Injection on QxQ: Is f(a^2+b^2)=(lal,lbl) Well-Defined?

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In summary, the conversation discusses a function defined on a set of rational numbers and whether it is an injection. It is determined that the original function was not well-defined, but with a correction, it can be an injection.
  • #1
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I just want to ask.

For the set {a^2+b^2 , a,b [itex]\in[/itex] Q}. Am i then right in saying that the map:

f(a^2+b^2)=(lal,lbl) is an injection on QxQ (the absolute values are there to make sure f is well-defined)? And is this how you write a thing like this formally.
 
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  • #2
Your function is not well defined - note that a2+b2 is always an element of Q if a and b are, so you are saying f(x) = (|a|,|b|) for any way that I can pick a and b to write x = a2+b2. There are generally going to be multiple ways to write x in this way, for example
4 = 02 + 22 = 22 + 02,

so is f(4) supposed to be (2,0) or (0,2)?
 
  • #3
ugh I see I made a mistake:
What I meant was:
f(a^2+b^2)=lal+lbl
now f is injective right?
 

1. What does it mean for a function to be well-defined?

A function is considered well-defined if it produces a unique output for every input. In other words, there are no ambiguous or undefined cases where the function does not produce a valid output.

2. How do you prove that a function is well-defined?

To prove that a function is well-defined, you must show that it produces the same output for equivalent inputs. This can be done through mathematical proofs or by providing counterexamples to show that the function is indeed well-defined.

3. Can a function be well-defined for some inputs but not others?

Yes, it is possible for a function to be well-defined for some inputs but not others. This is known as a partial function, where the function is only defined for certain values of the input. However, for a function to be considered fully well-defined, it must produce a unique output for every input.

4. How does the concept of well-definedness apply to injections?

Injections, also known as one-to-one functions, must satisfy the condition of well-definedness in order to be considered a valid function. This means that each input must have a unique corresponding output, without any overlap or ambiguity in the mapping.

5. How can I determine if f(a^2+b^2)=(lal,lbl) is a well-defined injection?

To determine if the given function is a well-defined injection, you must first check if it produces a unique output for every input. Then, you can test if the function is one-to-one by checking if two different inputs produce different outputs. If both conditions are satisfied, then the function is considered a well-defined injection.

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