Function

s and
Relations

Let X and Y be two sets. A set of

ordered pairs (x, y), where x is an
element of X and y is in Y, is
called a
relation if every element of X
can be paired with at least one
element of Y.
function if every element of X
can be paired with exactly one
element of Y.

Consider the following sets:

X = {dog, cat, lion, sheep}
Y = {cub, puppy, lamb,
kitten}
Observe that the elements of
the two sets can be paired off
naturally. The set of ordered
pairs we can form may look like
this:
{ (dog , puppy) , (cat,kitten) ,
(lion,cub) , (sheep,lamb)}

These sets of ordered pairs

represent the following
correspondence between the
elements of the two sets:
dog
puppy
cat
kitten
lion
cub
sheep
lamb
Note that each element of the
first set X is paired with exactly
one element of the second set Y.
In short, this is an example of a
function since animals can only
paired with one and only one

Now look at this other pair of sets:

A = {sour, sweet, bitter, spicy}
B = {ice cream, chili pepper,
vinegar, ampalaya, cake}
Based on the taste, you would
probably form the following set
of ordered pairs using the
elements of sets A and B:
{ (sour, vinegar) , (sweet, ice
cream) , (sweet, cake) , (bitter,
ampalaya) , (spicy, chili
pepper)}

The second set of ordered pairs

is not a function because the
element sweet of set A is paired
with two elements of set B (hence
more than one), namely, ice
cream and cake. Thus, the
pairing of the elements of A and B is
merely
a
relation.
Observe that the definition
implies that all functions are
relations, but not vice versa. Hence,
the first set of ordered pairs
involving animals and their young is
both a function and a relation.

In your study of mathematics,

most of the functions that you will
meet involve sets of numbers. Since
many of these sets are infinite, it is
not practical to list the ordered pairs
that form the function or relation.
Consider the following example:
Let X = the set of all nonnegative
integers
Y = the sets of all integers
Suppose that an element of x
of X is paired with an element y of
Y if the absolute value of y is
equal to x. Hence, one possible
ordered pair is (1,-1) since the

Since the number of ordered pairs

that comprise this relation is infinite,
it is better to describe It by using
the rule method for describing sets.
Thus we can write
{(x, y) : x = |y|, x X, y Y}
The ordered pairs (1,-1) and (1,1)
are both in this set since 1 and -1
have the same absolute value 1.
This shows that elements of X can
be paired with more than one
element of Y, and so this relation is
not a function.

Exercises:
1. Which of the following sets of ordered
pairs are functions? Which of them are
only relations? Explain your answers.
a. {(0,0) , (1,-1) , (-3,3) , (2,-2) , (-5,5) ,
(7,-7)}
b. {(x, y) : x is a positive integer, y is a
factor of x}
c. {(1,2) , (-2,-4) , (3,6) , (4,8) , (-7,-14) ,
(0,0)}
d. {(4,2) , (4,-2) , (1,1) , (1,-1) , (9,3) , (9,3) , (25,5) , (25,-5)}
e. {(x, y) : x is a positive real number, and
y is the principal square root of x}

2. Give the defining equation for each of