Relations and Functions

One of the most important ideas in mathematics is the ability to notice and describe
relationships. In this section, we discuss how math can be used to define relationships between
different numbers using what are called relations and functions.

Relations

We often indicate that two numbers are related to each other using notation that we call
an ordered pair. This notation pairs two numbers together using parentheses, for example, (3,7).
You can interpret this as "3 is related to 7". The order is important because the first number is
often thought as an input and the second number is often thought as an output. If we want to
indicate a generic ordered pair, it is common to write it as x,y, where x is used to indicate inputs
and y is used to indicate outputs.

Ordered pairs are the building blocks of a relation, which we can use to describe how
numbers might be related to each other.

Relation is a collection of ordered pairs.

For example,

the collection of ordered pairsR={(0,1),(0,2),(3,4)}is a relation. We can interpret this as

While ordered pairs offer a concise way to show relations, we can also use mapping
diagrams with arrows or tables to display relations, with the first entry (or input) of each ordered
pair on the left side of the diagram or table and the second entry (or output) on the right side of
the diagram or table.

Example

Create a mapping diagram and a table for the relation R={(0,1),(0,2),(3,4)}.

Solution
A mapping diagram connects the related numbers using arrows, with the first entry (or input) on
the left side and the second entry (or output) on the right side.

The pair (0,1) means "0 is related to 1", so we draw an arrow from 0 pointing to 1, and the
pair (0,2) means "0 is related to 2", so we also draw an arrow from 0 pointing to 2.
Similarly, 3,4 means that "3 is related to 4", so our last arrow starts at 3 and points to 4.

If we want to set this up in a table, we place our inputs on the left side and our outputs on the
right side:

Inputs (or x) Outputs (or y)

0 1

0 2

3 4

Since the order of the numbers in each pair matters, it's helpful to be able to talk about
just the inputs or just the outputs for a specific relation. These are what we call the domain and
range of a relation.

DOMAIN

The domain of a relation is the collection of the first entries of each ordered pair.

Example

Find the domain for the relation R={(0,1),(0,2),(3,4)}.

Solution
 The domain is the collection of the first entries of the ordered pairs in a relation. For R,
this is the collection Domain ={0,3}. Note that even though 0 appears twice as an input, we only
list it once.

RANGE

The range of a relation is the collection the second entry of each ordered pair.

Example

Find the range for the relation R={(0,1),(0,2),(3,4)}.

Solution

The range is the collection of the second entries of the ordered pairs in a relation. For R,
this is the collection

Range ={1,2,4}.

Functions

A function is a relation where each input has exactly one output.

Example

Determine if the following relations are functions.

a. R={(0,1),(1,3),(3,4),(5,2)}

b. R={(0,1),(0,2),(3,4)}

Solution

a. For the relation R={(0,1),(1,3),(3,4),(5,2)}, each input has exactly one output, so it is a
function.

b. For the relation R={(0,1),(0,2),(3,4)}, the input 0 has two outputs, 1 and 2, that
correspond to it, so this is not a function.

Exercise

Determine if the following relations are functions.

b. R={(−5,−3),(1,1),(6,2),(7,2)}

Answer

a. Not a function

b. Function

A mapping diagram can make it easier to determine if a relation is also a function. When a
relation is a function, each input has exactly one output, so on its mapping diagram, each input
will only have one arrow leaving it. When a relation is not a function, some of the inputs may
have more than one output, so some inputs may have multiple arrows leaving it.

Function Notation

One way to think about a function is as being a rule that pairs one input with one output. The rule
can take many forms. For example, we can use sets of ordered pairs, graphs, and mapping
diagrams to describe the function. In the sections that follow, we will explore other ways of
describing a function, for example, through the use of equations and simple word descriptions.

Before we can talk about writing the rule for a function using an equation, we must define a new
notation that we call function notation.

If f is a function, function notation looks like

f(input)=output.

Or if we want to use x's and y's, it is common to say

f(x)=y.

In other words, if we want to know what a function does to a given input, we indicate the
function with f, place the input in parentheses, and set it equal to the corresponding output. We
call this evaluating the function. Note: in this setting, the parentheses do not represent
multiplication; we are not multiplying the function f by the input.

Example
Using the function f={(0,1),(1,3),(3,4),(5,2)}, evaluate the following:

a. f(1)

b. f(5)

c. f(3)

Solution

a. Since the function f sends 1 to 3, f(1)=3.

b. Since the function f sends 5 to 2, f(5)=2.

c. Since the function f sends 3 to 4, f(3)=4.

In a., for example, this notation is read as "f of 1 is equal to 3", meaning that when we
evaluate f with the input 1, the output is 3.

Example

For the function f(x)=2x, evaluate the following:

a. f(3)

b. f(−1)

c. f(0)

Solution

a. To evaluate f(3), we substitute the x in the rule that f follows with the 3.
Therefore, f(3)=2⋅3=6. So our final answer is f(3)=6.

b. To evaluate f(−1), we substitute the x in the rule that f follows with the -1.
Therefore, f(−1)=2⋅(−1)=−2. So our final answer is f(−1)=−2.

c. To evaluate f(0), we substitute the x in the rule that f follows with the 0.
Therefore, f(0)=2⋅0=0. So our final answer is f(0)=0.