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

(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.

(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,

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.

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) : 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:

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.

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:

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

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

pq
and the total number of relations is 2.
 FUNCTIONS

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.

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.

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

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.
Y

X’ X
O

Y’
Constant function

X’ X
O

Y’
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

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.

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
-X,X < 0
0

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}.

 Greatest integer function

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.

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.

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

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

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 quotient

of f by g denoted by _f is a function defined by ,

g

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

QUESTION:

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

(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
4
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.