LESSON 2.

0 – MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE & SYMBOLS

(Part 3 – Language of Relations & Functions)

Class Comment
The third and last part of video presentation of Lesson 2: Mathematical Language and Symbols tackles relations and functions
with more emphasis on function with its different forms and ways of determining if a relation is a function.

2.3 The Language of Relations and Functions

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 video, we are 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 17th 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 and dy/dx to denote the derivative of a function. The notation y = f (x) was introduced by a Swiss mathematician
Leonhard Euler in 1734.

Relation

We encounter pairing of quantities very often. For example, the number of gallons of gas and the amount of money need to
purchase it. Or the height of a ball thrown straight up and the time it takes to reach its maximum height.

These pairings are best represented as ordered pairs, and a set of ordered pairs is called a relation, where the first elements (x-
values) are the domain or independent variables and the second elements (y-values) are the range or dependent variables.

A relation can also be defined as a set of inputs and outputs. As such, we can represent a relation as a mapping diagram or a
graph. For example, the relation can be represented as mapping diagram as lines connect the inputs with their outputs. It can also
be represented as a graph.

Mapping Diagram of Relation Graph of Relation

Formal Definition of Relation

Let A and B be sets. A relation R from A to B is a subset of A x B. Given an ordered pair (x, y) in A x B, x is related to y by R,
written x R y, if, and only if, (x, y) is in R. The set A is called the domain of R and the set B is called its co-domain or range.

The notation for a relation R may be written symbolically as follows: x R y means (x, y)  R.
The notation x y means that x is not related to y by R: x y means that (x, y)  R.

Formal Definition of Relation

Let A and B be sets. A relation R from A to B is a subset of A cross B (“A x B”). Given an ordered pair (x, y) in A x B, x is related
to y by R, written x R y, if, and only if, the ordered pair x, y (x, y) is in R. The set A is called the domain of R and the set B is called
its co-domain.or range.

The notation for a relation R may be written symbolically as follows: x R y means ordered pair x, y (x, y) is an element of  R.
The notation x R slashed y x y means that x is not related to y by R: x R slashed y x y means that ordered pair x, y (x, y) is
not an element of  R.

Exercise

A Relation as a Subset. Let A= {1, 2} and B = {1, 2, 3} and define a

relation R from A to B as follows:

Given any (x, y)  A x B,

(x, y)  R means that (x – y)/2 is an integer.

a. State explicitly which ordered pairs are in A x B and which are in R.

b. Is 1 R 3? Is 2 R 3? Is 2 R 2?
c. What are the domain and co-domain of R?

Let A= {1, 2} and B = {1, 2, 3} and define a Solution:

relation R from A to B as follows: A x B = {(1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (2, 1), (2, 2), (2, 3)}

Given any (x, y)  A x B, (1, 1)  R because (1 – 1)/2 = 0/2 = 0, which is an integer

(x, y)  R means that (x – y)/2 is an integer (1, 2)  R because (1 – 2)/2 = -1/2, which is not an integer.
(1, 3)  R because (1 – 3)/2 = -2/2 = -1, which is an integer.
Requirement: (2, 1)  R because (2 – 1)/2 = 1/2, which is not an integer.
(a) State explicitly which ordered pairs are in (2, 2)  R because (2 – 2)/2 = 0/2 = 0, which is an integer.
A x B and which are in R. (2, 3)  R because (2 – 3)/2 = -1/2, which is not an integer.

Thus, R = {(1, 1), (1, 3), (2, 2)}

Solution for Requirement letter (a)

A x B = {(1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (2, 1), (2, 2), (2, 3)}
A cross B is equal to a set of ordered pairs (1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (2, 1), (2, 2), and (2, 3)

(1, 1)  R because (1 – 1)/2 = 0/2 = 0, which is an integer

(1, 2)  R because (1 – 2)/2 = -1/2, which is not an integer.
(1, 3)  R because (1 – 3)/2 = -2/2 = -1, which is an integer.
(2, 1)  R because (2 – 1)/2 = 1/2, which is not an integer.
(2, 2)  R because (2 – 2)/2 = 0/2 = 0, which is an integer.
(2, 3)  R because (2 – 3)/2 = -1/2, which is not an integer.

Thus, R = {(1, 1), (1, 3), (2, 2)}

Thus, the answer for R is that R is a set of ordered pairs (1, 1), (1, 3), and (2, 2)

Let A= {1, 2} and B = {1, 2, 3} and define a Solution:

relation R from A to B as follows: b. Yes, 1 R 3 because (1, 3)  R. From answer in (a),
(1, 3)  R because (1 – 3)/2 = -2/2 = -1, which is an integer.
Given any (x, y)  A x B,
(x, y)  R means that (x – y)/2 is an integer No, 2 3 because (2, 3)  R. From answer in (a),
(2, 3)  R because (2 – 3)/2 = -1/2, which is not an integer.
Requirement:
(b) Is 1 R 3? Is 2 R 3? Is 2 R 2? Yes, 2 R 2 because (2, 2)  R. From answer in (a),
(c) What are the domain and co-domain of R? (2, 2)  R because (2 – 2)/2 = 0/2 = 0, which is an integer.

c. The domain of R is {1, 2} and the co-domain is {1, 2, 3}.

From answer in (a), R = {(1, 1), (1, 3), (2, 2)}

Solution for Requirement letter (b) …

Is 1 R 3? Is 1 related to 3 by R?
Yes, 1 R 3 1 is related to 3 by R because the ordered pair (1, 3)  R as can be seen from the answer in requirement (a), that is,
the ordered pair (1, 3)  R because (1 – 3)/2 = -2/2 = -1, which is an integer.

Is 2 related to 3 by R?
No, 2 3 because the ordered pair (2, 3)  R as can be seen from the answer in requirement (a), that is, the ordered pair (2,
3)  R because (2 – 3)/2 = -1/2, which is not an integer.

Is 2 R 2?
Yes, 2 R 2 because the ordered pair (2, 2)  R as can be seen from the answer in requirement (a), that is, the ordered pair (2, 2)
 R because (2 – 2)/2 = 0/2 = 0, which is an integer.
Solution for Requirement letter (c)
(c) What are the domain and co-domain of R?
The answer: The domain of R is {1, 2} and the co-domain is {1, 2, 3} as can be seen from the answer in requirement (a), that is, R
is a set of ordered pairs (1, 1), (1, 3), and (2, 2)
From answer in (a), R = {(1, 1), (1, 3), (2, 2)}

2. The Circle Relation. Define a relation C from R to R as follows:

For any (x, y)  R x R,

(x, y)  C means that x2 + y2 = 1.

a. Is (1, 0)  C? Is (0, 0)  C? Is (-1/2, 3 /2)  C? Is -2 C 0? Is 0 C (-1)? Is 1 C 1?

b. What are the domain and co-domain of C?
c. Draw a graph for C by plotting the points of C in the Cartesian plane.
Solution

a. Yes, (1, 0)  C because 12 + 02 = 1.

No, (0, 0)  C because 02 + 02 = 0 ≠ 1.
Yes, (-1/2, 3 /2)  C because (-1/2)2 + ( 3 /2)2 = 1/4 + 3/4 = 1.
No, -2 0 because (-2)2 + (0)2 = 4 ≠ 1.
Yes, 0 C (-1) because (0)2 + (-1)2 = 1.
No, 1 1 because 12 + 12 ≠ 1.
b. The domain and co-domain of C are both R, the set of all real numbers.

c. x2 + y2 =1

FUNCTION

If a relation is such that to each element of the domain there corresponds one and only one element of the range, the relation is
said to be a function. A functional notation may be written as f(x), g(y), capital F(z), or Greek letter β(x) wherein the variables
inside the parentheses are the independent variables and imply that the expressions to the right side of the equality sign are in
terms of the said variables.

The phrase “is a function of” is used to describe a special relationship between two variables. As an example, the area of a semi-
circle (either concave upward or downward) is a function of its radius because the area is determined by the radius using A = ½ Π
r2.

Definition
A function F from a set A to a set B is a relation with domain A and co-domain B that satisfies the following two properties:

1. For every element x in A, there is an element y in B such that (x, y)  F.

2. For all elements x in A and y and z in B. if (x, y)  F and (x, z)  f, then y = z.

Properties (a) and (b) can be stated less formally as follows: A relation F from A to B is a function if, and only if:

1. Every element of A is the first element of an ordered pair of F.

2. No two distinct ordered pairs in F have the same first element.

In most mathematical situations we think of a function as sending elements from one set, the domain, to elements of another set,
the co-domain. Because of the definition of function, each element in the domain corresponds to one and only element of the co-
domain.

More precisely, if F is a function from a set A to B, then given any element x in A, property (1) from the function definition guarantees
that there is at least one element of B that is related to x by F and property (2) guarantees that there is at most one such element.
This makes it possible to give the element that corresponds to x a special name.
Notation:

If A and B are sets and F is a function from A to B, then given any element x in A, the unique element in B that is related to x by F
is denoted F(x), which is read “F of x.”

The Line Test for Mapping Diagrams

To check if a relation is a function, given a mapping diagram of the relation,

use the following criterion: If each input has only one line connected to it,
then the outputs are a function of the inputs.

Example: In the following mapping diagram, y is a function of x, but x is not

a function of y:

Line Test

Vertical Line Test

A relation is a function if after a vertical line is drawn it intersects the graph of curve
of the relation in only one point.

Two Ways of Describing a Set

1. Enumeration or List Method

2. Defining Property Method – this includes the so-called set-builder notation.

Forms of Functions

1. function defined by equation: y = 2x + 1

2. function defined from a list of ordered pairs: {(0, 1), (1, 3), (2, 5), …}
X = {0, 1, 2, …} domain of the function
Y = {1, 3, 5, …} range of the function
3. function defined with set-builder notation: {(x, y) │ y = 2x + 1}
4. function defined by a graph:
 5. function defined by arrows
Mapping of X into Y

3. Functions and Relations on Finite Sets.

Let A = {2, 4, 6} and B = {1, 3, 5}. Which of the relations R, S,
and T defined below are functions from A to B?

a. R = {(2, 5), (4, 1), (4, 3), (6, 5)}

b. For all (x, y) A x B, (x, y) S means that y = x + 1.
c. T is defined by the arrow diagram on the right.

Solution
a. R is not a function because it does not satisfy property (2). The ordered pairs (4, 1) and (4, 3) have the same first element but
different second elements. You can see this graphically if you draw the arrow diagram for R. There are two arrows coming
out of 4: one points to 1 and the other points to 3.
b. S is not a function because it does not satisfy proper (1). It is not true that every element of A is the first element of an ordered
pair in S. For example, 6  A but there is no y in B such that y = 6 + 1 = 7. You can also see this graphically by drawing the
arrow diagram for S.

c. T is a function: Each element in {2, 4, 6} is related to some element in {1, 3, 5} and no element in {2, 4, 6} is related to more
than one element in {1, 3, 5}. When these properties are stated in terms of the arrow diagram, they become (1) there is an
arrow coming out of each element of the domain, and (2) no element of the domain has more than one arrow coming out of
it. So you can write T(2) = 5, T(4) = 1, and T(6) = 1.