Proving f:A->A is One-to-One & Onto

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In summary, the conversation discusses the proof that if a function f from a finite set A to itself is onto, then it must also be one-to-one. The proof involves showing that if f is not injective, then there exists a proper subset of A that is one-to-one and onto A, which leads to a contradiction. The key property used is the finiteness of A, and the axiom of choice is not necessary for the proof.
  • #1
moo5003
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Homework Statement



Assume that A is finite and f: A->A. If f is onto then f is one-to-one

2. The attempt at a solution

f[A] = A
Card(A) = n a natural number.

I assume I need to use the axiom of choice since this equivalence only holds if you use it (correct?).

My proof so far is supposing that its not injective, then there would exist a_1, a_2, a_3..., a_k such that f(a_1)=f(a_2)...=f(a_k) = C in A.

Thus, f[A\{a_2, a_3, a_4.., a_k}] = A

I want to somehow keep reducing this until f is known to be injective and then show that there is a bijection between a proper subset of A and A itself thus leading to a contradiction. My only concern is that I'm not sure how to show with rigor these steps. Most notably how to construct a proper subset A such that f is one to one and onto A.
 
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  • #2
You don't need the axiom of choice. The fundamental property here is the finiteness of A.
 
  • #3
Suppose f is onto.

Suppose by contradiction f is not injective.

Let g be a proper subset of f such that g is one-to-one and onto A. Since f was not injective this implies g is a proper subset of f and the domain of g = B is a proper subset of A.

Thus:
f[A]=A onto not injective
g=A bijection

This implies card(B) = card(A) which is a contradiction since A is finite and B is a proper subset of A implying card(B) < card(A)

Is there anything wrong with this?
 
Last edited:

What does it mean for a function f:A->A to be one-to-one?

For a function to be one-to-one, it means that each element in the domain A has a unique mapping to an element in the codomain A. In other words, no two elements in the domain A can map to the same element in the codomain A.

What does it mean for a function f:A->A to be onto?

A function is onto if every element in the codomain A has at least one element in the domain A that maps to it. In other words, there are no elements in the codomain A that are left unmapped.

How can you prove that a function f:A->A is one-to-one?

To prove that a function is one-to-one, you can use the method of direct proof. This involves showing that for any two elements in the domain A, if they have the same image in the codomain A, then they must be the same element. In other words, if f(x) = f(y), then x = y.

How can you prove that a function f:A->A is onto?

To prove that a function is onto, you can use the method of indirect proof. This involves assuming that there is an element in the codomain A that is not mapped to by any element in the domain A, and then showing that this assumption leads to a contradiction. This shows that every element in the codomain A must be mapped to by at least one element in the domain A.

What is the importance of proving that a function f:A->A is both one-to-one and onto?

Proving that a function is both one-to-one and onto is important because it shows that the function is a bijection, meaning it has a unique inverse. This allows us to find an inverse function, which is useful in solving equations and performing other mathematical operations. Additionally, bijections have many real-world applications, such as in cryptography and data encryption.

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