Lesson 2

Functions vs.
Relations
At the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to

 clearly define relations and functions;

 correctly differentiate a function from a relation; and

 accurately determine whether a given scenario is a

function or not.
 What is a relation?

 How will you distinguish a function from a relation?

In this lesson, you will learn how to distinguish functions from
relations. One way to do that is by observing their graphs!

Let’s take a look at this short video to have some background

about the different types of relations.

LegaC. “Correspondence between Variables.” Youtube (June

2016). Retrieved 20 February 2019 from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em_KshLsCxU
● In the video, what are the two types of test used to
determine the correspondence between variables?

● Among the types of correspondence, which of them

represents a function? Why do you say so?
 Relation
1 a set of objects, such as numbers, grouped with one another which may or may
not represent a pattern; simply a set of ordered pairs that are arranged in an
orderly manner

Example:
Billy is associated to his friends: Gabriel, Jasmine, and Luis.
We can define a relation showing Billy’s association or
correspondence.
 One-to-One Correspondence
2 Each value of the independent variable is unique and is associated with a unique
value of the dependent variable

Example:
 Many-to-One Correspondence
3 Two or more values of is associated with the same value of

Example:
 One-to-Many Correspondence
4 Some values of are associated with more than one value of

Example:
 Many-to-Many Correspondence
5 Some values of and are associated with more than one value of their
counterpart

Example:
 Function
6 It is a special kind of relation in which no two distinct ordered pairs have the same
first element.

Example:
Miguel, Karlo, and Bien are paired to their respective schools.
Let us name this relation .

is a function because no two ordered pairs have the same

first element.
 Vertical Line Test
7 It can be used to determine if a graph represents a function.

Example:
The given graph on the right passes the
vertical line test since if we draw an
imaginary vertical line anywhere on the
graph, it would touch exactly one point.
Example 1: Determine whether the following set is a function.
Example 1: Determine whether the following set is a function.

Answer:

No first element was repeated.

Hence, the set of ordered pairs represents a function.

Example 1: Write all the ordered pairs in the
figure and determine the type of
relation depicted by the given
figure.
Example 1: Write all the ordered pairs in the
figure and determine the type of
relation depicted by the given
figure.
Solution:
Pairing each element of with each element of , we have

Observe that more than one element in set are

associated with the same element in set . Thus, the figure
shows a many-to-one type of relation.
Individual Practice:

1. Determine whether the following table of values satisfies

the definition of a function.

0 1 4 16
0
Individual Practice:

2. Tell whether the graph represents

a function or not.
Group Practice: To be done by 2-5 groups
Given:
a. Complete the table of values.
b. Sketch the graph of .
c. Determine whether is a function of .

0 2
 Relation
1 a set of objects, such as numbers, grouped with one another which may or may
not represent a pattern; simply a set of ordered pairs that are arranged in an
orderly manner

One-to-One Correspondence
2 Each value of the independent variable is unique and is associated with a unique
value of the dependent variable

Many-to-One Correspondence
3 Two or more values of is associated with the same value of
 One-to-Many Correspondence
4 Some values of are associated with more than one value of

Many-to-Many Correspondence
5 Some values of and are associated with more than one value of their
counterpart

Function
6 It is a special kind of relation in which no two distinct ordered pairs have the same
first element.
 Vertical Line Test
7 It can be used to determine if a graph represents a function.
● What is the difference between a function and a relation?

● Why is it important to know that there are a lot of ways to

represent a function?

● How do we make use of functions to solve real-life

problems?