Discrete Mathematics and its Applications (8th Edition)
2021/04/07 - Functions and Cardinality of Sets
2 Basic Structures: Sets, Functions, Sequences, Sums, and Matrices
2.3 Functions
2.3.2 One-to-One and Onto Functions
Injection
A function f is said to be one-to-one, or an injection, if and only if f ( a ) = f ( b ) f (a) = f (b) f(a)=f(b) implies that a = b a = b a=b for all a and b in the domain of f f f. A function is said to be injective if it is one-to-one.
Surjection
A function f f f from A A A to B B B is called onto, or a surjection, if and only if for every element b ∈ B b \in B b∈B there is an element a ∈ A a \in A a∈A with f ( a ) = b f(a) = b f(a)=b. A function f f f is called surjective if it is onto.
Bijection
The function f is a one-to-one correspondence, or a bijection, if it is both one-to-one and onto. We also say that such a function is bijective.
Example: If f : A → A f:A\rightarrow A f:A→A is injective, then it mist be surjective, so it is also bijective. True or False? Why?
Solution: If A A A is a finite set, it is obviously true. However, if it is infinite, then it is false.
To show
Suppose that
f
:
A
→
B
f : A \rightarrow B
f:A→B.
To show that
f
f
f is injective: Show that if
f
(
x
)
=
f
(
y
)
f(x) = f(y)
f(x)=f(y) for arbitrary
x
,
y
∈
A
x,y \in A
x,y∈A, then
x
=
y
x = y
x=y.
To show that
f
f
f is not injective: Find particular elements
x
,
y
∈
A
x, y \in A
x,y∈A such that
x
≠
y
x \ne y
x=y and
f
(
x
)
=
f
(
y
)
f (x) = f (y)
f(x)=f(y).
To show that
f
f
f is surjective: Consider an arbitrary element
y
∈
B
y \in B
y∈B and find an element
x
∈
A
x \in A
x∈A such that
f
(
x
)
=
y
f (x) = y
f(x)=y.
To show that
f
f
f is not surjective: Find a particular
y
∈
B
y \in B
y∈B such that
f
(
x
)
≠
y
f(x) \ne y
f(x)=y for all
x
∈
A
x \in A
x∈A.
2.3.3 Inverse Functions and Compositions of Functions
Inverse Functions
Let f f f be a one-to-one correspondence from the set A A A to the set B B B. The inverse function of f f f is the function that assigns to an element b b b belonging to B B B the unique element a in A A A such that f ( a ) = b f(a) = b f(a)=b. The inverse function of f is denoted by f − 1 f^{−1} f−1. Hence, f − 1 ( b ) = a f^{−1}(b) = a f−1(b)=a when f ( a ) = b f(a) = b f(a)=b.
Compositions of Functions
Let g g g be a function from the set A A A to the set B B B and let f f f be a function from the set B B B to the set C C C. The composition of the functions f f f and g g g, denoted for all a ∈ A a \in A a∈A by f ∘ g f\circ g f∘g, is the function from A A A to C C C defined by ( f ∘ g ) ( a ) = f ( g ( a ) ) (f\circ g)(a)=f(g(a)) (f∘g)(a)=f(g(a))
2.3.5 Some Important Functions
floor and ceiling function
2.5 Cardinality of Sets
The sets A A A and B B B have the same cardinality if and only if there is a one-to-one correspondence from A A A to B B B. When A A A and B B B have the same cardinality, we write ∣ A ∣ = ∣ B ∣ |A| = |B| ∣A∣=∣B∣.
A set that is either finite or has the same cardinality as the set of positive integers is called countable. A set that is not countable is called uncountable. When an infinite set S S S is countable, we denote the cardinality of S S S by ℵ 0 \aleph_0 ℵ0 (where ℵ \aleph ℵ is aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet). We write ∣ S ∣ = ℵ 0 |S| = \aleph_0 ∣S∣=ℵ0 and say that S S S has cardinality “aleph null.”
Remark:
- The positive rational numbers are countable.
- The real numbers are uncountable.
Assignment
Section 2.3
1, 5(a)(b)(d), 21, 23, 41, 51, 71
Section 2.5
3, 11, 13, 29, 37
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2021 Teddy van Jerry
This blog is licensed under the CC 4.0 Licence.
See also
Teddy van Jerry’s CSDN Homepage
Teddy van Jerry’s GitHub Homepage