ΘρϵηΠατπ

Function
A function from X to Y denoted by f:XY is a binary relation R on X×Y such that if (x,y),(x,z)R, then z=y, which says given an element xX it is only ever related to a single yY.
Function Equality
Suppose that f:XY and g:XY are two functions, then we say that they are equal and write f=g when f(x)=g(x) for every xX
dom f
Given a function f:XY, then we denote dom(f):=X which we is shorthand for the word domain
ran f
Given a function f:XY, then we denote ran(f):=Y which we is shorthand for the word range
Constant Function
Suppose that we have a function f:XY such that there is a value cY such that for every xX, we have f(x)=c, then we say that f is constant with value c
Identity Function
Let X be a set, the we define the following function idX:XX, such that for any aX idX(a)=a and call it the identity function on X.
Domain Restricted Function
Let f:EF let AE, then the restriction of f to A is the function fA:AF defined by: fA(x):=f(x) for each xA

The restriction of a function is thought of as the same function but with elements from it's domain removed, or restricted to a smaller set.

Inclusion Function
Suppose that AB, the inclusion function ι:AB is defined by: ι(x)=x where the output of ι is considered as an element from B
Restriction Equals Inclusion Composed with Original
let f:EF and suppose AE, and let ι:AE be the inclusion function, then we have fA=fι
Let xA, then fA(x)=f(x), and (fι)(x)=f(ι(x))=f(x) thus the two functions are equal.
Function Composition
Suppose that A,B,C are sets, and that f:AB,g:BC are functions, then we define gf(x):=g(f(x)) for any xA, so that gf:AC
Function Addition
Suppose that f,g:XY are functions and ⊕︎ is a binary operation on Y, then we define f⊕︎g:XY as: (f⊕︎g)(x):=f(x)⊕︎g(x)
Function Multiplication
Let f:XY be a function and let be a binary operation on Y, then for any cY, we define cf:XY as: (cf)(x)=cf(x)
Image of a Set
Let f:XY be a function and SX, then f(S):={yY:y=f(s), for some sS}
An Element Belongs to a set Implies its Image belongs to the Image of the Set
xAf(x)f(A)
This follows by definition
An Element belongs to a Set iff its Image belongs to the Image of the Set when the Function is Surjective
Suppose that f:AB is injective, then xAf(x)f(A)
The previous corollary already shows now if we suppose that f(x)f(A) then there is some aA such that f(x)=f(a), since f is injective, then we deduce that x=a so that xA.
Image Maintains Subsets
Suppose that AB then we have f(A)f(B)
Let xf(A) so that x=f(a) where aA we then know that aB so therefore xf(B)
Union Factors through Image
f()={f(M):M}
pf() iff p=f(x) where x iff there exists some M such that xM which shows that f(x)f(M) iff p{f(M):M} as needed.
Image of the Intersection is a Subset of the Intersection of the Images
f(){f(M):M}
Suppose that pf() iff p=f(x) where x iff M, xM therefore f(x)f(M) so that p=f(x){f(M):M}
Image of the Intersection is Equal to the Intersection of the Images if the Function is Injective
Suppose that f is injective, then f()={f(M):M}
We already know that holds true therefore we do the other direction so suppose that p{f(M):M} therefore pf(M) for all M so that there is some xMM such that p=f(xM). We note that for all J,KM we know that f(xJ)=p=f(xK) so that by injectivity we have xJ=xK let x be their common value and note that x and that p=f(x) so that pf()
The Difference of Images is a Subset of the Image of the Difference
f(A)f(B)f(AB)
Let pf(A)f(B) therefore pf(A) so that p=f(x),xA and p=f(x)f(B), therefore it must be the case that xB, therefore xAB so we can conclude that f(x)=pf(AB) as needed.

Note that the other inclusion is not true in general, in the proof you might try and think that if xB implies that f(x)B but this would be wrong, for example consider f: such that it is constant f(x)=0, then given B such that xB then we have f(B)={0} and also that f(x)=0 and so it's clearly not true. This hints at the next proposition

The Difference of the Images equals the Image of the Difference if the Function is Injective
Suppose that f is injective then f(A)f(B)=f(AB)

We already know that f(A)f(B)f(AB) and therefore we just have to prove .

Suppose that pf(AB) therefore p=f(x) where xAB, since xA then we know then f(x)A but just because xB it doesn't directly imply that f(x)f(B), but if we suppose for the sake of contradiction that pf(B) then we would deduce that p=f(y) for some yB but then we have f(x)=p=f(y) and since f is injective, then x=y which is a contradiction, because that would imply that xB, therefore it must be the case that pf(B) so that pf(A)f(B) as needed.

Inverse Image of a Function
Suppose f:XY and UY, then f1(U):={xX:f(x)U}
Inverse Image Maintains Subsets
Suppose that AB then we have f1(A)f1(B)
Let xf1(A) so that f(x)A we then know that f(x)B so therefore xf1(B)
Inverse Image of The Range is The Domain
Suppose that f is a function, then f1(ran(f))=dom(f)

xf1(ran(f)) iff f(x)ran(f) iff xdom(f) by definition

Inverse Image of a Composition
Suppose that we have two functions f:XY and g:YZ and suppose that SZ, then (gf)1(S)=f1(g1(S))
A point p is an element of (gf)1(S) iff (gf)(p)S by definition this means that g(f(p))S iff f(p)g1(S) iff pf1(g1(S)) as needed.
Union Factors through Inverse Image
f1()={f1(M):M}

We can observe that pf1(), if and only if f(p), iff there exists some M such that f(p)M iff pf1(M) so that p{f1(M):M} as needed.

Since all the logical connectives in the above proof are iff's then this shows the two sets equal

Set Difference Factors through Inverse Image
Suppose that f:XY, and that A,BY, then f1(AB)=f1(A)f1(B)
xf1(AB) iff f(x)AB iff f(x)A and f(x)B, iff xf1(A) and xf1(B), iff xf1(A)f1(B), as needed.
Intersection Factors through Inverse Image
f1()={f1(M):M}

We can observe that pf1(), if and only if f(p), iff for every M we have f(p)M iff pf1(M) (still for each M ) so that p{f1(M):M} as needed.

Since all the logical connectives in the above proof are iff's then this shows the two sets equal

Image of the Inverse Image
Suppose that f:XY is a function, and that SY, then f(f1(S))S

Let pf(f1(S)), therefore p=f(x) where xf1(S), therefore f(x)S as needed.

Note that the above proposition is not equality, consider the function f:X{0,1} defined as f(x)=0 for every xX, then f(f1({0,1}))={0}. This hints at how we can force equality

Inverse Image of the Image
Suppose that SX, then f1(f(S))S
Let sS, we wish to prove that sf1(f(S)), which means that we must show f(s)f(S), clearly this is true since sS

This proposition is not equality if we consider the function f:{1,2,3,4}{1,2,3,4} and define f(1)=1,f(2)=2,f(3)=2,f(4)=1, then if we consider f1(f({1,2})) we see it equals {1,2,3,4} which is clearly a superset.

Invertible Function
Let f:XY be a function, then f is said to be invertible if there exists a function g:YX such that g(f(x))=x for every xX and f(g(y))=y for every yY
Inverse Function
Suppose that f is invertible, then there is a function g satifying said properties, then we define the notation f1:=g and say that f1 is the inverse function of f
The Inverse of the Identity Function Is Itself
Suppose that X is a set, then we have idX=(idX)1
Let xX then note: idX(idX(x))=idX(x)=x as needed.

Note that this seems quite similar to the inverse image notation, which looks like f1(S) where SY, note that they differ as the inverse image is a function from P(Y) to P(X), so it is a function that maps sets to sets.

This differs from the inverse of a function because it operates on individual elements of Y, so we may write things like f1(s) where sY, noting that f1:YX.This idea of using the same notation for a function, but having the type of it's parameters be different is usually known as overloading in the world of programming.

If this is your first brush with notation overloading, then know that it can be confusing, but all confusion can be cleared by inspecting what the inputs are to the function. This should remind you that a function is not just a name, it's signature is given by it's name, input types and return type. To see if you really understand this, answer the following exercise.

Invertible iff Bijective

This means that the notation f1(y) where yran(f) is reserved only for functions f whose inverse exists, otherwise we have problems for example if f was not surjective and there was an element z that can never get mapped to then what does f1(z) mean? If it was not injective, then suppose that there was ab such that f(a)=f(b) then a=?f1(f(a))=f1(f(b))=?b makes no sense because we know that ab, so we must have injectivity. Therefore you must be carful not to write the symbol f1 unless you know that f is invertible.

Inverse Image of the Inverse Function is the Image
Let f:XY and assume that it's inverse exists f1:YX and let SY show that: (f1)1(S)=f(S)

Suppose that p(f1)1(S), by definition this is only true when f1(p)S, so f1(p)=s for some sS, equivalent to p=f(s), which is true if and only if pf(S).

All logical connectives in the above proof are iff's therefore we've shown the two sets equal.

Injective Function
a function f:XY is injective iff x,yX,f(x)=f(y)x=y
Inverse Image of Image Equality
Suppose that f:XY and that SX, if f is injective then f1(f(S))=S

We've already proven that f1(f(S))S, so we just need to prove that f1(f(S))S.

Suppose that pf1(f(S)), therefore f(p)f(S), which means that there is some sS such that f(p)=f(s), since we assumed that f was injective this implies that p=s, which concludes by showing pS.

Surjective Function
a function f:XY is surjective iff yY,xX such that f(x)=y
Image of Inverse Image Equality
Suppose that f:XY and that SY, if f is surjective then f(f1(S))=S

We're already aware that f(f1(S))S , so we must just show that f(f1(S))S.

So we start by assuming sS, and now we must show that sf(f1(S)), this is only true if s=f(x) for some x(f1(S)), which in turn means that x also has to satisfy: f(x)S.

We start with sSY, thus since sY and f is surjective we get some aX such that f(a)=s, since sS , then also af(S) as needed.

Bijective function
a function is bijective iff it is surjective and injective
composition of two bijective functions is bijective
Suppose A,B,C are non-empty sets and f:AB,g:BC are functions, and that gf:AC is a function. Then if f and g are bijective then gf is also bijective.

We'll show that gf is surjective first, so let cC, since g is bijective we get some bB such that g(b)=c, since bB, then since f is surjective we get some aA such that f(a)=b, thus gf(a)=g(f(a))=g(b)=c so then gf is surjective

Now let's show that gf is injective, so suppose that a1,a2A and assume that gf(a1)=gf(a2), note that this means g(f(a1))=g(f(a2)), therefore since g is injective we know that f(a1)=f(a2) and since f is injective then we know that a1=a2 as needed.

Self Map
Suppose that X is a set, then a self map is any function of the form f:XX
Permutation
A permutation is a bijective self map
Function Iteration
Given a function f:XX, then we define f0:=idX and then for any n1 we define via composition: fn=ffn1

So for example f3(x)=f(f(f(id(x)))) which is what we expect.

Relation Preserving Function
Suppose that (R,X) and (S,Y) are binary relations, and f:XY a function, then we say that f is relation preserving if given x,yX xRyf(x)Sf(y)

Note that when the relation is an order, we say that it is an order preserving function, you are already familiar with them, consider f(x)=x+1 on .

Relation Reversing Function
Suppose that (R,X) and (S,Y) are relations, and f:XY a function, then we say that f is relation reversing if given x,yX xRyf(y)Sf(x)
The Inverse of an Order Preserving Function is Order Preserving
Suppose that (A,A) and (B,B) are partial orders and f:AB is order preserving and invertible, then f1:BA is also order preserving

Let b1,b2B such that b1Bb2 now we want to prove that f1(b1)Af1(b2).

If it so happens that b1=b2 then we automatically have that f1(b1)=f1(b2) as A is reflexive.

So suppose rather that b1Bb2 and that b1b2. Note that f1(b1)=a1 and f1(b2)=a2 for some a1,a2A since A is a total order than a1,a2 are comparable, if it so happens that a2Aa1 then since f is order preserving, then we would have f(a2)Bf(a1)b2Bb1 since f was assumed invertible, which would only be possible if b1=b2 which we know is not the case, therefore we must have that a1Aa2 which means that f1(b1)Af1(b2)

When a Function Defined in Terms of a Function is a Function
Suppose that g:AB and h:AA, then if f is a defined such that f(g(a),g(b))=g(h(a,b)) is a function iff for any x,y,z,wA (g(x)=g(z)g(y)=g(w))g(h(x,y))=g(h(z,w))
Support of a Function
Suppose that f:X is a function then supp(f)={xX:f(x)0}