Problem Set Seven

Your Name Here

November 1, 2013.

For all but the last the problem below, we assume that f is a function from
X to Y .
Problem 1 (Ex. 5.5). Suppose that f is surjective. Prove that every A ⊂ X
satisfies
Y r f (A) ⊂ f (X r A).
Show by example that the claim is false if we omit the hypothesis that f is
surjective.
Solution. Suppose y ∈ Y r f (A). By the surjectivity of f there is an x ∈ X
such that f (x) = y. As y 6∈ f (A) we must have x 6∈ A, and so x ∈ X r A.
Therefore y ∈ f (X r A).
Problem 2 (Ex. 5.6). (a) Suppose B ⊂ Y . Prove or give a counterexample
to each of the inclusions

B ⊂ f (f −1 (B)) f (f −1 (B)) ⊂ B.

(b) Suppose f is surjective, and B ⊂ Y . Prove that f (f −1 (B)) = B.

(c) Suppose A ⊂ X. Prove or give a counterexample to each of the inclusions

A ⊂ f −1 (f (A)) f −1 (f (A)) ⊂ A.

(d) Suppose f is injective, and A ⊂ X. Prove that f −1 (f (A)) = A.

Solution.
(a) First we give a counterexample to B ⊂ f (f −1 (B)). Let f : {0} →
− {0, 1}
be defined by f (0) = 0, and take B = {0, 1}.
Now we prove f (f −1 (B)) ⊂ B. If y ∈ f (f −1 (B)) then there is some
x ∈ f −1 (B) such that y = f (x). But x ∈ f −1 (B) implies f (x) ∈ B, and
so also y ∈ B.
(b) The inclusion f (f −1 (B)) ⊂ B was proved above. For the other inclusion
fix a b ∈ B. As f is surjective there is an x ∈ X such that f (x) = b. In
particular f (x) ∈ B, and so x ∈ f −1 (B). But this implies that f (x) ∈
f (f −1 (B), and recalling b = f (x), we deduce b ∈ f (f −1 (B)).

1
 (c) First we prove the inclusion A ⊂ f −1 (f (A)). For any a ∈ A we have
f (a) ∈ f (A). This means precisely that a ∈ f 1 (f (A)).
Here is a counterexample to f −1 (f (A)) ⊂ A. Let f : {0, 1} →
− {2} be
defined by f (x) = 2, and let A = {0}.
(d) The inclusion A ⊂ f −1 (f (A)) was proved above. For the reverse inclusion
fix an x ∈ f −1 (f (A)). Then f (x) ∈ f (A) and so there is an a ∈ A such
that f (x) = f (a). By the injectivity of f , it follows that x = a, and so
x ∈ A.

Problem 3 (Ex. 5.7). (a) Suppose that A, B ⊂ X, and that f is injective.

Prove that
f (A) ⊂ f (B) =⇒ A ⊂ B.

(b) Show that the previous claim is false if we omit the hypothesis that f is
injective.
(c) Suppose that C, D ⊂ Y , and that f is surjective. Prove that

f −1 (C) ⊂ f −1 (D) =⇒ C ⊂ D.

(d) Show that the previous claim is false if we omit the hypothesis that f is
surjective.
Solution.

• Suppose f (A) ⊂ f (B). To show that A ⊂ B, suppose x ∈ A. We need

to deduce that x ∈ B as well. Now, f (x) ∈ f (A), which implies that
f (x) ∈ f (B) since f (A) ⊂ f (B). Then there is some b ∈ B such that
f (b) = f (x). Since f is injective, this implies that x = b, which means
that x ∈ B.

• For a counterexample where f is not injective, consider the function

f : {1, 2} → {1}

which sends every elemnt of the domain to 1 (as any function with this
codomain must do). Let A = {1, 2}, B = {1}. Then f (A) = f (B) = {1},
so, in particular, f (A) ⊂ f (B). On the other hand, A is not a subset of
B.
• Suppose f −1 (C) ⊂ f −1 (D). To show that C ⊂ D, suppose y ∈ C. We
need to deduce that y ∈ D as well. Since f is surjective, there exists
some x ∈ X such that f (x) = y. In particular, x ∈ f −1 (C). But this
implies that x ∈ f −1 (D) as well since f −1 (C) ⊂ f −1 (D). This means
that f (x) ∈ D. But y = f (x), so y ∈ D.

2
 • For a counterexample where f is not surjective, consider the function

f : {1} → {1, 2}

which sends 1 to 1. Let C = {1, 2} and D = {1}. Then f −1 (C) =

f −1 (D) = {1}, so, in particular, f −1 (C) ⊂ f −1 (D). But C is clearly not
a subset of D.

Problem 4. Suppose A1 , A2 ⊂ X. Prove or give a counterexample to:

f (A1 r A2 ) = f (A1 ) r f (A2 ).

Solution. This is false. Let f : R → R be given by f (x) = x2 , with A1 = {1}

and A2 = {−1}. Then A1 r A2 = {1}, so f (A1 r A2 ) = {1}. But f (A1 ) =
f (A2 ) = {1}, so f (A1 ) r f (A2 ) = ∅.
Problem 5 (Ex. 5.9). Suppose f −1 (f (A)) = A holds for every A ⊂ X. Prove
that f is an injection.
Solution. Suppose that x1 , x2 ∈ X, and f (x1 ) = f (x2 ). We must prove that
x1 = x2 .
Let A = {x1 }. For simplicity, write f (x1 ) = f (x2 ) = y. We know that
f (A) = {f (x1 )} = {y}. We also know that x2 ∈ f −1 ({y}) = f −1 (f (A)).
Because f −1 (f (A)) = {x1 }, and x2 ∈ {x1 }, we can conclude that x2 = x1 .
Problem 6 (Ex. 5.10). Suppose we are given functions f, g : R →
− R satisfying

g(x) = f (3x + 2).

(a) If f ([2, 5]) = [10, 20], what is g([0, 1])?

(b) If f −1 ([−10, 10]) = [0, 2], what is g −1 ([−10, 10])?

Solution.
(a) Note that g = f ◦ h, where h : R → − R is the function given by h(x) =
3x + 2. I claim that h([0, 1]) = [2, 5]. To see this, let’s first show that
h([0, 1]) ⊂ [2, 5]. Suppose x ∈ [0, 1]. This means that 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 which
implies that 2 ≤ h(x) ≤ 5. OK, now suppose y ∈ [2, 5]. Let x = (y − 2)/3.
Then h(x) = y and the fact that 2 ≤ y ≤ 5 implies that 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. This
shows that for each y ∈ [2, 5] there is an x ∈ [0, 1] such that h(x) = y.
We have thus shown that h([0, 1]) = [2, 5]. Then, g([0, 1]) = f (h([0, 1])) =
f ([2, 5]) = [10, 20].

(b) The argument here is similar.