Relations and Functions – Explanation &

Examples
Functions and relations are one the most important topics in Algebra. In most
occasions, many people tend to confuse the meaning of these two terms. 

In this article, we ae going to define and elaborate on how you can identify if a
relation is a function. Before we go deeper, let’s look at a brief history of functions.

The concept of function was brought to light by mathematicians in 17 th century. In 1637,

a mathematician and the first modern philosopher, Rene Descartes, talked about many
mathematical relationships in his book Geometry, but the term “function” was officially
first used by German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz after about fifty years. He
invented a notation y = x to denote a function, dy/dx to denote the derivative of a
function. The notation y = f (x) was introduced by a Swiss mathematician Leonhard
Euler in 1734.

Let’s now review some key concepts as used in functions and relations.

 What is a set?

A set is a collection of distinct or well-defined members or elements. In

mathematics, members of a set are written within curly braces or brackets {}. Members
of asset of can be anything such as; numbers, people, or alphabetical letters etc.

For example,

{a, b, c, …, x, y, z} is a set of letters of alphabet.

{…, −4, −2, 0, 2, 4, …} is a set of even numbers.

{2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, …} is a set of prime numbers

Two sets are said to be equal they contain same members. Consider two sets, A = {1,
2, 3} and B = {3, 1, 2}. Regardless of the position of the members in set A and B, the
two sets are equal because they contain similar members.

 What is ordered-pair numbers?

These are numbers that go hand in hand. Ordered pair numbers are represented
within parentheses and separated by a comma. For example, (6, 8) is an ordered-pair
number whereby the numbers 6 and 8 are the first and second element respectively.

 What is a domain?

A domain is a set of all input or first values of a function. Input values are generally
‘x’ values of a function.

 What is a range?

The range of a function is a collection of all output or second values. Output values are
‘y’ values of a function.

 What is a function?

In mathematics, a function can be defined as rule that relates every element in one
set, called the domain, to exactly one element in another set, called the range. For
example, y = x + 3 and y = x2 – 1 are functions because every x-value produces a
different y-value.

 A relation

A relation is any set of ordered-pair numbers. In other words, we can define a

relation as a bunch ordered pairs.

Types of Functions
Functions can be classified in terms of relations as follows:

 Injective or one to one function: The injective function f: P → Q implies that,

for each element of P there is a distinct element of Q.
  Many to one: The many to one function maps two or more elements of P to
the same element of set Q.
 The Surjective or onto function: This is a function for which every element of
set Q there is pre-image in set P
 Bijective function.

The common functions in algebra include:

 Linear Function
 Inverse Functions
 Constant Function
 Identity Function
 Absolute Value Function

How to Determine if a Relation is a Function?

We can check if a relation is a function either by graphically or by following the steps
below.

 Examine the x or input values.

 Examine also the y or output values.
 If all the input values are different, then the relation becomes a function, and if
the values are repeated, the relation is not a function

Note: if there is repetition of the first members with an associated repetition of the
second members, then, the relation becomes a function.

Example 1

Identify the range and domain the relation below:

{(-2, 3), {4, 5), (6, -5), (-2, 3)}

Solution

Since the x values are the domain, the answer is therefore,

⟹ {-2, 4, 6}

The range is {-5, 3, 5}.

Example 2

Check whether the following relation is a function:

B = {(1, 5), (1, 5), (3, -8), (3, -8), (3, -8)}

Solution

B = {(1, 5), (1, 5), (3, -8), (3, -8), (3, -8)}

Though a relation is not classified as a function if there is repetition of x – values, this

problem is a bit tricky because x values are repeated with their corresponding y-values.

Example 3

Determine the domain and range of the following function: Z = {(1, 120), (2, 100), (3,
150), (4, 130)}.

Solution

Domain of z = {1, 2, 3, 4 and the range is {120, 100, 150, 130}

Example 4

Check if the following ordered pairs are functions:

1. W= {(1, 2), (2, 3), (3, 4), (4, 5)

2. Y = {(1, 6), (2, 5), (1, 9), (4, 3)}

Solution

1. All the first values in W = {(1, 2), (2, 3), (3, 4), (4, 5)} are not repeated, therefore,
this is a function.
2. Y = {(1, 6), (2, 5), (1, 9), (4, 3)} is not a function because, the first value 1 has
been repeated twice.

Example 5
Determine whether the following ordered pairs of numbers is a function.

R = (1,1); (2,2); (3,1); (4,2); (5,1); (6,7)

Solution

There is no repetition of x values in the given set of ordered pair of numbers.

Therefore, R = (1,1); (2,2); (3,1); (4,2); (5,1); (6,7) is a function.

Practice Questions
1. Check whether the following relation is a function:

a. A = {(-3, -1), (2, 0), (5, 1), (3, -8), (6, -1)}

b. B = {(1, 4), (3, 5), (1, -5), (3, -5), (1, 5)}

c. C = {(5, 0), (0, 5), (8, -8), (-8, 8), (0, 0)}

d. D = {(12, 15), (11, 31), (18, 8), (15, 12), (3, 12)}

Relations and Functions” are the most important topics in algebra. Relations and functions –
these are the two different words having different meanings mathematically. You might get
confused about their difference. Before we go deeper, let’s understand the difference between
both with a simple example.
An ordered pair is represented as (INPUT, OUTPUT): 
The relation shows the relationship between INPUT and OUTPUT. Whereas, a function is a
relation which derives one OUTPUT for each given INPUT.
Note: All functions are relations, but not all relations are functions.
In this section, you will find the basics of the topic – definition of functions and relations, 
special functions, different types of relations and some of the solved examples.

What is a Function?
A function is a relation which describes that there should be only one output for each input (or)
we can say that a special kind of relation (a set of ordered pairs), which follows a rule i.e every
X-value should be associated with only one y-value is called a function.
For example:

Domain Range

-1 -3

1 3

3 9
Let us also look at the definition of Domain and Range of a function.

Domain It is a collection of the first values in the ordered pair (Set of all input (x) values).

Range It is a collection of the second values in the ordered pair (Set of all output (y) values).
Example:
In the relation, {(-2, 3), {4, 5), (6, -5), (-2, 3)},
The domain is {-2, 4, 6} and range is {-5, 3, 5}.
Note: Don’t consider duplicates while writing the domain and range and also write it in
increasing order.

Types of Functions
In terms of relations, we can define the types of functions as:

 One to one function or Injective function: A function f: P → Q is said to be one to one

if for each element of P there is a distinct element of Q.
 Many to one function: A function which maps two or more elements of P to the same
element of set Q.
 Onto Function or Surjective function: A function for which every element of set Q
there is pre-image in set P
 One-one correspondence or Bijective function: The function f matches with each
element of P with a discrete element of Q and every element of Q has a pre-image in P.
Read here:

 One To One Function

 Onto Function
 Bijective Function

Special Functions in Algebra

Some of the important functions are as follow:

 Constant Function
 Identity Function
 Linear Function
 Absolute Value Function
 Inverse Functions

What is the Relation?

It is a subset of the Cartesian product. Or simply, a bunch of points (ordered pairs). In other
words, the relation between the two sets is defined as the collection of the ordered pair, in which
the ordered pair is formed by the object from each set.
Example: {(-2, 1), (4, 3), (7, -3)}, usually written in set notation form with curly brackets.

Relation Representation
There are other ways too to write the relation, apart from set notation such as through tables,
plotting it on XY- axis or through mapping diagram.
Types of Relations
Different types of relations are as follows:

 Empty Relations
 Universal Relations
 Identity Relations
 Inverse Relations
 Reflexive Relations
 Symmetric Relations
 Transitive Relations
Let us discuss all the types one by one.

Empty Relation
When there’s no element of set X is related or mapped to any element of X, then the relation R in
A is an empty relation, and also called the void relation, i.e R= ∅.
For example, if there are 100 mangoes in the fruit basket. There’s no possibility of finding a
relation R of getting any apple in the basket. So, R is Void as it has 100 mangoes and no apples.

Universal relation
R is a relation in a set, let’s say A is a universal relation because, in this full relation, every
element of A is related to every element of A. i.e R = A × A.
It’s a full relation as every element of Set A is in Set B.

Identity Relation
If every element of set A is related to itself only, it is called Identity relation.
I={(A, A), ∈ a}.
For Example,
When we throw a dice, the total number of possible outcomes is 36. I.e (1, 1) (1, 2), (1, 3)…..(6,
6). From these, if we consider the relation (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3) (4, 4) (5, 5) (6, 6), it is an identity
relation.

Inverse Relation
If R is a relation from set A to set B i.e R ∈ A X B. The relation R−1 = {(b,a):(a,b) ∈ R}.
For Example,
If you throw two dice if R = {(1, 2) (2, 3)}, R−1= {(2, 1) (3, 2)}. Here the domain is the range
R−1 and vice versa.

Reflexive Relation
A relation is a reflexive relation iIf every element of set A maps to itself, i.e for every a ∈ A, (a,
a) ∈ R.

Symmetric Relation
A symmetric relation is a relation R on a set A if (a, b) ∈ R then (b, a) ∈ R, for all a & b ∈ A.

Transitive Relation
If (a, b) ∈ R, (b, c) ∈ R, then (a, c) ∈ R, for all a,b,c ∈ A and this relation in set A is transitive.

Equivalence Relation
If a relation is reflexive, symmetric and transitive, then the relation is called an equivalence
relation.

How to Convert a Relation into a Function?

A special kind of relation (a set of ordered pairs) which follows a rule i.e every X-value should
be associated with only one y-value, then the relation is called a function.

Examples
Example 1: Is A = {(1, 5), (1, 5), (3, -8), (3, -8), (3, -8)} a function?
Solution: If there are any duplicates or repetitions in the X-value, the relation is not a function.
But there’s a twist here. Look at the following example:
Though X-values are getting repeated here, still it is a function because they are associating with
the same values of Y.
The point (1, 5) is repeated here twice and (3, -8) is written thrice. We can rewrite it by writing a
single copy of the repeated ordered pairs. So, “A” is a function.
Example 2: Give an example of an Equivalence relation.
Solution: 
If we note down all the outcomes of throwing two dice, it would include reflexive, symmetry and
transitive relations. Then, throwing two dice is an example of an equivalence relation.
Example 3: All functions are relations, but not all relations are functions. Justify.
Solution:
Let’s suppose, we have two relations given in below table

A relation which is not a function A relation that is a function

 As we can see duplication in X-values with different As every value of X is different and is associated with
y-values, then this relation is not a function. only one value of y, this relation is a function
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Download Free PDFs of Daily Practice Problems and Worksheet for Relations and
Functions Concept

Daily Practice Problems – SET 1

Worksheet – SET 1

Frequently Asked Questions on Relations and Functions

Does the relation define the function?

A relation from a set P to another set Q defines a function if each element of the set P is related
to exactly one element of the set Q.

What are relations in Math?

In math, a relation defines the relationship between sets of values of ordered pairs. The set of
elements in the first set are called domain which is related to the set of the element in another set,
which is called range.
How to determine if a relation is a function?
When each input value of a function generates one and only output, it is called a function. Here,
the input values are known as domain and output values are known as the range.

How to graph a function?

If y = x + 2, is a function, then we have to put different values of x to generate y values. Here, x
is the input value and y is the output value. Suppose, if x = 0, then y =2, if x = 1, then y = 3, if x
= -1, then y = 1, and so on. Now plot these values in a graph and join the points.

Real life situations of function and relation

Relations are sets of ordered pairs. Usually, the first coordinates come from a set called the
domain and are thought of as inputs. The second coordinates are thought of as outputs and
come from a set called the range (I actually prefer to call this the co-domain but that’s a
long story we don’t need to go into here).

In order for a relation to be a function, each input must have one and only one output.

So, Five real-world examples:

If you look at a collection of people, you can think of there being a relation between height
and age (people generally get taller as they age then remain the same height for a while
and then at some point they start getting a bit shorter). This is a relation but not a function
because if you input an age people of the same age will have different heights. However, for
a particular person, height is a function of age. At any given point in their life (age) that
person will be exactly one height. It’s impossible for one person to be 5’ 6” and 6’ 2” at the
same time.

In one semester at college, there is a relation between a student and their final grades; the
same student can have different grades in different courses. In a particular class, there is a
function from the students to their grades. The professor assigns a grade to each student
and each student is assigned one and only one grade.

Generally there is a relation between time and temperature (as in the weather). If you look
at a particular location, temperature is a function of time; at any moment the thermometer
at that location can only read one temperature.

Once you pull up to a pump and choose your fuel, the cost of filling up your car with gas is
a function of how much gas you put in your car. The cost of taking a (particular) taxi is
usually a function of how long the ride is.
Functional Relationship Examples: Distance-Time Graphs
and Temperature-
Precipitation Graphs
A real-life example of a functional relationship is the
relationship between distance and time. We all know that it
takes time to travel distances and when we travel any
distance (or stand still), it takes a certain amount of time to
do so. The relationship between distance and time is a
functional relationship.

Visit "Distance-Time Graphs"

at http://graphs.mathwarehouse.com/distance-time-graph-
activity.php to explore several examples related to the
functional relationship between distance and time. Spend
particular time with the examples of the moving helicopter
and the dropping ball. Note that distance-time data can be
represented using tables as well as graphs.

Another example of a real-life functional relationship is the relationship between temperature and precipitation.
This relationship represents concepts in science (e.g., weather) as well as concepts in mathematics (e.g.,

measurement). 

Go to the "Great Graph Match" at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Experiments/Biome/graphindex.php and

read about various environments and select the correct graph for the temperature-precipitation relationship in
that environment.

Before going on, take a look at some of the services you receive (e.g., cell phone service) and make some
comparisons between service providers to see for yourself how the concept of functional relationships can be
used in everyday life. Revisit the web sites presented in this learning activity to reinforce your understanding of
functional relationships.

An understanding of functional relationships helps us figure out how different variables work together. We use
this concept to understand everything from the weather to how we spend the funds at our disposal. Knowing
how one variable affects another (and hence the situation at hand) helps us make good decisions.

Algebraic reasoning is a skill that develops as we learn more about numbers and the relationships between
them. Algebraic reasoning also helps us make sense out of present situations as well as situations in the
future. Being able to generalize helps us to look ahead and see what will happen if we continue the same
pattern or way of thinking. In addition, if we have a general idea about how variables work together, we can
make wise choices related to each variable.