FYCS Assignment 1
Discrete Mathematics: Relations and functions
August 10, 2025
Solve the following questions.
1. (a) List all the ordered pairs in the relation
R = {(a, b) | a divides b}
on the set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}.
(b) Display this relation graphically.
(c) Display this relation in tabular form.
2. Determine whether the relation R on the set of all real numbers is
reflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric, and/or transitive, where (x, y) ∈
R if and only if:
(a) x + y = 0.
(b) x = ±y.
(c) x − y is a rational number.
(d) x = 2y.
(e) xy ≥ 0.
(f) xy = 0.
(g) x = 1 or y = 1.
(h) x = 1.
3. Let
R1 = {(1, 2), (2, 3), (3, 4)}, R2 = {(1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 1), (2, 2), (2, 3), (3, 1), (3, 2), (3, 3), (3, 4)}
be relations from {1, 2, 3} to {1, 2, 3, 4}. Find:
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(a) R1 ∪ R2 .
(b) R1 ∩ R2 .
(c) R1 − R2 .
(d) R2 − R1 .
4. Determine whether the relation R on the set of all integers is reflexive,
symmetric, antisymmetric, and/or transitive, where (x, y) ∈ R if and
only if:
(a) x ̸= y.
(b) xy ≥ 1.
(c) x = y + 1 or x = y − 1.
(d) x ≡ y (mod 7).
(e) x is a multiple of y.
(f) x and y are both negative or both nonnegative.
(g) x = y 2 .
(h) x ≥ y 2 .
5. Let R1 and R2 be the “divides” and “is a multiple of” relations on the
set of all positive integers, respectively. That is:
R1 = {(a, b) | a divides b}, R2 = {(a, b) | a is a multiple of b}.
Find:
(a) R1 ∪ R2 .
(b) R1 ∩ R2 .
(c) R1 − R2 .
(d) R2 − R1 .
(e) R1 ⊕ R2 .
6. Which of these relations on {0, 1, 2, 3} are partial orderings? Determine
the properties of a partial ordering that the others lack.
(a) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3)}.
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(b) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (2, 0), (2, 2), (2, 3), (3, 2), (3, 3)}.
(c) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 2), (3, 3)}.
(d) {(0, 0), (1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (2, 2), (2, 3), (3, 3)}.
(e) {(0, 0), (0, 1), (0, 2), (1, 0), (1, 1), (1, 2), (2, 0), (2, 2), (3, 3)}.
7. Which of these are posets? Justify.
(a) (Z, =)
(b) (Z, ̸=)
(c) (Z, ≥)
(d) (Z, ∤)
8. Which of these pairs of elements are comparable in the poset (Z+ , |)?
Justify.
(a) 5, 15
(b) 6, 9
(c) 8, 16
(d) 7, 7
9. Answer these questions for the poset ({3, 5, 9, 15, 24, 45}, |):
(a) Find the maximal elements.
(b) Find the minimal elements.
(c) Is there a greatest element?
(d) Is there a least element?
(e) Find all upper bounds of {3, 5}.
(f) Find the least upper bound of {3, 5}, if it exists.
(g) Find all lower bounds of {15, 45}.
(h) Find the greatest lower bound of {15, 45}, if it exists.
10. Draw the Hasse diagram for divisibility on the set:
(a) {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}.
(b) {1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13}.
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(c) {1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48}.
(d) {1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64}.
11. Is (S, R) a poset if S is the set of all people in the world and (a, b) ∈ R,
where a and b are people, if:
(a) a is no shorter than b?
(b) a weighs more than b?
(c) a = b or a is a descendant of b?
(d) a and b do not have a common friend?
12. Determine whether these posets are lattices:
(a) ({1, 3, 6, 9, 12}, |).
(b) ({1, 5, 25, 125}, |).
(c) (Z, ≥).
(d) (P (S), ⊇), where P (S) is the power set of a set.
13. Determine whether each of these functions is a bijection from R to R.
(a) f (x) = 2x + 1
(b) f (x) = x2 + 1
(c) f (x) = x3
x2 + 1
(d) f (x) =
x2 + 2
14. Determine whether each of these functions from {a, b, c, d} to itself is
one-to-one.
(a) f (a) = b, f (b) = a, f (c) = c, f (d) = d
(b) f (a) = b, f (b) = b, f (c) = d, f (d) = c
(c) f (a) = d, f (b) = b, f (c) = c, f (d) = d
15. Determine whether f : Z × Z → Z is onto if:
(a) f (m, n) = 2m − n
(b) f (m, n) = m2 − n2
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(c) f (m, n) = m + n + 1
(d) f (m, n) = |m| − |n|
(e) f (m, n) = m2 − 4
16. Suppose that g is a function from A to B and f is a function from B
to C.
(a) Show that if both f and g are one-to-one functions, then f ◦ g is
also one-to-one.
(b) Show that if both f and g are onto functions, then f ◦ g is also
onto.
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x
17. Let f (x) = . Find f (S) if:
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(a) S = {−2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3}
(b) S = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
(c) S = {1, 5, 7, 11}
(d) S = {2, 6, 10, 14}
18. Show that the function f (x) = ax + b from R to R, where a and b are
constants with a ̸= 0, is invertible, and find the inverse of f .
19. Let f be the function from R to R defined by f (x) = x2 . Find:
(a) f −1 ({1})
(b) f −1 ({x | 0 < x < 1})
(c) f −1 ({x | x > 4})
20. Let g(x) = ⌊x⌋. Find:
(a) g −1 ({0})
(b) g −1 ({−1, 0, 1})
(c) g −1 ({x | 0 < x < 1})
