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Can elements of the sets be left out of a relation?

Yes, elements of the sets can be left out of a relation. A relation is a subset of the Cartesian product, so it does not need to include every possible ordered pair. Consequently, some elements from the first set or the second set may not appear in any ordered pair within the relation.

Conditions

  • A relation R is defined between sets A and B.
  • R is a subset of A×BA \times B.

Reasoning, step by step

  1. Recall that a relation is a subset of A×BA \times B.
  2. Understand that a subset can omit elements from the full Cartesian product.
  3. Recognize that if an element a∈Aa \in A is not the first component of any pair in R, it is left out of the relation.
  4. Similarly, if an element b∈Bb \in B is not the second component of any pair in R, it is left out.

Example

In the humans-and-pets ownership example, the human h4h_4 has no outgoing arrows, meaning h4h_4 owns no pets. The dog d2d_2 and monkey m1m_1 have no incoming arrows, meaning they have no human owners. The speaker explicitly points out that these elements are not related in this example.

Common misconceptions

  • Assuming that a relation must be total, meaning every element in A must be related to at least one element in B.
  • Thinking that if an element is in the set, it must be involved in the relation.

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