Functions

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 More function terminology
• f: X  Y
– f is the function name
– X is the domain
– Y is the co-domain
– xX yY f sends x to y
– f(x) = y f of x; the value of f at x ; the image of x under f

• A total function is a relationship between elements of

the domain and elements of the co-domain where
each and every element of the domain relates to
one and only one value in the co-domain. A partial
function does not need to map every element of the
domain
 Formal definitions
• The range of f is {y  Y | (x  X)[f(x) = y]}
–where X is the domain and Y is the co-domain
• The inverse image of y  Y is
{x  X | f(x) = y}
–the set of things in the domain X that map to y
• Arrow diagrams
Determining if something is a function using an arrow
diagram
• Equality of functions
( functions f,g with the same domain X and
codomain Y) [f = g iff (x  X)[f(x) = g(x)] ]
 Function terminology
f maps R to Z

R f Z
Domain Co-domain

f(4.3)

4.3 4

Pre-image of 4 Image of 4.3

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 More functions
A pre-image The image
Domain Co-domain of 1 of A

Alice A “a” 1
Bob B “bb“ 2
Chris C “cccc” 3
Dave D “dd” 4
Emma F “e” 5

A class grade function A string length function

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 Even more functions

Range

a 1 “a” 1
e 2 “bb“ 2
i 3 “cccc” 3
o 4 “dd” 4
u 5 “e” 5

Some function… Not a valid function!

Also not a valid function!

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 Function arithmetic
• Let f1(x) = 2x
• Let f2(x) = x2

• f1+f2 = (f1+f2)(x) = f1(x)+f2(x) = 2x+x2

• f1*f2 = (f1*f2)(x) = f1(x)*f2(x) = 2x*x2 = 2x3

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 Types of functions
• F:X  Y is a one-to-one (or injective) function iff
(x1,x2  X)[F(x1) = F(x2)  x1 = x2], or
alternatively
(x1,x2  X)[x1  x2  F(x1)  F(x2)]

• F: X Y is not a one-to-one function iff

(x1,x2  X)[(F(x1) = F(x2)) ^ (x1  x2)]
 One-to-one functions
• A function is one-to-one if each element in the
co-domain has a unique pre-image
– Meaning no 2 values map to the same result

a 1 a 1
e 2 e 2
i 3 i 3
o 4 o 4
5 5

A one-to-one function A function that is

not one-to-one
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 More on one-to-one
• Injective is synonymous with one-to-one
– “A function is injective”
• A function is an injection if it is one-to-one

• Note that there can a 1

be un-used elements e 2

in the co-domain i 3
o 4
5

A one-to-one function
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 Onto functions
• F: X  Y is an onto (or surjective) function iff
(y  Y)(x  X)[F(x) = y]

• F: X  Y is not an onto function iff

(y  Y)(x  X)[F(x)  y]

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 Onto functions
• A function is onto if each element in the co-
domain is an image of some pre-image
– Meaning all elements in the right are mapped to

a 1 a 1
e 2 e 2
i 3 i 3
o 4 o 4
u 5

An onto function A function that

is not onto
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 More on onto
• Surjective is synonymous with onto
– “A function is surjective”
• A function is an surjection if it is onto

• Note that there can a 1

be multiply used e 2

elements in the i 3
o 4
co-domain
u

An onto function
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 Onto vs. one-to-one
• Are the following functions onto, one-to-one,
both, or neither?
a 1 a 1
a 1
b 2 b 2
b 2
c 3 c 3
c 3
4 d 4
4
1-to-1, not onto Both 1-to-1 and onto Not a valid function

a 1 a 1
b 2 b 2
c 3 c 3
d d 4
Onto, not 1-to-1 Neither 1-to-1 nor onto 14
 Bijections
• Consider a function that is a 1
b 2
both one-to-one and onto:
c 3
d 4
F: X  Y is bijective iff F: X  Y is one-to-one and
onto
If F: X  Y is bijective then it has an inverse
function

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 Proving functions one-to-one
and onto
f: R  R f(x) = 3x  4

• Prove or give a counterexample that f is one-to-one

– recall the definition (one of two definitions) of one-to-one
is

(x1 , x2  R ) [ f ( x1 )  f ( x2 )  x1  x2 ]
• Prove or give a counterexample that f is onto
– recall the definition of onto is
(y  R ) (x  R ) [ f ( x)  y ]
 Identity functions
• A function such that the image and the pre-
image are ALWAYS equal

• f(x) = 1*x
• f(x) = x + 0

• The domain and the co-domain must be the

same set

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 Inverse functions
Let f(x) = 2*x

R f R

f-1

f(4.3)
4.3 8.6
f-1(8.6)

Then f-1(x) = x/2

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 More on inverse functions
• Can we define the inverse of the following functions?

a 1 a 1
b 2 b 2
c 3 c 3
4 d

What is f-1(2)? What is f-1(2)?

Not onto! Not 1-to-1!

• An inverse function can ONLY be done defined on a

bijection
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 Compositions of functions
• Let (f ○ g)(x) = f(g(x))

• Let f(x) = 2x+3 Let g(x) = 3x+2

• g(1) = 5, f(5) = 13

• Thus, (f ○ g)(1) = f(g(1)) = 13

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 Compositions of functions
f○g

A B C
g f

g(a) f(a)

a f(g(a))
g(a)

(f ○ g)(a)

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 Compositions of functions
Let f(x) = 2x+3 f○g
Let g(x) = 3x+2
R R R
g f

g(1) f(5)
f(g(1))=13
1
g(1)=5

(f ○ g)(1)

f(g(x)) = 2(3x+2)+3 = 6x+7

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 Compositions of functions
Does f(g(x)) = g(f(x))?

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

f(g(x)) = 2(3x+2)+3 = 6x+7

Not equal!
g(f(x)) = 3(2x+3)+2 = 6x+11

Function composition is not commutative!

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 Graphs of functions f(x)=3
x=1

Let f(x)=2x+1

Plot (x, f(x)) f(x)=5

x=2

This is a plot
of f(x)
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 Useful functions
• Floor: x means take the greatest integer less
than or equal to the number

• Ceiling: x means take the lowest integer

greater than or equal to the number

• round(x) = floor(x+0.5)

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 Sample floor/ceiling questions
• Find these values

 1.1 1
 1.1 2
 -0.1 -1
 -0.1 0
 2.99 3
 -2.99 -2
 ½+½ ½+1 = 3/2 = 1
 ½ + ½ + ½ 0 + 1 + ½ = 3/2 = 2

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 Ceiling and floor properties
Let n be an integer
(1a) x = n if and only if n ≤ x < n+1
(1b) x = n if and only if n-1 < x ≤ n
(1c) x = n if and only if x-1 < n ≤ x
(1d) x = n if and only if x ≤ n < x+1
(2) x-1 < x ≤ x ≤ = x < x+1
(3a) -x = - x
(3b) -x = - x
(4a) x+n = x+n
(4b) x+n = x+n

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 Ceiling property proof
• Prove rule 4a: x+n = x+n
– Where n is an integer
– Will use rule 1a: x = n if and only if n ≤ x < n+1
• Direct proof!
– Let m = x
– Thus, m ≤ x < m+1 (by rule 1a)
– Add n to both sides: m+n ≤ x+n < m+n+1
– By rule 4a, m+n = x+n
– Since m = x, m+n also equals x+n
– Thus, x+n = m+n = x+n

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 Factorial
• Factorial is denoted by n!

• n! = n * (n-1) * (n-2) * … * 2 * 1

• Thus, 6! = 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 720

• Note that 0! is defined to equal 1

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 Proving function problems
• Let f be a function from A to B, and let S and T
be subsets of A. Show that

a ) f ( S T )  f ( S )  f (T )
b) f ( S T )  f ( S )  f (T )

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 Proving function problems
• f(SUT) = f(S) U f(T)
• Will show that each side is a subset of the other
• Two cases!
• Show that f(SUT)  f(S) U f(T)
– Let b  f(SUT). Thus, b=f(a) for some aS U T
– Either aS, in which case bf(S)
– Or aT, in which case bf(T)
– Thus, bf(S) U f(T)
• Show that f(S) U f(T)  f(S U T)
– Let b  f(S) U f(T)
– Either b  f(S) or b  f(T) (or both!)
– Thus, b = f(a) for some a  S or some a  T
– In either case, b = f(a) for some a  S U T

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 Proving function problems
• f(S∩T)  f(S) ∩ f(T)

• Let b  f(S∩T). Then b = f(a) for some a  S∩T

• This implies that a  S and a  T
• Thus, b  f(S) and b  f(T)
• Therefore, b  f(S) ∩ f(T)

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 Proving function problems
• Let f be an invertible function from Y to Z
• Let g be an invertible function from X to Y
• Show that the inverse of f○g is:
– (f○g)-1 = g-1 ○ f-1

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 Proving function problems

• Thus, we want to show,  f  g  g  f ( z ) z

1 1

for all zZ and xX g  f   f  g ( x) x

1 1

 f  g  g 1
   
 f  1 ( z )  f  g  g  1  f  1 ( z )
 f  g g  f ( z ) 
1 1

 f g g  f ( z ) 
1 1

 f f ( z)
1

z
• The second equality is similar
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