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17.6: Exercises

  • Page ID
    93823
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    Directed graph for a relation.

    In each of Exercises 1–4, you are given a relation on a specific set. Draw a directed graph that represents the relation.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

    Relation \(\subsetneqq\) on \(\mathscr{P}(\{a,b,c\})\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

    Relation \(\lt\) on \(\{1,2,3,4\}\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

    Relation \(\equiv_3\) on \(\mathbb{N}_{<13}\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)

    Relation “has the same number of occurrences of the letter \(\mathrm{a}\) as” on \(\Sigma^\ast_4\) for alphabet \(\Sigma = \{a, z\}\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{5}\)

    Recall that a relation on a set \(A\) is just a subset of the Cartesian product \(A \times A\text{.}\) Write out all relations on the set \(A = \{a,b\}\) as subsets of \(A \times A\text{.}\) Which of these relations are reflexive? Symmetric? Antisymmetric? Transitive?

    Testing reflexivity/symmetry/antisymmetry/transitivity.

    In each of Exercises 6–17, you are given a relation on a specific set. Determine which of the properties reflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric, and transitive the given relation possesses.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{6}\)

    Relation \(\lt\) on \(\mathbb{R}\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{7}\)

    Relation \(\mathord{\ge}\) on \(\mathbb{R}\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{8}\)

    Relation \(\mathord{\vert}\) on \(\mathbb{Z}\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{9}\)

    Relation \(\mathord{\subseteq}\) on \(\mathscr{P}{X}\text{,}\) where \(X\) is an arbitrary, unspecified set.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{10}\)

    Relation “is taller than” on the set of all living humans.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{11}\)

    Relation “is parallel to” on the set of all straight lines in the plane.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{12}\)

    Relation “is perpendicular to” on the set of all straight lines in the plane.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{13}\)

    Relation “has the same length as” on \(\Sigma^\ast\text{,}\) where \(\Sigma\) is an arbitrary, unspecified alphabet set.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{14}\)

    Relation “is shorter than” on \(\Sigma^\ast\text{,}\) where \(\Sigma\) is an arbitrary, unspecified alphabet set.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{15}\)

    Relation “contains the same number of occurrences of the letter \(x\) as” on \(\Sigma^\ast\text{,}\) where \(\Sigma\) is an arbitrary, unspecified alphabet set and \(x\) is some fixed choice of letter in \(\Sigma\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{16}\)

    Relation \(\Leftrightarrow\) on the set of all logical statements involving the statement variables \(p_1,p_2,p_3,\ldots\text{.}\)

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{17}\)

    Relation \(R\) defined by “\(a_1 \mathrel{R} a_2\) if \(f(a_1) = f(a_2)\)” on a set \(A\text{,}\) where \(f: A \rightarrow B\) is an arbitrary, unspecified function.

    Properties of relations reflected in their graphs.

    In each of Exercises 18–19, you are given a list of properties. Draw the directed graph of a relation on the set \(\{a,b,c,d\}\) that possesses the given properties.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{18}\)

    Symmetric and transitive, but neither reflexive nor antisymmetric.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{19}\)

    Reflexive, antisymmetric, and transitive, but not symmetric.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{20}\)

    Prove that a relation is symmetric if and only if it is equivalent to its own inverse relation.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{21}\)

    As described in Section 17.3, the definition of antisymmetric relation can be formulated in symbolic language as

    \begin{equation*} (\forall a_1 \in A)(\forall a_2 \in A)(a_1 \neq a_2 \Rightarrow a_1\ \not R\ a_2 \lor a_2\ \not R\ a_1) \text{.} \end{equation*}
    Prove that each of the two conditionals provided in the Antisymmetric Relation Test are equivalent to the symbolic formulation of the definition of antisymmetric given above.

    Exercise \(\PageIndex{22}\)

    Suppose \(R\) is a relation on a set \(A\) that is both symmetric and antisymmetric. Prove that \(R\) is a subset of the identity relation \(\{(x,x)\vert x \in A\}\text{.}\)


    This page titled 17.6: Exercises is shared under a GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jeremy Sylvestre via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.