Chapter 1

Relations & Functions

Consider the sets A = {1,2,3,4,5} and B= {3,4,5,6,7}. The Cartesian product of A and B is A × B = {(1,3), (1,4), (1,5),
(1,6), (1,7), (2,3), ….., (5,6), (5,7)}.
A subset of A × B by introducing a relation R between the first element ‘x’ and the second element ‘y’ of each ordered pair
(x, y) as
R= {(x,y): x is greater than y, x  A, y  B}. Then R = {(4,3), (5,3), 5,4)}.

Note1: Relation R from a non-empty set A to a non-empty set B is a subset of the Cartesian product A × B. 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.

Note2: 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.

Note3: 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. The whole
set B is called the co-domain of the relation R. Note that range  co-domain.

Tips 

1. A relation may be represented algebraically either by Roster method or by Set-builder method.

2. An arrow diagram is a visual representation of a relation.
3. 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 pq .

4. A relation R from A to A is also stated as a relation on A.

Inverse relation: If D   a,b  : a,b  R is a relation from set A to a set B, then inverse of R  R 1   b,a  : a,b  R.

Note: Domain(R)  Range(R 1) and Range(R)  Domain R 1 .  

Types of relations
A relation R in a set A to itself is called:
1. Universal relation: If each element of A is related to every element of A. i.e., R  A  A
2. An identity relation if R   a,a  : a  A

3. An empty or void relation if no element of A is related to any element of A. i.e.,

Note: Empty relation and the universal relation are sometimes called trivial relations. R    A  A
4. A relation R in a set A is said to be
a) Reflexive, if every element of A is related to itself.  a,a   R  a  A. i.e., a R a  a  A.

b) Symmetric, if  a,b   R then   b,a   R. i.e., a R b  b R a  a,b  R.

c) Transitive, if  a,b   R and  b,c   R  a,c   R  a,b,c  R. i.e., a R b and b R c  a R c

5. Equivalence Relation: A relation R in a set A is called an equivalent if

i) R is reflexive, ii) R is symmetric and iii) R is transitive.
Note: 1. If R and S are two relations on a set A, then R  S is also an equivalence
 relation on A.
2. The union of two equivalence relations on a set is not necessarily an equivalence relation on the set.
3. The inverse of an equivalence relation is an equivalence relation.

Functions: Let A and B be two non-empty sets. A function f from A to B is a correspondence which associates elements of
set A to element of set B such that
i. all elements of set A are associated to elements in set B.
ii. an element of set A is associated to a unique element in set B.
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 pre-image of ‘b’ under f.
The function f from A to B is denoted by f: A  B.

Types of Functions
One-one function (Injective): A function f : A  B is said to be an one-one function if different elements of A have
different images in B.
 n P , if n  m
No. of one-one functions from A to B = m
 0, if n  0

To check the injectivity of a function

A B
i. Take two arbitrary elements x1 and x 2 in the domain of f.
1 a
ii. Check whether f  x1   f  x2  2 b
iii. If f  x1   f  x2  , which implies that x1  x 2 only then the function is a one-one 3 c
4 d
function or injective function otherwise not. 5 e

Onto function (surjective): A function f : A  B is said to be an onto function, if every element of B is the image of
some element of A under f. i.e., for every element of y  B , there exists an element x  A such that f  x   y .

One-one onto function (bijective): A function f : A  B is said to be an one-one and A B

onto, if it is both one-one and onto. 1 a

2 b
3 c
4 d
Composition of function 5 e
Let f : A  B and g : A  B be any two functions, the composition of f and g ,

denoted by gof is defined as the function gof : A  C given by gof  x   g  f  x  x  A

gof

f(x)
x
g(f(x))

f g

B C
A
Invertible function

Let f : A  B and g : A  B be any two functions, the composition of f and g , denoted by gof is defined as the

function gof : A  C given by gof  x   g  f  x  x  A. For example, Let f : R  R be given by f  x   4 x  3. Show that

f  x  is invertible. Also find the inverse of f.

f  x  4x  3
f  x1   4 x1  3
f  x2   4 x2  3
f  x1   f  x2   4 x1  3  4 x2  3  4 x1  4 x2  x1  x2 .
 f is one  one.

Again, y  4x  3
y 3
y  3  4x  x 
4

 y 3 y 3
f  x  f    4  4  3  y  3  3  y  f is onto.
 4 

Hence, f is one-one, onto and therefore, invertible.

y 3 y 3
Now, y  f  x   y  4x  3  x   f 1( y ) 
4 4
Remesh’s Mathematics [Relations & Functions]
Write the operation table of  on the set 1,2,3,4,5 defined by a  b  min a, b .

 1 2 3 4 5

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 1 2 2 2 2

3 1 2 3 3 3

4 1 2 3 4 4

5 1 2 3 4 5

Tips 

1.  fog  x   f  g  x 
2.  fof  x   f  f  x  
3.  gof  x   g  f  x  
4.  gog  x   g  g  x  

5.  fof 1  x  f  f 1  x , etc..

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