Types Of Relations

Types of relations are based on the linking of the elements of one set with the elements of another set. The types of
relations are based on the domain and range of the elements of the two sets. The different types of relations are empty
relation, universal relation, reflexive relation, symmetric relation, and transitive relation.

An equivalence relation is a relation formed only if it is a reflexive relation, symmetric relation, and transitive relation. Let
us learn more about the different types of relations, with the help of examples, FAQs.

What Are The Types Of Relations?

Types of relations are based on the linking of elements of a set with its own elements, or with the elements of another set.
Some of the important types of relations are as follows.

 Empty relation
 Universal relation
 Identity relation
 Reflexive relation
 Symmetric relation
 Transitive relation
 Equivalence relation
 Antisymmetric relation
 inverse relation

Let us recall what is a relation. A relation is a form of connection between the elements of one set and the elements of
another set. The relation is governed by a function. A relation is between the elements of one set and the elements of
another set.

A function defines the relation between two sets. For a function f(x) = x2, the relation R between the two sets A and B is
such that R: A → B = {(1, 1), (2, 4), (3, 9), (4, 16), (5, 25), (6, 36)}. The relation is generally the subset of the cartesian

x2, x ∈ A, and y ∈ B }. For the given sets, based on the rules which are termed as functions, the elements are related and
product between two sets. Further, a relation could be represented in a set builder form or roaster form as R = {(x, y):y =

are expressed as relations. For the cartesian product of two sets, the elements are paired and represented, and each
element of one set is related to the element of another set.

Types Of Relations

There are basically 9 types of relations: empty relation, universal relation, identity relation, reflective relation, symmetric
relation, transitive relation, equivalence relation, antisymmetric relation, and inverse relation. Each of these is defined
(over a set A) as follows.

Empty Relation

⊂ A × A. A relation between two sets is defined such that no element of one set is linked with any element of another set.
A relation R on a set A is said to be an empty relation if no element of set A is related to any other element of set A. R = φ

Example: If A is the set of students of grade 8 of a boys school then the relation R = { (a, b) | a and b are sisters } is an
empty relation.

Universal Relation

A relation R is said to be a universal relation if every element of set A is related to every other element of set A. i.e., R = A
× A.

Example: If A is the set of students of grade 6 of a school then the relation R = { (a, b) | the difference in heights of a and
b is less than 3 feet} is a universal relation.

Identity Relation

A relation R is said to be an identity relation if it contains only the ordered pairs where every element of set A is related to
ONLY itself. i.e., R = { (a, a) }.

Example: If A = {1, 2, 3} then R = { (1, 1) (2, 2) (3, 3) } is the identity relationship.

Reflexive Relation

A relation R such that every element a ∈ A, is such that every element is related to itself. (a, a) ∈ R. The difference
between reflexive relation and identity relation is that, in the identity relation, it should contain only the ordered pairs of the
form (a, a), whereas, in reflexive relation, it may contain any other ordered pairs along with the ordered pairs of the form
(a, a).

Example: N is the set of all natural numbers and the relation R = { (a, b) | a = b} is a reflexive relation.

Symmetric Relation

A relation R on a set A such that a1, a2 are elements of A, and if (a1, a2) ∈ R, and also if (a2, a1) ∈ R, then the relation R is
a symmetric relation. A real-life example of this is, if John is a brother of Sam, then Sam can also be said to be a brother
of John. The following is a math-related example of a symmetric relation.

Example: N is the set of all natural numbers and the relation R = { (a, b) | a = b} is a symmetric relation because
whenever a = b, then it obviously means that b = a.

Transitive Relation

A relation R on a set A such that the elements a1, a2, a3 belongs to set A, such that (a1, a2) ∈ R, (a2, a3) ∈ R, then it
implies that (a1, a3) ∈ R, and the relation R is a transitive relation. This can also be understood with a simple example, If
P, Q, R are three persons such that P is a friend of Q, Q is a friend of R, then P is said to be a friend of R. The following is
a math-related example of a transitive relation.

Example: N is the set of all natural numbers and the relation R = { (a, b) | a = b} is a transitive relation because whenever
a = b and b = c then it obviously means that a = c.

Equivalence Relation

A relation R on a set A, if it is a reflexive, symmetric, and transitive relation, then it is called an equivalence relation.

Example: We have already seen that the relation R = { (a, b) | a = b} on the set of natural numbers is reflexive, symmetric,
and transitive and hence it is an equivalence relation.

Antisymmetric Relation

A relation R on a set A is said to be antisymmetric if the following condition is satisfied: "whenever (a, b) and (b, a) are
elements of R then a = b".

Example: The relation R = { (a, b) | a ≤ b} on the set of whole numbers is antisymmetric because whenever a ≤ b and b ≤
a, then a = b.

inverse Relation

The inverse relation of a relation R is denoted by R-1 and is obtained by interchanging the elements of each ordered pair
of R.

Example: If R = { (1, 2) (3, 5) (5, 7) } then R-1 = { (2, 1) (5, 3) (7, 5) }.

Relations and its types concepts are one of the important topics of set theory. Sets, relations and functions all three are
interlinked topics. Sets denote the collection of ordered elements whereas relations and functions define the operations
performed on sets.

The relations define the connection between the two given sets. Also, there are types of relations stating the connections
between the sets. Hence, here we will learn about relations and their types in detail.

Relations Definition

A relation in mathematics defines the relationship between two different sets of information. If two sets are considered, the
relation between them will be established if there is a connection between the elements of two or more non-empty sets.

In the morning assembly at schools, students are supposed to stand in a queue in ascending order of the heights of all the
students. This defines an ordered relation between the students and their heights.

Therefore, we can say,

‘A set of ordered pairs is defined as a relation.’

This mapping depicts a relation from set A into set B. A relation from A to B is a subset of A x B. The ordered pairs are
(1,c),(2,n),(5,a),(7,n). For defining a relation, we use the notation where,

set {1, 2, 5, 7} represents the domain.

set {a, c, n} represents the range.

Sets and Relations

Sets and relation are interconnected with each other. The relation defines the relation between two given sets.

If there are two sets available, then to check if there is any connection between the two sets, we use relations.

For example, an empty relation denotes none of the elements in the two sets is same.

Let us discuss the other types of relations here.

Relations in Mathematics

In Maths, the relation is the relationship between two or more set of values.
Suppose, x and y are two sets of ordered pairs. And set x has relation with set y, then the values of set x are called
domain whereas the values of set y are called range.
Example: For ordered pairs={(1,2),(-3,4),(5,6),(-7,8),(9,2)}
The domain is = {-7,-3,1,5,9}
And range is = {2,4,6,8}

Types of Relations

There are 8 main types of relations which include:

 Empty Relation

 Universal Relation

 Identity Relation

 Inverse Relation

 Reflexive Relation

 Symmetric Relation

 Transitive Relation

 Equivalence Relation

Empty Relation
An empty relation (or void relation) is one in which there is no relation between any elements of a set. For example, if set
A = {1, 2, 3} then, one of the void relations can be R = {x, y} where, |x – y| = 8. For empty relation,

R=φ⊂A×A

Universal Relation

A universal (or full relation) is a type of relation in which every element of a set is related to each other. Consider set A =
{a, b, c}. Now one of the universal relations will be R = {x, y} where, |x – y| ≥ 0. For universal relation,

R=A×A

Identity Relation

In an identity relation, every element of a set is related to itself only. For example, in a set A = {a, b, c}, the identity relation
will be I = {a, a}, {b, b}, {c, c}. For identity relation,

I = {(a, a), a ∈ A}

Inverse Relation

Inverse relation is seen when a set has elements which are inverse pairs of another set. For example if set A = {(a, b), (c,
d)}, then inverse relation will be R-1 = {(b, a), (d, c)}. So, for an inverse relation,

R-1 = {(b, a): (a, b) ∈ R}

Reflexive Relation

In a reflexive relation, every element maps to itself. For example, consider a set A = {1, 2,}. Now an example of reflexive
relation will be R = {(1, 1), (2, 2), (1, 2), (2, 1)}. The reflexive relation is given by-

(a, a) ∈ R

Symmetric Relation

In a symmetric relation, if a=b is true then b=a is also true. In other words, a relation R is symmetric only if (b, a) ∈ R is
true when (a,b) ∈ R. An example of symmetric relation will be R = {(1, 2), (2, 1)} for a set A = {1, 2}. So, for a symmetric
relation,

aRb ⇒ bRa, ∀ a, b ∈ A

Transitive Relation

For transitive relation, if (x, y) ∈ R, (y, z) ∈ R, then (x, z) ∈ R. For a transitive relation,

aRb and bRc ⇒ aRc ∀ a, b, c ∈ A

Equivalence Relation

If a relation is reflexive, symmetric and transitive at the same time, it is known as an equivalence relation.
1. Reflexive Relation

A relation where every element is related to itself.

 Example 1: In a company, every employee is connected to themselves in the company directory.

 Example 2: In a set of phone contacts, everyone has their own phone number listed in their contacts.

2. Symmetric Relation

A relation where if one element is related to another, the second is also related to the first.

 Example 1: In a marriage, if Person A is married to Person B, then Person B is also married to Person
A.
 Example 2: In chess, if two players are matched for a game, they both play against each other equally.

3. Antisymmetric Relation

A relation where if one element is related to another and vice versa, they must be the same element.

 Example 1: In a hierarchy (e.g., a corporate structure), if Manager A supervises Employee B, B cannot

supervise A unless A and B are the same person (i.e., a self-employed individual).
 Example 2: In the legal system, if a law is passed that Person A has authority over Person B, Person B
cannot have the same authority over Person A.

4. Transitive Relation

A relation where if one element is related to a second, and the second is related to a third, the first is related to
the third.

 Example 1: In genealogy, if Alice is the mother of Bob, and Bob is the father of Charlie, then Alice is
the grandparent of Charlie.
 Example 2: In a relay race, if Runner A hands the baton to Runner B, and Runner B hands it to Runner
C, Runner A is considered to have "passed the baton" to Runner C.

5. Equivalence Relation

A relation that is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive.

 Example 1: In a class, if two students get the same grades in all subjects, they are considered equivalent
in terms of academic performance.
 Example 2: In geometry, two shapes are considered congruent if they have the same size and shape,
making "congruence" an equivalence relation between shapes.

6. Partial Order

A relation that is reflexive, antisymmetric, and transitive, but not all pairs need to be comparable.

 Example 1: In a company, the "is senior to" relationship between employees is a partial order. Not all
employees can be compared (some may be in different departments), but if Employee A is senior to
Employee B and Employee B is senior to Employee C, then Employee A is senior to Employee C.
 Example 2: In a library, the "is earlier published than" relation for books is a partial order. Some books
may have no clear publication date comparison (due to translations, reprints), but the relation holds
where dates are available.

7. Total Order

A relation that is a partial order but where all pairs are comparable.
  Example 1: The "greater than or equal to" relation between real numbers is a total order. Any two real
numbers can be compared.
 Example 2: In a queue at a grocery store, the "is ahead of" relation between customers is a total order.
Any two customers can be compared based on their position in line.

8. Empty Relation

A relation where no elements are related to any others.

 Example 1: In a school where no students are in the same grade, the relation "is in the same grade as" is
empty.
 Example 2: In a company with no partnerships or collaborations, the relation "has a business
partnership with" is empty between all companies.

9. Universal Relation

A relation where every element is related to every other element.

 Example 1: In a group of employees working on a project, the "is a team member with" relation is
universal—every employee is a team member with every other employee.
 Example 2: In a school, if all students are enrolled in the same class, the relation "is a classmate of" is
universal, as each student is a classmate of every other student.

The study of relations in mathematics is crucial because it provides a structured way to understand the connections between elements of sets, which
underpins many areas of mathematics and real-life applications. Here are several reasons why studying relations is useful in math:

1. Foundation for Functions

 Relations form the basis for understanding functions, which are special types of relations. Functions are central to almost all areas of
mathematics, including calculus, algebra, and computer science. Without the concept of relations, we would not have a formal way to
describe functions.
 Example: The function that maps students to their grades is a relation between the set of students and the set of possible grades.

2. Modeling Real-World Scenarios

 Relations allow us to model relationships in the real world mathematically. Whether it’s social networks, business hierarchies, or physical
interactions between objects, relations give us a formal way to represent and analyze these connections.
 Example: In social network analysis, relations such as "is a friend of" or "follows" help describe connections between users.

3. Understanding Ordered Structures

 Relations like partial orders and total orders help in organizing data, defining hierarchies, and determining rankings. They are essential in
fields like computer science (sorting algorithms), database theory (relational databases), and decision theory (preference orders).
 Example: Ranking students by their grades is a total order, and assigning roles in a company’s hierarchy involves a partial order.

4. Equivalence Classes and Partitioning

 Equivalence relations partition sets into equivalence classes, which group elements with common properties. This is extremely useful in
categorization, classification, and simplifying complex structures.
 Example: In geometry, equivalence relations are used to classify shapes that are congruent or similar, simplifying problems by treating
related objects as one group.

5. Critical in Logic and Proofs

 The concept of relations is fundamental in mathematical logic and set theory, which are the building blocks for more advanced
mathematics. Relations help formulate precise statements and proofs, especially when dealing with logical connections between objects.
 Example: In proof theory, relations help define properties like symmetry, transitivity, and reflexivity, which are crucial for constructing
valid logical arguments.

6. Applications in Graph Theory

 Relations play a key role in graph theory, where elements (vertices) are connected by edges (relations). Graph theory is widely applied in
computer science (networks, algorithms), biology (gene networks), and transportation (road networks).
 Example: In transportation networks, the relation "has a direct flight to" between airports forms a graph, with each airport connected to
others.

7. Database Theory and Relational Databases

  The concept of relations forms the basis of relational databases, which store data in a structured format using relations between tables.
Understanding relations is essential for querying and managing data efficiently.
 Example: A database of students and courses uses relations to track which students are enrolled in which courses.

8. Formalizing Real-World Constraints

 Relations help express constraints in optimization problems, economics, and engineering. For example, relations are used to represent
resource allocations, scheduling tasks, and matching problems (e.g., matching students to schools).
 Example: In economics, the relation "prefers A over B" helps model decision-making and preferences in markets.

9. Decision-Making and Preferences

 Relations are used to model and analyze preferences, priorities, and decision-making processes in areas like economics, voting systems,
and operations research.
 Example: In voting theory, relations help analyze how voters rank candidates, and whether the preferences are transitive or form cycles
(i.e., preferences contradict each other).

10. Abstract Algebra and Group Theory

 In abstract algebra, relations between elements of sets are fundamental for understanding algebraic structures such as groups, rings, and
fields. Relations like homomorphisms (structure-preserving maps between algebraic structures) are crucial for deeper analysis.
 Example: In group theory, relations help define the structure of a group, such as how elements combine to form other elements.

Summary

The study of relations is fundamental to many areas of mathematics and provides the language to describe and analyze how different objects are
connected. Whether in logic, graph theory, algebra, or computer science, relations are essential for formalizing real-world problems, proving
theorems, organizing data, and solving complex systems efficiently. Understanding these relationships is key to advancing both theoretical and
applied mathematics.