Chapter 1 out of 37 from Discrete Mathematics for Neophytes: Number Theory, Probability, Algorithms, and Other Stuff by J. M.

Cargal

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Relations

This book starts with one of its most abstract topics, so don't let the abstract nature deter
you. Relations are quite simple but like virtually all simple mathematical concepts they have
their subtle aspects. Relations are defined on collections (or sets) of objects. The objects are
usually numbers but can be anything. For example our collection of objects could be
{1, 2, 3, a, c, L, Ì}. Also the collections could be infinite like the set of natural numbers:
{1, 2, 3, ... }. In this book we will almost always use finite collections.
By a relation, we mean a collection of ordered pairs from the collection of objects. For
example, on the collection of objects {1, 2, 3, a, c, L, Ì}, we can define the relation {(1,2) (2,a)
(L,2) (2,L)}. The pairs are said to be ordered because we consider (1,2) and (2,1) to be
different pairs. Since we are only dealing with ordered pairs instead of, say, ordered triples we
are actually using binary relations.

Why Do We Use the Word Relation?

Consider the collection of objects {Bob, Ted, Carol, and Alice}. The relation marriage
might be defined as {(Bob, Alice) (Alice, Bob) (Ted, Carol) (Carol, Ted)}. Here each pair
represents a married couple. We have both (Bob, Alice) and (Alice, Bob) because Bob is
married to Alice and Alice is married to Bob. The relation older might be defined as {(Bob,
Ted) (Bob, Alice) (Bob, Carol) (Alice, Ted) (Alice, Carol) (Carol, Ted)}. ( In each case the older
person is on the left.) In this instance Bob is the eldest person, Alice is the next oldest, then
Carol, and Ted is the youngest. Note that the ordered pairs can be written in any order.
Given the collection of numbers {1, 2, 3, B) we can define the relation larger as {(B, 3)
(B, 2)(B, 1) (3, 2) (3, 1) (2, 1)}. The relation equality is given by {(B,B) (3, 3) (2, 2) (1, 1)}.
The relation greater than or equal to is given by {(B, 3) (B, 2)(B, 1) (3, 2) (3, 1) (2, 1) (B,B)
(3, 3) (2, 2) (1, 1)}.

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Chapter 1 out of 37 from Discrete Mathematics for Neophytes: Number Theory, Probability, Algorithms, and Other Stuff by J. M. Cargal

Functions
Functions are a type of relation of great importance throughout mathematics. In this
book we will not deal with the function concept; functions are given here only as an example.1
A relation is a function if and only if no element occurs as a first element in more than one
ordered pairs. Suppose for example that we have a relation, ú, defined on the natural numbers
(positive integers). ú then is a collection of ordered pairs of natural numbers. If ú is a function
and (3,9) belongs to ú then there is no other ordered pair beginning with 3. However, there can
be other ordered pairs ending with 9. A good way of thinking of functions is with each pair
consisting of an input and an output. The second element is the output corresponding to the first
element. In particular we say that the second element is a function of the first element. Note that
in the example above where the relation is marriage the relation is also a function. However,
in a society that is not monogamous the marriage relation is not a function.

Permutations
Another type of relation (which also happens to be a function) is a permutation. A
permutation can be thought of informally as a rearrangement. For example, the purpose of
shuffling cards is to permute the deck. In a permutation (of a finite set) each element occurs
once and only once as a first element and once and only once as a second element.2 Given the
set {1, 2, 3, 4} the relation {(1,2) (2,3) (3,1) (4,4)} is a permutation. A perfectly good way of
thinking of permutations are like the game musical chairs. In this particular example 1 moved
to 2's seat; 2 moved to 3's seat; 3 moved to 1's seat, and 4 sat back in his old seat.

1
We can use various functions without making explicit use of the function concept.
2
This definition is only valid for permutations on finite sets. For the more advanced
readers, we can say that a permutation of a non-empty (possibly infinite) set is a one-to-one
mapping from the set onto itself.

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Chapter 1 out of 37 from Discrete Mathematics for Neophytes: Number Theory, Probability, Algorithms, and Other Stuff by J. M. Cargal

Some New Notation

Instead of writing that (1,2), (2,1) and (2,3) belong to the relation ú it is easier to write
that 1-2 and 2-1 and that 2-3, with some symbol like - which is often specific to that relation.
This is the way that relations are usually written. For example, we do not say that (2,2) belongs
to the equality relation; instead we say 2 = 2.

Equivalence Relations

A particularly important type of relation which we will use later are equivalence
relations. An equivalence relation has three properties:
< For any object, say A, A-A. (An object is equivalent to itself).
< If A-B, then B-A. (If A is equivalent to B, B is equivalent to A.)
< If A-B and B-C then A-C.
(If A is equivalent to B and B is equivalent to C, then A is equivalent to C.)

These properties are respectively known as reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity.1 For
example, given the objects {1, 2, 3, 4} if ú is an equivalence relation on these objects, then ú
must contain at least the pairs {(1,1) (2,2) (3,3) (4,4)} because of the reflexivity property. If it
contains the pair (3,2) it must contain the pair (2,3) because of the symmetry property. If ú
contains the pairs (2,3) and (3,1) it must contain the pair (2,1) because of the transitivity
property.
The prototype equivalence relation is equality itself. Equality always satisfies the three
rules given above. However, if we look at the relations < (less than) and # (less than or equal
to) defined on the integers, they violate the property of symmetry.

1
I have to give the names of these properties or mathematicians would shun me.

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Chapter 1 out of 37 from Discrete Mathematics for Neophytes: Number Theory, Probability, Algorithms, and Other Stuff by J. M. Cargal

Partitions
If we have an equivalence relation then we have a partition (and vice versa). A partition
is a collection of classes of objects, such that every object belongs to one and only one class.
(A room divider partitions the objects of its room.) If - is an equivalence relation and A-B, we
say that A and B belong to the same equivalence class, or the same partition class (they are the
same thing). Similarly, if we have a partition of objects, we define the equivalence relation A-B
whenever A and B belong to the same partition class.

Example Hopefully an example will

make this much clearer.
Figure 1 is a partition with
four classes represented by
four boxes. What makes it a
partition is each element is in a
class and no element is in two
classes. Now we will deduce
the equivalence relation
Figure 1 A Partition With Eight
implied by this partition. We Elements and Four Classes
say that two elements are
related if and only if they belong to the same class. This means that each element
is related to itself; for example a-a. This is the property of reflexivity. In this
example a-d, but we also have d-a; that is the property of symmetry. We do not
have a-b since a and b are in different partition classes. It is not hard to see that
in a partition that the property of transitivity will also hold. For example, b-g
and g-f imply b-f.

It is important to understand that if we have an equivalence relation - (on some set of

objects) that we can partition the objects by that relation. We simply put two objects x and y in

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Chapter 1 out of 37 from Discrete Mathematics for Neophytes: Number Theory, Probability, Algorithms, and Other Stuff by J. M. Cargal

the same class if and only if x-y. It is thus true that there is an equivalence between partitions
and equivalence relations.

The topics discussed so far are abstract. It is not required or expected that you
master these concepts. However, if you are a mathematics major or any
serious student of the mathematical sciences you will have to master these
concepts at some time.