CmSc175 Discrete Mathematics

Lesson 16: Basic Properties of Binary Relations on a Set

Definitions:
Let R be a binary relation on a set A.
1. R is reflexive, iff for all x A, (x,x) R, i.e. xRx is true.
2. R is symmetric, iff for all x, y A, if (x, y) R, then (y, x) R
i.e xRy yRx is true
3. R is transitive iff for all x, y, z A, if (x, y) R and (y,z) R , then (x, z) R
i.e. (xRy yRz) xRz is true

A. Reflexive relations
Let R be a binary relation on a set A.
R is reflexive, iff for all x A, (x,x) R, i.e. xRx is true.
1. Examples:
1. Equality is a reflexive relation
for any object x:
x = x is true.
2. "less then" (defined on the set of real numbers) is not a reflexive relation.
for any number x:
x < x is not true
3. " less then or equal to" (defined on the set of real numbers) is a reflexive relation
for any number x
x x is true
4. A = {1,2,3,4}, R = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,2), (2,3), (3,3), (3,4), (4,4)}
5. A = {1,2,3,4}, R = {(1,2), (2,3), (3,4), (4,1)} - not reflexive
6. A = {1,2,3,4}, R = {(1,1), (1,2), (3,4), (4,4)} - not reflexive

2. Graph representation of reflexive relations

Rule: if xRx is true, there is a loop on node x.
Example:
A:= {1,2,3}
R = "less then or equal to"
R = {(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(2,2),(2,3),(3,3)}

3. Matrix representation of reflexive relations

1
2
3

1
0
0

1
1
0

1
1
1

4. Reflexive and irreflexive relations

Compare the three examples below:
1. A = {1,2,3,4}, R1 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,2), (2,3), (3,3), (3,4), (4,4)}
2. A = {1,2,3,4}, R2 = {(1,2), (2,3), (3,4), (4,1)}
3. A = {1,2,3,4}, R3= {(1,1), (1,2), (3,4), (4,4)}
R1 is a reflexive relation. R2 ? R3 ?
Definition: Let R be a binary relation on a set A.
R is irreflexive iff for all x A, (x,x) R
Definition: Let R be a binary relation on a set A.
R is neither reflexive, nor irreflexive iff
there is x A, such that (x, x) R. and there is y A such that (y, y) R
Thus R2 is irreflexive, R3 is neither reflexive nor irreflexive.

reflexive:
irreflexive:
neither:

for all x: xRx

for no x: xRx
for some x: xRx is true, for some y: yRy is false

B. Symmetric relations
R is symmetric, iff for all x, y A, if (x, y) R, then (y, x) R
i.e xRy yRx is true
This means: if two elements x and y are in relation R, then y and x are also in R, i.e. if
xRy is true, yRx is also true.
1. Examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

equality is a symmetric relation: if a = b then b = a

"less than" is not a symmetric relation : if a < b is true then b < a is false
"sister" on the set of females is symmetric
"sister" on the set of all human beings is not symmetric
"friends" - symmetric: friend(a,b) friend(b,a)
A = {1,2,3,4}, R1 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (2,3), (3,2), (4,4)}
A = {1,2,3,4}, R2 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1) , (2,3), (4,4)} - not symmetric
A = {1,2,3,4}, R3 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,3), (4,4)} - not symmetric

2. Graph representation of symmetric relations

Rule: if R is a symmetric relation, all links are bi-directional
Example:
friend(x,y), x,y {Ann, Tim, Paul, Jane, Jim}

Ann

Tim

Paul

Jane

Jim

3. Matrix representation of symmetric relations

Ann

Tim

Paul Jane Jim

Ann

Tim

Paul 0

Jane 0

Jim

The matrix is symmetric.

4. Symmetric and anti-symmetric relations
Compare the relations:
1. A = {1,2,3,4}, R1 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (2,3), (3,2), (4,4)}
2. A = {1,2,3,4}, R2 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,3), (4,4)}
3. A = {1,2,3,4}, R3 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1) , (2,3), (4,4)}
Definition: Let R be a binary relation on a set A.
R is anti-symmetric if for all x, y A, x y, if (x, y) R, then (y, x) R.
Definition: R is neither symmetric nor anti-symmetric iff it is not symmetric and not
anti-symmetric.
symmetric:
xRy yRx for all x and y
anti-symmetric:
xRy and yRx x = y
neither: for some x and y: xRy, and yRx
for others xRy is true, yRx is not true

C. Transitive relations
Let R be a binary relation on a set A.
R is transitive iff for all x, y, z A, if (x, y) R and (y,z) R , then (x, z) R
i.e. (xRy yRz) xRz is true
1. Examples:
1. Equality is a transitive relation a = b, b = c, hence a = c
2. "less than" is a transitive relation a < b, b < c, hence a < c
3. mother_of(x,y) is not a transitive relation
4. sister(x,y) is a transitive relation
5. brother (x,y) is a transitive relation.
6. A = {1,2,3,4} R = {(1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (2,3), (4,3)} - transitive
7. A = {1,2,3,4} R = {(1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (2,3), (3,4)} - not transitive

2. Graph representation of transitive relations

Rule: if there is a link from a to b, and a link from b to c, then there must be a link from a
to c.
Example:
A = {1,2,3,4}
R = {(1,2), (1,3), (1,4),(2,3),(2,4),(3,4)}
This is the relation "less than"

2
1

Problems:
1. Determine the relevant properties of the following relations on the set A = {1,2,3}
R1 = {(1,1), (1,2), (2,1), (2,2), (2,3), (3,2), (3,3)}
Reflexive

irreflexive

neither

Symmetric

anti-symmetric

neither

Transitive

not transitive

R2 = {(1,2), (2,3), (3,2)}

Reflexive

irreflexive

neither

Symmetric

anti-symmetric

neither

Transitive

not transitive

R3 = {(1,2),(2,2), (2,3), (1,3)}

Reflexive

irreflexive

neither

Symmetric

anti-symmetric

neither

Transitive

not transitive

2. Give examples of relations on the set A = {1,2,3,4} with the following properties:
a. reflexive, symmetric, not transitive

b. reflexive, neither symmetric nor anti-symmetric, not transitive

c. reflexive, anti-symmetric, transitive

d. neither reflexive not irreflexive, symmetric, transitive.

3. Determine the properties (reflexivity, symmetry, transitivity) of the following relations

defined on the set of natural numbers:
a. R = {(x, y) | x = y2 }
b. R = {(x, y) | x > y }
c. R = {(x, y) | x y }
d. R = {(x, y) | p : x y = 3p }
e. R = {(x, y) | p : x + 2y = 3p }

4. Let X be a nonempty set. Define a relation on P(X), the power set of X, as

R = {(A, B) | A B}
Determine the properties of R.

5. Let R and S be reflexive relations on a set X. Prove or disprove the reflexivity of the
following relations:
a. R S
b. R S
c. R S
d. R -1

6. Let R and S be symmetric relations on a set X. Prove or disprove the symmetry of the
following relations:
a. R S
b. R S
c. R S
d. R -1

7. Let R and S be anti-symmetric relations on a set X. Prove or disprove the antisymmetry of the following relations:
a. R S
b. R S
c. R S
d. R -1

8. Let R and S be transitive relations on a set X. Prove or disprove the transitivity of the
following relations:
a. R S
b. R S
c. R S
d. R -1

9. Let R and S be non-transitive relations on a set X. Prove or disprove the nontransitivity of the following relations:
a. R S
b. R S
c. R S
d. R -1

10. What is wrong with the following proof, which supposedly shows that any relation R
on X that is symmetric and transitive is reflexive?
Let x, y X. Since R is symmetric, we have: (x, y) R and (y, x) R. Since R
is transitive, we have (x, x) R. Therefore R is reflexive.