Set theory 2: Relations and Functions

November 13, 2022

Practice problems
1. Decide whether the following relations are reflexive, symmetric, transitive,
graph of a function:
(a) X = the set of all line segments in a plane. Segment a is related to
segment b if they are parallel.
(b) X = the set of all line segments in a plane. Segment a is related to
segment b if b is obtained by rotating a by 30 degrees.
(c) X = the set of all lines in a plane. Line a is related to line b if they
are perpendicular.
(d) X = set of all arrangements of symbols {a,b,c} in a row. Arrangement
a is related to arrangement b if they match atleast 1 location.
(e) X = the set of all real numbers. a is related to b if a − b = 1.
2. Which of the following are functions? If they are functions, are they 1-1
, onto ? If not, can you redefine the domain and codomain so that the
functions become bijective?
(a) f : R → R defined by f (x) =nearest integer to x.
(b) f : R → R defined by f (x) = |x|.
(c) f : R → Z defined by f (x) = [x] (greatest integer function).
2x − 1
(d) f : R → R defined by f (x) = .
x+1
(e) f : R2 → R2 defined by f (a, b) = (2a, 5b).
(f) Let S be the set of all functions from a set X to [2] := {1, 2} and
let P X denote the power set of X (i.e. the set of all subsets of X).
Consider f : P X → S defined as f(U) is the function that sends
exactly the elements of U to 1 and the rest to 2. (i.e. f (U )(x) = 1
iff x ∈ U .)
3. Composition problems:
(a) Let f : R2 → R2 defined by f (a, b) = (a + b, a − b). What is f ◦ f ?

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 (b) Let g, f : R → R defined by f (a) = 2a, g(a) = a + 5. What is g ◦ f ?
Is it equal to f ◦ g?
(c) Let f : R2 → R2 be the transformation that rotates a point by 60
degrees clockwise about origin. Write down the formula for f ◦ f ◦ f.
4. Construction problems:
(a) Can you construct a relation which is symmetric and transitive but
not reflexive?
(b) Can you construct a function f : Z → Z such that f ◦ f = f ?
(c) Can you construct a function f : [5] → [5] such that f ◦ f = id?
Further is it possible to choose f such that f (x) 6= x for any x?
(d) Can you construct an one-one function from rational numbers to
natural numbers?
(e) Can you construct a one-one function from natural numbers to real
numbers?
5. Let X = {a, b, c, d, e} and Y = {1, 2}.
(a) How many one-one functions, onto functions and bijections are there
from X to Y?
(b) How many one-one functions, onto functions and bijections are there
from X to X?
(c) Suppose a set X with the property that, any function from X to itself
is one-one if and only if it is onto, is called a sweet set. Is the set of
natural numbers sweet? In fact, can you classify all sweet sets?

“Why should I care about equivalence relations?”

1. Given an equivalence relation R ⊂ X × X, for x ∈ X define [x] := {y ∈
X|(x, y) ∈ R} (i.e. set of all the elements y that are related to x). What
can you say about the following sets?
(a) If x is related to y, then how are [x] and [y] related?
(b) Give conditions on elements x, y so that [x] ∩ [y] = {}.
(c) Define Q = {[x] ⊂ X|x ∈ X} and consider the function q : X → Q,
defined as q(x) = [x]. When is this function 1-1? When is this
function onto?
(d) Let f : X → Y be a function with the property that f (x) = f (y)
whenever (x, y) ∈ R, then show that we can define a unique function
f 0 : Q → Y such that f 0 ◦ q = f .
2. We can now apply problem 2 to construct various well known mathemat-
ical objects: (In the questions below, “a set can be thought of as another
set” is really “there is a bijection from one set to another”.)

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(a) Choose X = {(a, b) ∈ Z2 |b 6= 0} and (m, n) is related to (p, q) if
mq = np. Show that the relation is an equivalence relation, call it R.
Now applying problem 2, we should be able to construct the set Q.
Show that Q can be thought of as the set of rational numbers.
(b) Let X = Z and n ∈ N and integers a is related to b iff n divides
a − b. Show that the relation is an equivalence relation, call it R.
Now applying problem 2, we should be able to construct the set Q.
Show that Q can be thought of as the set of remainders when divided
by n.
(c) Let X = the set of all directed line segments in the plane (i.e a line
segment with an arrow). Directed line segments are related to each
other if they are the opposite ends of a parallelogram and point in
the same direction. Show that the relation is an equivalence relation,
call it R.Now applying problem 2, we should be able to construct the
set Q. How will you describe Q?
(d) Let X be the set of all triangles in the plane. We say a triangle ABC
and triangle PQR are related, if all three angles of one triangle are
congruent to the angles of the other triangle. Show that the relation
is an equivalence relation, call it R. Now applying problem 2, we
should be able to construct the set Q. How will you describe Q?