Discrete Structures for Computer

Science

Adam J. Lee
adamlee@cs.pitt.edu
6111 Sennott Square
Lecture #27: Closures of Relations
December 3, 2013

Announcements
No more homework!
Thursday: Course wrap-up and review
l Same format as midterm review

Today
Types of closures
l Symmetric closure
l Reflexive closure
l Transitive closure

Transitive closures
l Repeated relational composition
l Warshalls algorithm

Examples

Motivating Example
A computer network has data centers in Boston, Chicago, Denver,
Detroit, New York, and San Diego. There are direct, one-way
telephone lines from Boston to Chicago, Boston to Detroit,
Chicago to Detroit, Detroit to Denver, and New York to San Diego.
Let R be the relation containing (a, b) if there is a line from the
data center in a to the data center in b.
Note: The relation R is not transitive! How can we tell who can
communicate with whom?
D2

B
C

D1
S

What is a closure?
Definition: Let R be some relation on a set A. R may or may not
have some property P (e.g., reflexivity, symmetry, or
transitivity). If there is a relation S R with the property P such
that S is a subset of every relation containing R with the property
P, then S is called the closure of R with respect to P.
Informally: The closure of a relation R with respect to a property
P is the smallest extension to R that does have the property P.

So, how can we compute closures?

Reflexive closures are easy to compute

Definition: Let R be a relation on a set A, and let A be the
diagonal relation containing (a, a) for each a A. The reflexive
closure of R is R A.
Example: Let A = {1, 2, 3} and R = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (3,2)}.
Given this information, A = {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3)}.

Clearly, R is not reflexive

but R A is reflexive

Symmetric closures are also easy to compute

Definition: Let R be a relation on the set A. R-1 is the inverse of
R; i.e., R-1 = {(b,a) | (a,b) R}. The relation R R-1 is the
symmetric closure of R.
Example: Let A = {1, 2, 3} and R = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (3,2)}.
Given this information, R-1 = {(1,1), (2,1), (1,2), (2,3)}

Clearly, R is not symmetric

but R R-1 is symmetric

What is the symmetric closure of our can call graph

from earlier in lecture?
A computer network has data centers in Boston, Chicago, Denver,
Detroit, New York, and San Diego. There are direct, one-way
telephone lines from Boston to Chicago, Boston to Detroit,
Chicago to Detroit, Detroit to Denver, and New York to San Diego.
Let R be the relation containing (a, b) if there is a line from the
data center in a to the data center in b.
D2

B
C

D1
S

Note:
l R-1 = {(C, B), (D2, B), (D2, C), (D1, D2), (S, N)}
l The symmetric closure is R R-1
l This is a can talk graph J

Transitive closures are related to paths in

relational graphs
Definition: A path from a to b in a directed graph G is a
sequence of edges (x0, x1), , (xn-1, xn) in G, where n is a nonnegative integer, x0 = a, xn = b. The path is denoted by x0, x1, ,
xn-1, xn and has length n.
Example: Consider the graph below. Is (a, b, e, d) a path? What
about (a, e, c, d, b)? Or (b, a, c, b, a, a, b)?

No!

Yes!
a

Yes!

Paths are related to relational composition

Theorem: Let R be a relation on a set A. There is a path of
length n from a to b if and only if (a, b) Rn.
Recall: Rn is the relation R composed with itself n times. In other
words, Rn = R R.
n times

Example:
l R = {(1,3), (2,3), (3,4)}
l R2 = {(1,3), (2,3), (3,4), (1,4), (2, 4)}
1

1
3

3
2

Connectivity relations help us understand the meaning

of transitive closures
Definition: Let R be a relation on a set A. The connectivity
relation R* consists of the pairs (a, b) such that there is a path of
length at least one from a to b in R.
In other words:

R =

Rn

(Why?)

n=1

Example: Let R be the relation on the set of all subway stops in

New York City that contains (a, b) if it is possible to travel from
stop a to stop b without changing trains. What is Rn? What is R*?
l Rn = {(a, b) | It is possible to get from a to b within n changes}
l R* = {(a, b) | It is possible to get from a to b}

Relating connectivity to the transitive closure

Theorem: The transitive closure of a relation R equals the
connectivity relation R*
Proof intuition: We need to show that (i) R* is transitive and (ii)
is contained in all other transitive extensions of R
To show transitivity:
l
l
l
l

Given (a,b) R* and (b, c) R*, need (a, c) R*

This means we have paths from a to b and b to c in R
As such, we can easily construct a path from a to c in R (How?)
It follows that (a, c) must be in R*

To show containment:
l
l
l
l

Suppose S is a transitive relation containing R

By a theorem we didnt prove, S* S
Since R S, then R* S*, since all paths in R exists in S
Hence R* S* S

Do we really need to consider an infinite composition

to compute transitive closures?!?
Lemma: Let A be a set with n elements, and let R be a relation
on A. If there is a path in R* from a to b, then there is such a
path with length not exceeding n.
Why? The pigeonhole principle!
l There are n elements in A
l The longest path through A without repeats is n!

So who cares? What does this really buy us?

R =

i=1

Ri =

Ri
i=1

This is now finite, and

thus computable!

This result makes our lives a lot simpler

Theorem: Let MR be the zero-one matrix of the relation R on a
set with n elements. Then the zero-one matrix of the transitive
closure R* is MR* = MR MR[2] MR[n].
Note: MR[i] is the ith Boolean power of the matrix MR
Example: Compute MR* for the following matrix MR

1 0 1
MR = 0 1 0
1 1 0

[2]

MR

[1]

MR = MR

1
= 0
1
[2]

MR

1
1
1

[3]

MR

1
0
1

1
= 0
1

[3]

MR

1
1
1

1
0
1

1
= 0
1

1
1
1

1
0
1

This gives us a simple* algorithm for computing

transitive closures
Procedure: transitive-closure(MR : zero-one nxn matrix)
Start with A and B both
A := MR
representing the relation R
B := A
for i := 2 to n
Compute the matrix
representing Ri
A := A MR
B := B A
Compute R Ri
end
Note: After this procedure, B contains the zero-one matrix for the
relation R*

What is the complexity of this algorithm?

Procedure: transitive-closure(MR : zero-one nxn matrix)
A := MR
n2 entries in A
B := A
To compute each
for i := 2 to n
n binary ANDs
A := A MR
n-1 binary ORs
B := B A
Total: n2(2n-1) operations
end
n2 boolean ORs
Since the for loop runs n-1 times, we have that
l n2(2n-1)(n-1) binary operations to compute versions of A
l n2(n-1) binary operations to compute versions of B

In total: This is approximately n4 binary operations

Warshalls algorithm is a more efficient way to

compute transitive closures
This algorithm is based on the idea of building a sequence of
zero-one matrices describing connectivity in a relation R via paths
over an increasingly large set of interior vertices
Example: Consider the path p = a, x1, x2, , xn, b
Interior vertices of the path p

Main idea:
l
l
l
l
l

Compute
Compute
Compute

Compute

paths through only x1

paths through x1 or x2
paths through x1, x2, or x3
paths through any set of interior nodes

Warshalls algorithm: Intuition

Slightly more formally:
l Let W0 = MR
l Compute W0, W1, , Wn such that Wk = [wij(k)] where wij(k) = 1 if
There is a path from vi to vj
All interior nodes on this path are in the set {v1, v2, , vk}

l Note: Wn = MR* (Why?)

Q1: Why should this work?

l Wn = MR*

Q2: Who cares? We already have a different algorithm, right?

l It turns out to be easy* to compute Wi from Wi-1

Lets try this technique out

1

0 0
1 0
W 0 = MR =
1 0
0 0

This is the transitive

closure of R

0
1
W1 =
1
0

0
1
0
1

1
0

1
0

W1 allows paths through 1

0 0 1
2, 1, 4 is now valid

0 1 1
0 0 1 W allows paths through {1, 2}
2
0 1 0
Nothing new

0
1
W3 =
1
1

0
0
0
0

1
1
W4 =
1
1

0
0
0
0

0
1
0
1
1
1
1
1

W3 allows paths through {1, 2, 3}

1
1
4, 3, 1 is now valid
1 4, 3, 4 is now valid
1

W4 allows paths through {1, 2, 3, 4}

1
1, 4, 3 is now valid

1
1, 4, 3, 1 is now valid

1
3, 4, 3 is now valid
1

But wait. Theres a shortcut!

Observation: The bit wij is set in the matrix Wk if and only if there is
a path from i to j that traverses a subset of {1, 2, , k}.
Better observation: This happens if and only if
l wij was set in Wk-1 --OR-l wik and wkj were set in Wk-1

Path already existed

The inclusion of k connects

two existing paths

0
1
W 0 = MR =
1
0

0
0
0
0

0
1
0
1

1
0

1
0

0
1
W1 =
1
0

0
0
0
0

0
1
0
1

1
1

1
0

0
1
W3 =
1
1

0
0
0
0

0
1
0
1

1
1

1
1

1
1
W4 =
1
1

0
0
0
0

1
1
1
1

1
1

1
1

Warshalls algorithm
Procedure: warshall(MR : n x n zero-one matrix)
W := MR
for k := 1 to n
for i := 1 to n
for j := 1 to n
wij := wij (wik wkj)
end
Note: After this procedure, W = [wij] contains the zero-one matrix
for the relation R*

What is the cost of using Warhsalls algorithm?

Procedure: warshall(MR : zero-one nxn matrix)
W := MR
for k := 1 to n
for i := 1 to n
for j := 1 to n
n times
n times
wij := wij (wik wkj)
end

n times

2 binary operations

Total: 2 ops * n times * n times * n times = 2n3 binary operations

This is much better than our other algorithm (> n4 operations)

Group work!
Let A = {0, 1, 2, 3} and let R = {(0,1), (1,1), (1,2), (2,0), (2,2), (3,0)}
Problem 1: Find the reflexive closure of R
Problem 2: Find the symmetric closure of R

Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4} and let R = {(2,1), (2,3), (3,1), (3,4), (4,1), (4,3)}
Problem 3: Draw R as a graph
Problem 4: Use our first algorithm to find the transitive closure of R
Problem 5: Use Warshalls algorithm to find the transitive closure of R

Final Thoughts
Closures of relations have many uses in computer science
Computing reflexive and symmetric closures is easy!
Transitive closures take more work to do right
l Intuitive algorithm: 2n3(n-1) bit operations
l Warshalls algorithm: 2n3 bit operations