RELATIONS AND FUNCTIONS

Introduction

In this Chapter, we will learn how to link pairs of objects from two sets and

then introduce relations between the two objects in the pair. Finally, we will

learn about special relations which will qualify to be functions.

Cartesian Products of Sets

Given two non-empty sets P and Q. The cartesian product P × Q is the set

of all ordered pairs of elements from P and Q, i.e.,

P × Q = { (p,q) : p ∈ P, q ∈ Q }

If either P or Q is the null set, then P × Q will also be empty set, i.e., P × Q = φ

Example

The two sets A= {a1 , a2 } and B = {b1 , b2 , b3 , b4 }

A × B = {( a1 , b1 ), (a1 , b2 ), (a1 , b3 ), (a1 , b4 ), (a2 , b1 ),

(a2 , b2 ), (a2 , b3 ), (a2 , b4 )}.,

 REMARK

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(i) Two ordered pairs are equal, if and only if the corresponding first

elements are equal and the second elements are also equal.

(ii) If there are p elements in A and q elements in B, then there will be pq

elements in A × B, i.e., if n(A) = p and n(B) = q, then n(A × B) = pq.

(iii) If A and B are non-empty sets and either A or B is an infinite set, then

so is A × B.

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(iv) A × A × A = {(a, b, c) : a, b, c ∈ A}. Here (a, b, c) is called an ordered triplet.

QUESTION:

If P = {a, b, c} and Q = {r}, form the sets P × Q and Q × P. Are these two

products equal?

Solution

By the definition of the cartesian product,

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P × Q = {(a, r), (b, r), (c, r)} and Q × P = {(r, a), (r, b), (r, c)}

Since, by the definition of equality of ordered pairs, the pair (a, r) is not

equal to the pair (r, a), we conclude that P × Q ≠ Q × P. However, the

number of elements in each set will be the same.

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QUESTION:
If R is the set of all real numbers, what do the cartesian products R × R and

R × R × R represent?
Solution
The Cartesian product R × R represents the set R × R={(x, y) : x, y ∈ R}

which represents the coordinates of all the points in two dimensional space

and the cartesian product R × R × R represents the set R × R × R ={(x, y, z) :

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x, y, z ∈ R} which represents the coordinates of all the points in three-

dimensional space.

RELATIONS

A relation R from a non-empty set A to a non-empty set B is a subset of

the cartesian product A × B.

Image:

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The subset is derived by describing a relationship between the first

element and the second element of the ordered pairs in A × B. The second

element is called the image of the first element.

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Domain:

The set of all first elements of the ordered pairs in a relation R from a set A to a

set B is called the domain of the relation R.

Range:
The set of all second elements in a relation R from a set A to a set B is called

the range of the relation R.

Codomain:

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The whole set B is called the codomain of the relation R. Note that

range ⊂ codomain.

REMARK
(i) A relation may be represented algebraically either by the Roster method

or by the Set-builder method.

(ii) An arrow diagram is a visual representation of a relation.

NOTE

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The total number of relations that can be defined from a set A to a set B is the

number of possible subsets of A × B. If n(A ) = p and n(B) = q, then n (A × B) =

pq and the total number of relations is 2.

 FUNCTIONS

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A function f is a relation from a non-empty set A to a non-empty set B such

that the domain of f is A and no two distinct ordered pairs in f have the same

first element.

If f is a function from A to B and (a, b) ∈ f, then f (a) = b, where b is called the

image of a under f and a is called the preimage of b under f.

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QUESTION:

Let N be the set of natural numbers and the relation R be defined on N such

that

R = {(x, y) : y = 2x, x, y ∈ N}.

What is the domain, codomain and range of R? Is this relation a function?

Solution

The domain of R is the set of natural numbers N. The codomain is also N.

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The range is the set of even natural numbers. Since every natural number n

has one and only one image, this relation is a function.

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Real valued function.

A function which has either R or one of its subsets as its range is called a real

valued function. Further, if its domain is also either R or a subset of R, it is

called a real function.

Some functions and their graphs

Identity function

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Let R be the set of real numbers. Define the real valued function f : R → R by

y = f(x) = x for each x ∈ R. Such a function is called the identity function.

Here the domain and range of f are R. The graph is a straight line . It passes

through the origin.

X’ X

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O

Y
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 Constant function

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Define the function f: R R by y = f (x) = c, x ∈ R where c is a constant and

each x ∈ R. Here domain of f is R and its range is {c}.

Y

X’ X
O

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Y
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The graph is a line parallel to x-axis.

Polynomial function
A function f : R → R is said to be polynomial function if for each x in R, y = f

(x) = a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + ...+ an xn, where n is a non-negative integer and a0 ,

a1 , a2 ,...,an ∈R.

Rational functions YouTube/@padhleakshay

Functions of the type (f(x)) / (g(x)) , where f(x) and g(x) are polynomial

functions of x defined in a domain, where g(x) ≠ 0.

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The Modulus function

The function f: R→R defined by f(x) = |x| for each x ∈R is called modulus

function. For each non-negative value of x, f(x) is equal to x. But for negative

values of x, the value of f(x) is the negative of the value of x, i.e.,

f (x) =
{ X,X ≥ 0
-X,X < 0

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Signum function

{
The function f:R→R defined by

1, if X>0
f (x) = 0, if X=0
-1, if X<0

is called the signum function. The domain of the signum function is R and the

range is the set {–1, 0, 1}.

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Greatest integer function

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The function f: R → R defined by f(x) = [x], x ∈R assumes the value of the

greatest integer, less than or equal to x. Such a function is called the greatest

integer function.

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From the definition of [x], we can see that

[x] = –1 for –1 ≤ x < 0

[x] = 0 for 0 ≤ x < 1

[x] = 1 for 1 ≤ x < 2

[x] = 2 for 2 ≤ x < 3 and so on.

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Algebra of real functions

Addition of two real functions

Let f : X → R and g : X → R be any two real functions, where X ⊂ R. Then, we

define (f + g): X → R by (f + g) (x) = f (x) + g (x), for all x ∈ X.

Subtraction of a real function from another

Let f : X → R and g: X → R be any two real functions, where X⊂ R. Then, we

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define (f – g) : X→R by (f–g) (x) = f(x) –g(x), for all x ∈ X.

Multiplication by a scalar

Let f : X→R be a real valued function and α be a scalar. Here by scalar, we

mean a real number. Then the product α f is a function from X to R defined

by (α f ) (x) = α f (x), x ∈X.

Multiplication of two real functions

The product (or multiplication) of two real functions f:X→R and g:X→R is a YouTube/@padhleakshay

function fg:X→R defined by (fg) (x) = f(x) g(x), for all x ∈ X.

This is also called pointwise multiplication.

 Quotient of two real functions

Let f and g be two real functions defined from X→R, where X⊂R. The

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quotient of f by g denoted by
_
f is a function defined by ,
g

_
(_f
g
(
(x) =
f(x) , provided g(x) ≠ 0, x ∈ X
g(x)

QUESTION:

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If (x + 1, y – 2) = (3,1), find the values of x and y.

Solution:

Since the ordered pairs are equal, the corresponding elements are equal.

Therefore x + 1 = 3 and y – 2 = 1.

Solving we get x = 2 and y = 3

QUESTION:

Let A = {1,2,3}, B = {3,4} and C = {4,5,6}. Find

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(i) A × (B ∩ C) (ii) (A × B) ∩ (A × C)

(iii)A × (B ∪ C) (iv) (A × B) ∪ (A × C)
 Solution:

(i) By the definition of the intersection of two sets, (B ∩ C) = {4}.

Therefore, A × (B ∩ C) = {(1,4), (2,4), (3,4)}.

(ii) Now (A × B) = {(1,3), (1,4), (2,3), (2,4), (3,3), (3,4)} and (A × C) = {(1,4), (1,5), (1,6), (2,4), (2,5), (2,6), (3,4),

(3,5), (3,6)}

Therefore, (A × B) ∩ (A × C) = {(1, 4), (2, 4), (3, 4)}.

(iii) Since, (B ∪ C) = {3, 4, 5, 6}, we have A × (B ∪ C) = {(1,3), (1,4), (1,5), (1,6), (2,3), (2,4), (2,5), (2,6), (3,3),

(3,4), (3,5), (3,6)}.

(iv) Using the sets A × B and A × C from part (ii) above, we obtain

(A × B) ∪ (A × C) = {(1,3), (1,4), (1,5), (1,6), (2,3), (2,4), (2,5), (2,6), (3,3), (3,4), (3,5), (3,6)}.

QUESTION:

Let A = {1, 2} and B = {3, 4}. Find the number of relations from A to B.

Solution:

We have, A × B = {(1, 3), (1, 4), (2, 3), (2, 4)}. Since n (A×B ) = 4, the

number of subsets of A×B is 24. Therefore, the number of relations from A

into B will be 2

QUESTION:
Let N be the set of natural numbers and the relation R be defined on N such

that R = {(x, y) : y = 2x, x, y ∈ N}. What is the domain, codomain and range of

R? Is this relation a function?

Solution:

The domain of R is the set of natural numbers N. The codomain is also N.

The range is the set of even natural numbers. Since every natural
number n has one and only one image, this relation is a function.

QUESTION:

Examine each of the following relations given below and state in each case,

giving reasons whether it is a function or not?

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

(ii) R = {(2,2),(2,4),(3,3), (4,4)}

(iii) R = {(1,2),(2,3),(3,4), (4,5), (5,6), (6,7)}

Solution:

(i) Since 2, 3, 4 are the elements of domain of R having their unique

images, this relation R is a function.

(ii) Since the same first element 2 corresponds to two different images 2

and 4, this relation is not a function.

(iii) Since every element has one and only one image, this relation is a

function.