DISCRETE MATHEMATICS

LECTURE 5
FUNCTIONS

1
 Function
Definition

• Let A and B be sets. A function f from A to B is an assignment of

exactly one element of B to each element of A.

• We write f(a) = b if b is the unique element of B assigned by the function f to

the element a of A.
 Function

• If f is a function from A to B, we write f : A B.

• Set A is called the domain of the function.
• Set B is called the codomain of the function.
• If f(a) = b, then b is the image of a and a is the pre-image of b.
 Function
Definition of a function
f:R Z

f maps R to Z
Domain R Z Co-domain
f

f(4.3)
4.3 4

Pre-image of 4 Image of 4.3

 Function
More functions
A pre-image The image
Domain Co-domain of 1 of “a”

Nusrat A “a” 1
Shadikul B “bb“ 2
Fatema C “cccc” 3
Z D “dd” 4
Harun F “e” 5

A class grade function A string length function

 Function
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!

 One to One Function
One-to-one functions
Definition
A function is one-to-one if elements in the co-domain has a unique pre-
image in the domain.

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
 One to One Function
More on one-to-one
• Injective is synonymous with one-to-one
• A function is an injection if it is one-to-one

a 1
• Note that there can be un-used elements
e 2
in the co-domain
i 3
o 4
5

A one-to-one function
 One to One Function
More on one-to-one

• Determine whether the function f form {a, b, c, d} to {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

with f(a)= 4, f(b)= 5, f(c)= 1, f(d)= 3 is one-to-one or not.

• Determine whether the function f(x) = x2 from the set of integers to

the set of integers is one-to-one?

• Determine whether the function f(x) = x+1 from the set of integers to
the set of integers is one-to-one?
 Onto functions
Definition
A function is onto if each element in the co-domain is an image of some
pre-image(s)

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
 Onto functions
More on onto
• Surjective is synonymous with onto
• “A function is surjective”
• A function is an surjection if it is onto
a 1

• Note that there can be multiple used e 2

elements in the co-domain i 3

o 4
u

An onto function
 Onto functions
More onto

• Determine whether the function f form {a, b, c, d} to {1, 2, 3} with

f(a)= 3, f(b)= 2, f(c)= 1, f(d)= 3 is onto or not.

• Determine whether the function f(x) = x2 from the set of integers to

the set of integers is onto?

• Determine whether the function f(x) = x+1 from the set of integers to
the set of integers is onto?
 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
 Bijections
Definition
• A function that is both one-to-one and onto Such a function is a one-
to-one correspondence, or a bijection.

a 1
b 2
c 3
d 4
 Bijections

• Let f be the function from {a,b,c,d} to {1,2,3,4} with f(a)=4, f(b)=2,

f(c)=1 and f(d)=3. Is f bijection?
 Identity functions
Definition
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

Inverse functions
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

 Inverse functions
Definition

Let f be a one-to-one correspondence from the set A to the set B. The

inverse function of f is the function that assigns to an element b
belonging to B the unique element a in A such that f(a) = b.

• The inverse function of f is denoted f-1 .

• Hence, f-1 (b) = a when f(a) = b
 More on inverse
Inverse functions
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

Compositions of functions
(f ○ g)(x) = f(g(x))
f○g

A B C
g f

g(a) f(b)

a f(g(a))
b = g(a)

(f ○ g)(a)
 Compositions of functions
Definition

• Let g be a function from the set A to the set B and let f be a function
from the set B to the set C. The composition of the functions f and g,
denoted f o g is defined by

(f o g)(a) = f(g(a))

Note that the composition f o g can not be defined unless the range of g is a subset
of the domain of f.
Compositions
Compositions of functions
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

 Compositions of functions
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

g(f(x)) = 3(2x+3)+2 = 6x+11
 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) =  x+0.5 
 Floor, Ceiling Examples

• Find these values

• 1 1
• 1 1
• -0.1 -1
• -0.1 0
26

End of Lesson

Thanks to all !!!