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Activities 17.5 Activities

Activity 17.1.

In each of the following, describe the requested combination of relations in words. (That is, in the form โ€œa is related to b if โ€ฆโ€.) Try to โ€œsimplifyโ€ your description, if possible.
In Taskย h and Taskย i, the symbol \(\mathord{\equiv}_k \) represents a relation on \(\Z \text{,}\) where \(m \equiv_k n \) means that \(m \) and \(n \) have the same remainder when divided by \(k \text{.}\) (It may help to know that this is equivalent to \(k \) dividing the difference \(m - n \text{.}\))

(b)

Union of โ€œlonger thanโ€ and โ€œshorter thanโ€ on \(\words{\Sigma} \) for some alphabet \(\Sigma \text{.}\)

(c)

Union of โ€œlonger thanโ€, โ€œshorter thanโ€, and โ€œsame length asโ€ on \(\words{\Sigma} \) for some alphabet \(\Sigma \text{.}\)

(d)

Intersection of โ€œlonger thanโ€ and โ€œshorter thanโ€ on \(\words{\Sigma} \) for some alphabet \(\Sigma \text{.}\)

(g)

The inverse of โ€œ\(x \mathrel{R} y \) if \(2 x + 3 y = 0 \)โ€ on \(\R \text{.}\)

(h)

The intersection of \(\mathord{\equiv_5} \) and \(\mathord{\equiv_7} \) on \(\Z \text{.}\)

(i)

The intersection of \(\mathord{\equiv_2} \) and \(\mathord{\equiv_4} \) on \(\Z \text{.}\)

Activity 17.2.

In each of the following, you are given a set \(A \) and a relation \(R \) on \(A \text{.}\) Determine which of the properties reflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric, and transitive \(R \) possesses.

(b)

\(A \) is the set of all straight lines in the plane, \(R \) means โ€œis parallel to.โ€

(c)

\(A \) is the set of all straight lines in the plane, \(R \) means โ€œis perpendicular to.โ€

(d)

\(A = \words{\Sigma} \) for some alphabet \(\Sigma \text{,}\) \(R \) means โ€œis the same length as.โ€

(e)

\(A = \words{\Sigma} \) for some alphabet \(\Sigma \text{,}\) \(R \) means โ€œis shorter than.โ€

(f)

\(A = \words{\Sigma} \) for some alphabet \(\Sigma \text{,}\) \(x \) is some fixed choice of letter in \(\Sigma \text{,}\) \(R \) means โ€œcontains the same number of occurrences of \(x \) as.โ€

Activity 17.3.

(b)

Recall that \(\mathord{\mid} \) represents the relation โ€œdividesโ€ on sets of integers. Draw the directed graph for \(\mathord{\mid} \) on the set \(A = \{2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16\} \text{.}\) Then describe how to obtain the graph for the symmetric relation \(\mathord{\mid} \cup \inv{\mathord{\mid}} \) as an undirected graph from the graph of \(R \) using only an eraser.

Activity 17.4.

For each of the properties reflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric, and transitive, carry out the following.
Assume that \(R \) and \(S \) are nonempty relations on a set \(A \) that both have the property. For each of \(\cmplmnt{R} \text{,}\) \(R \union S \text{,}\) \(R \intersection S \text{,}\) and \(\inv{R} \text{,}\) determine whether the new relation
  1. must also have that property;
  2. might have that property, but might not; or
  3. cannot have that property.
Any time you answer Statementย i or Statementย iii, outline a proof. Any time you answer Statementย ii, provide two examples: one where the new relation has the property, and one where the new relation does not. (You may use graphs to describe your examples.)