Relations - Exercises

NGUYEN CANH Nam1

1 Faculty of Applied Mathematics Department of Applied Mathematics and Informatics Hanoi University of Technologies namnc@mail.hut.edu.vn

HUT - 2010

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 1

Let A be the set of students at your school and B the set of books in the school library. Let R1 and R2 be the relations consisting of all ordered pairs (a, b), where student a is required to read book b in a course, and where student a has read book b, respectively. Describe the ordered pairs in each of these relations. a) R1 R2 b) R1 R2 c) Rl \ R2 d) R2 \ Rl

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Solution

a) {(a, b) | a is required to read or has read b} b) {(a, b) | a is required to read and has read b} c) {(a, b) | a is required to read b but has not read it} d) {(a, b) | ahas read b but not required to}

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 2

For each of the following, prove if the relation is reexive, if it is symmetric, and if it is transitive. If it is not, provide a counterexample for each property it fails to have. a. Relation A : mRn k Z such that mk = n, m, n IR Z b. Relation B : mRn m + n = 5, m, n Z Z c. Relation C : mRn person m is descended (biologically) from person n, where m, n are in the domain of all people.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Solution

a.

Reexive: A is reexive. Choose any m, then k = 1 means mk = m. Symmetric: A is not symmetric. Let n = 2 and m = 4. nRm, because 22 = 4, but mRn is false, because the only 1 k that satises 4k = 2 is k = 2 , which is not an integer. Transitive: A is transitive. Let mRn, nRp. Then mk = n and nl = p for some integers k , l. Then (mk )l = p by substitution, so mkl = p. Since kl is an integer, mRp. Reexive: B is not reexive. There is no integer that, when added to itself, gives 5. Symmetric: B is symmetric. Since addition is commutative, if n + m = 5, then m + n = 5. Transitive: B is not transitive. 2R3 (as 2 + 3 = 5), and 3R2 (as 3 + 2 = 5), but 2R2 is false (as 2 + 2 = 5).

b.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Solution

c.

Reexive: C is not reexive. Someone cannot be descended from themselves. Symmetric: C is not symmetric. If n is the child of m, m cannot be the child of n. Transitive: C is transitive. If n is descended from m, and m is descended from o, n is descended from o.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 3

Let Q and R be equivalence relations on S. a. Show thatP = Q R is an equivalence relation on S. (This means aPb (aQb) (aRb).) b. Express the equivalence classes of P in terms of the equivalence classes of Q and the equivalence classes of R. Justify your answer.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Solution.
a. We must show that P is reexive, symmetric, and transitive to show it is an equivalence relation.
Reexive: Let a S. Then because Q, R are equivalence relations, they are reexive, so aQa and aRa, therefore aPa. Symmetric: Let aPb. Then aQb and aRb by denition of P. Since Q and R are equivalence relations, they are symmetric, so bQa and bRa. Therefore bPa by denition of P. Transitive: Let aPb and bPc. Then aQb, aRb, bQc, bRc by denition of P. Because aQb and bQc, and because Q is transitive, we know aQc. Similarly, we know aRc because aRb and bRc, and R is transitive. Thus, aPc by denition of P.

b. Let [x]P be the equivalence class of element x under relation P. An element y [x]P iff yPx, which is true iff yQx and yRx. This is true iff y [x]Q and y [x]R . Thus, by the element method, weve shown that [x]P = [x]Q [x]R for any equivalence class [x]P .
NGUYEN CANH Nam Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 4

A relation, , is dened on O by letting, for a, b O , a b if we Q Q have a b Z By this relation we have Z. 43 5 43 5 as =2Z Z 19 19 19 19 but 1 1 5 1 1 is false as = Z Z. 2 3 2 3 6 Prove that is an equivalence relation. Write down the equivalence classes.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 5

Let a relation be dened on Z by a b if and only if ab = 0. Z} Is an equivalence relation?

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 6

Let S be the set of all habitants in an island. For a, b S dene a relation R as follows: a R b if and only if a is a relative of b Is R is an equivalence relation?

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Solution.

No. This relation, in general, is not transitive. Suppose A, B are parents of C. D is a brother of A and E is a sister of B. So we have D R C and C R E but D R E is false.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 7

How many distinct equivalence relations may be dened on a set of one, two or three elements?

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Solution.

Recall that an equivalence relation corresponds to a partition. X = {x}. One relation. X = {x, y } : {x}, {y }; {x, y }. Two relations. X = {x, y , z} : {x}, {y }, {z}; {x, y }, {z}; {x, z}, {y }; {y , z}, {x}; {x, y , z}. Five relations.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 8

A relation is dened on Z by a b if and only if a b is Z divisible either by 5 or by 7. Is an equivalence relation?

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises

Exercise 9

Let S be a set on which a relation is dened. The relation is symmetric and transitive. Loose thinking would suggest that a b (a, b S) implies b a (by symmetry) and so a a (by transitivity) thus giving reexivity, and consequently would be an equivalence relation. What is wrong with this loose thinking? Give an example.

NGUYEN CANH Nam

Mathematics I - Chapter 4 - Exercises