Relations and Their Properties

Course Code: 00090 Course Title: Discrete Mathematics

Dept. of Computer Science

Faculty of Science and Technology

Lecturer No: 13 Week No: 8 Semester: Summer 21-22

Lecturer: Sirajum Munira (munirasirajum@aiub.edu)
Lecture Outline
7.1 Relations and Their Properties
• Relations and Functions
• Properties of Relations
 Reflexive Relations
 Symmetric Relations
 Antisymmetric Relations
 Transitive Relations
• Combining Relations
• Composite of Relations
 Objectives and Outcomes
• Objectives: To understand the Relations and the difference
between function and relation, to analyze a relation to determine
whether it contains certain property, how to combine two relations,
how to find the composite of two relations.
• Outcomes: The students are expected to be able to explain relation
and how it is differs from function; be able to determine whether a
relation is reflexive, whether it symmetric, whether it is
antisymmetric and/or whether it is antisymmetric; be able to
combine two relations; be able to find out the composite relations
of two relations.
 Introduction

• The most direct way to express a relationship between

elements of two sets is to use ordered pairs made up of
two related elements. For this reason, sets of ordered
pairs are called binary relations.
• In this section, we introduce the basic terminology used
to describe binary relations.
• We can use relations to solve problems involving
communications networks, project scheduling, and
identifying elements in sets with common properties.
 Binary Relations
Definition: Let A and B be sets. A binary relation from
A to B is a subset of A × B.
• In other words, a binary relation from A to B is a
set R of ordered pairs where the first element of
each ordered pair comes from A and the second
element comes from B.
• We use the notation a R b to denote that (a, b)R
When (a, b) belongs to R, a is said to be related to b
by R.
Note: a R b means a is not related to b by R, i.e., (a, b)∈ R
 Example 3
• Let A = {0,1,2} and B = {a, b} .
Then {(0, a), (0, b), (1,a) , (2, b)} is a relation from A to B.
This means, for instance, 0 R a , but that 1 R b
• Relations can be represented graphically or using a table:

Note: If a relation is given as a table, the domain consists of the members of

the first column and the range consists of the members of the second column.
 Functions as Relations
• Recall that A function f from a set A to a set B assigns exactly one
element of B to each element of A. The graph of f is the set of
ordered pairs (a, b) such that b = f(a).
• Because the graph of f is a subset of A X B, it is a relation from A to B.
Moreover, the graph of a function has the property that every
element of A is the first element of exactly one ordered pair of the
graph.
• Conversely, if R is a relation from A to B such that every element in A
is the first element of exactly one ordered pair of R, then a function
can be defined with R as its graph. This can be done by assigning to an
element a of A the unique element b  B such that (a, b)R.
 Functions VS Relations
• A relation can be used to express a one-to-many
relationship between the elements of the sets A and
B, where an element of A may be related to more than
one element of B.
• A function represents a relation where exactly one
element of B is related to each element of A.
• Relations are more general than functions. A function
is a relation where exactly one element of B is related
to each element of A.
 Relations on a Set
• Relations from a set A to itself are of special interest.
Definition 2: A relation on a set A is a relation from A to A.
In other words, a relation on a set A is a subset of A × A.

Example: Suppose that A = { a, b, c}.

Then R = {(a, a),(a, b), (a, c)} is a relation on A.
 Relations on a Set(cont.)

• Example 4: Let A be the set {1, 2, 3, 4}.

Which ordered pairs are in the relation
R = {( a, b) | a divides b} ?
• Solution: Because ( a, b) is in R if and only if a and b
are positive integers not exceeding 4 such that a
divides b (means b/a), we see that
R = {(1,1), (1, 2), (1,3), (1, 4), (2, 2), (2, 4), (3, 3),(4, 4)}
 Relations on a Set (cont.)
 Example 6: How many relations are there on a set with
n elements?
• Solution: A relation on a set A is a subset of A X A.
Because A X A has n2 elements when A has n elements
and a set with m elements has 2m subsets, there are 2n2
subsets of A X A.
Thus, there are 2n2 relations on a set with n elements.
 For example, there are 232 = 29 = 512 relations on the
set {a, b, c}
 Relations on a Set (cont.)
Example 5: Consider these relations on the set of integers:
R1 = {(a,b) | a ≤ b}, R4 = {(a,b) | a = b},
R2 = {(a,b) | a > b}, R5 = {(a,b) | a = b + 1},
R3 = {(a,b) | a = b or a = −b}, R6 = {(a,b) | a + b ≤ 3}.
Which of these relations contain each of the pairs (1,1), (1, 2), (2, 1),
(1, −1), and (2, 2)?
 Relations on a Set (cont.)
Example 5: Consider these relations on the set of integers:
R1 = {(a,b) | a ≤ b}, R 4 = {(a,b) | a = b},
R2 = {(a,b) | a > b}, R 5 = {(a,b) | a = b + 1},
R3 = {(a,b) | a = b or a = −b}, R6 = {(a,b) | a + b ≤ 3}.
Which of these relations contain each of the pairs (1,1), (1, 2), (2, 1), (1, −1),
and (2, 2)?
Solution: Checking the conditions that define each relation,
we see that the pair (1,1) is in R1, R3, R4 , and R6;
(1,2) is in R1 and R6;
(2,1) is in R2, R5, and R6;
(1, −1) is in R2, R3, and R6 ; (2,2) is in R1, R3, and R4.
 Properties of Relations
• There are several properties that are used to classify
relations on a set. We will introduce the most
important of these here.
• Reflexive
• Symmetric
• antisymmetric
• Transitive
 Reflexive Relation
• Definition: A relation R on a set A is called reflexive
if (a, a) R for every element a  A.
• Using quantifiers, a relation on the set A is reflexive
if ∀a ((a, a ) ∊ R), where universe of discourse is the set of ALL
elements in A.
• In a reflexive relation, every element is related to itself.
i.e. a R a for all a  A

• Example: The relation R = {(1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3)} on
the set {1, 2, 3}, is reflexive.
Determining whether a Relation is Reflexive

Example7 : Consider the following relations on {1, 2, 3, 4}:

R1 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (2,2), (3,4), (4,1), (4,4)}
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)}
R5 = {(1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4), (2,2), (2,3), (2,4), (3,3), (3,4), (4,4)},
R6 = {(3,4)}.
Which of these relations are reflexive?
Solution: The relations R3 and R5 are reflexive because they
both contain ALL pairs of the form (a, a), namely (1,1) (2,2), (3,3)
and (4,4).
 Reflexive Relation: Another Example

• Example 8 (modified):The following relations on

the set of integers are reflexive:
R1 = {(a, b) | a ≤ b},
R3 = {(a, b) | a = b or a = −b},
R4 = {(a, b) | a = b}.
The following relations are NOT reflexive:
R2 = {(a, b) | a > b} (note that 3 ≯ 3),
R5 = {(a, b) | a = b + 1} (note that 3 ≠3 + 1),
R6 = {(a, b) | a + b ≤ 3} (note that 4 + 4 ≰ 3).
Reflexive Relation: More Examples

• Example 9: Is the “divides” relation on the set of

positive integers reflexive?
 Solution: Yes. Because a | a whenever a is a positive
integer, the “divides” relation is reflexive.

• Question: Is the “divides” relation on the set of

integers reflexive?
 Solution: No. Because 0 | 0 (0 does not divide
0)
 Symmetric Relation
• Definition: A relation R on a set A is called symmetric
if (b, a) R whenever (a, b) R, for all a, b A.

• Example: The relation R = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (2,2),

(3,4), (4,1), (4,3), (1, 4)} on the set {1, 2, 3, 4} is
symmetric.
 Antisymmetric Relation
Definition: A relation R on a set A such that for all a, b ∊ A
if (a, b) ∊ R and (b, a) ∊ R, then a = b is called antisymmetric.
• In other words, R is antisymmetric if whenever a = b, then
a R b or b R a.
• It follows that R is not antisymmetric if we have a and b in A,
a = b, and both a R b or b R a.
 Note: The terms symmetric and antisymmetric are NOT
opposite, because a relation can have both of these properties
or may lack both of them.
{ (1,1), (2,2) }  the relation is both symmetric & antisymmetric
{ (0,1), (1,2), (2,1)}  the relation is neither symmetric nor antisymmetric

20
Symmetric & Antisymmetric Relation: Example
Example 10 : Consider the following relations on {1, 2, 3, 4}:
R1 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (2,2), (3,4), (4,1), (4,4)}
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)}
R5 = {(1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4), (2,2), (2,3), (2,4), (3,3), (3,4), (4,4)}
R6 = {(3,4)}
R7={(1,1), (3,3), (4,4)}
Which of the relations are symmetric and which are antisymmetric?
 Solution:
The relations R2 and R3 are symmetric.
The relations R4 , R5 , and R6 are antisymmetric.
Question: What about R1? Neither symmetric nor antisymmetric
 Transitive Relation

• Definition: A relation R on a set A is called transitive

if whenever (a, b) R and (b, c) R, then (a, c) R,
for all a, b, c  A.

• Example : The relation R = {(1,1), (1,2),(1, 3), (1, 4),

(2,2), (2,3), (2, 4), (3, 3), (3,4), (4, 4)} on the set {1, 2,
3, 4} is transitive.
Transitive Relation: Example 13
Consider the following relations on {1, 2, 3, 4}:
R1 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (2,2), (3,4), (4,1), (4,4)}
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)}
R5 = {(1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4), (2,2), (2,3), (2,4), (3,3), (3,4), (4,4)},
R6 = {(3,4)}.
Which of the relations are transitive?
• Solution: R4 , R5 & R6 : transitive  verify that if (a, b) and (b, c) belong to this
relation then (a, c) belongs also to the relation.
R4 transitive since (3,2) and (2,1), (4,2) and (2,1), (4,3) and (3,1), and (4,3) and (3,2)
are the only such sets of pairs, and (3,1) , (4,1) and (4,2) belong to R 4.
Same reasoning for R5 and R6.
• R1 : not transitive  (3,4) and (4,1) belong to R 1, but (3,1) does not.
• R2 : not transitive  (2,1) and (1,2) belong to R 2, but (2,2) does not.
• R3 : not transitive  (4,1) and (1,2) belong to R 3, but (4,2) does not.
Transitive Relation: Another Example

• Is the relation R = { (a, a), (b, c), (c, b), (d, d)}
on the set X = {a, b, c, d} is transitive?

• Solution:
No.
Because (b, c) and (c, b) are in R, but (b, b) is not in R
 Combining Relations
• Because relations from A to B are subsets of A X B,
two relations from A to B can be combined in any
way two sets can be combined.

• Given two relations R1 and R2, we can combine them

using basic set operations to form new relations such
as R1∪R2, R1∩R2, R1− R2, and R2 − R1.
Combining Relations : Example
• Example: Let A = {1,2,3} and B = {1,2,3,4}. The relations
R1 = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3)} and R2 = {(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(1,4)} can be
combined using basic set operations to form new relations:
R1 ∪ R2 ={(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(1,4),(2,2),(3,3)}

R1 ∩ R2 ={(1,1)}
R1 − R2 ={(2,2),(3,3)}

R2 − R1 ={(1,2),(1,3),(1,4)}
 Composite of Relations
• Let R be a relation from A to B and S a relation from B to a set
C. The composite of R and S is the relation consisting of
ordered pairs (a, c), where a  A, c  C, and for which there
exists an element b  B such that (a,b)  R and (b, c)  S.
• We denote the composite of R and S by S ∘ R

• Note: Computing the composite of two relations requires that

we find elements that are the
– second elements of ordered pairs in the first relation, and
– first element of ordered pairs in the second relation
 Composite of Relations : Example
• Example 20 : What is the composite of the relations R and S,
where R is the relation from {1, 2, 3} to {1, 2, 3, 4} with
R = {(1,1), (1,4), (2,3), (3,1), (3,4)} and S is the relation from
{1, 2, 3, 4} to {0, 1, 2} with S = {(1,0), (2,0), (3,1), (3,2), (4,1)}?

• Solution: S ∘ R is constructed using all ordered pairs in R and

ordered pairs in S, where the second element of the ordered
pair in R agrees with the first element of the ordered pair in S.
For example, the ordered pairs (2,3) in R and (3,1) in S produce
the ordered pair (2,1) in S ∘ R. Computing all the ordered pairs
in the composite, we find
S ∘ R = {(1,0), (1,1),(2,1), (2,2),(3,0), (3,1) }
 Exercise 30

• Let R be the relation {(1,2), (1,3),(2,3), (2,4),(3,1)},

and let S be the relation {(2,1), (3,1),(3,2), (4,2)}.
Find S ∘ R

• Solution: Try out yourself!

 Answer: S ∘ R = {(1,1), (1,2),(2,1), (2,2)}

Books

• Rosen, K. H., & Krithivasan, K. (2012). Discrete mathematics and its

applications: with combinatorics and graph theory. Tata McGraw-Hill
Education. (7th Edition)
• Discrete Mathematics, Richard Johnsonbaugh, Pearson education, Inc.
 References

1. Discrete Mathematics, Richard Johnsonbaugh, Pearson education, Inc.

2. Discrete Mathematical Structures, Bernard Kolman, Robert C. Busby, Sharon
Ross, Prentice-Hall, Inc.
3. SCHAUM’S outlines Discrete Mathematics(2nd edition), by Seymour Lipschutz,
Marc Lipson

• Online tutorial
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/discrete_mathematics/discrete_mathematics_rela
tions.htm
• University of Pittsburgh
https://people.cs.pitt.edu/~milos/courses/cs441/lectures/Class21b.pdf