n.
Consider the relation R = {(x,y)| x mod 3 = y mod 3}
For example, 4 mod 3 = 1, 7 mod 3 = 1, hence hence (4,7) R.
The relation is
reflexive: x mod 3 = x mod 3
symmetric: if x mod 3 = y mod 3, then y mod 3 = x mod 3
transitive: if x mod 3 = y mod 3, and y mod 3 = z mod 3, then x
mod 3 = z mod 3
Consider the sets [x]= {y | yRx}, where x is an integer, and R is the
relation above.
[0] = {0,3,6,9,12,.}
[1] = {1,4,7,10,13,.}
[2] = {2,5,8,11,14,}
From the definition of [x] it follows that
[0] = [3] = [6]
[1] = [4] =
[2] = [5] =
Thus the relation R produces three different sets [0], [1] and [2].

Each number is exactly in one of these sets.


The set {[0], [1], [2]} is a partition of the set of non-negative
integers.
Theorem: Each equivalence relation on a set induces a partition of
that set,
and each partition of a set induces an equivalent relation on the set.
The sets in the partition are called classes of equivalence.
2. Partial orders
Definition:
Let R be a binary relation defined on a set A.
R is a partial order relation iff R is reflexive, transitive and antisymmetric.
Examples:
1. Let A be a set, and P(A) be the power set of A.
The relation 'subset of' on P (A) is a partial order relation
2. Let N be the set of positive integers, and R be a relation defined
as follows:
(x, y) R iff y is a multiple of x, e.g. (3,12) R, while (3, 4) R
R is a partial order relation. It is reflexive, anti-symmetric, and
transitive
3. Total orders
Definition: A partial order is a total or linear order iff for
all x and y in the set
either xRy or yRx is true.
In a totally ordered set all elements are comparable.
Example: The relation "less than or equal to" is a total order relation.
4. More examples
Equivalence

1. Consider the set T of all triangles and relation R = {(x,y)| x and


y have equal angles}
R is an equivalence relation. It has the three properties:
1. Reflexivity xRx
2. Symmetry: If xRy then yRx
3. Transitivity: If xRy and yRz, then xRz
2. Consider the set P of all persons and the relation R "having same
age".
R is a relation of equivalence:
1. Reflexivity: obviously, a person has same age as
him/herself.
2. Symmetry: If person a has same age as person b, then
person b has
same age as person a
3. Transitivity: If person a has same age as person b, and
person b has
same age as person c, then person a has same age as
person c.
3. Consider the set S of all students in a college and the relation R
"having the same advisor".
R is a relation of equivalence:
1. Reflexivity: obviously, a student has the same advisor.
2. Symmetry: If student a has the same advisor as
student b, then
student b has the same advisor as student a
3. Transitivity: If student a has the same advisor as
student b,
and student b has the same advisor as student c, then
student a has
the same advisor as student c.

4. Consider the set of all people and the relation R having same
first name.
R is a relation of equivalence.
5. Consider the set of all English words and the relation
R = {(a,b)| a and b have same number of letters. R is a relation
of equivalence.
Partial and total orders
6. Consider the set W of all English words and the relation R =
{(a,b)| the first letter in b is alphabetically equal or greater than
the first letter in a}.
R is a total order on W:
1. Reflexivity: obviously aRa is true for all words.
2. Anti-symmetry: if aRb , a b, then (b,a) R
3. Transitivity: if aRb and bRc, then aRc.
R is a total order because any two words are comparable.
2. Consider the power set of a set A = {a, b, c} and the relation R
defined on the power set of A. R = {(Ai,Aj)| Ai. Aj}. R is a
partial order. It is not a total order.

If we eliminate the links implied by the transitivity, we get a simpler


diagram, called Hasse diagram:

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