MHB How to remember set theory properties?

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Understanding set theory properties can be challenging for undergraduates, particularly when it comes to remembering identities and theorems. Key points discussed include the importance of recognizing the roles of injective and surjective functions in compositions, as well as the utility of using projection functions and simple examples to grasp these concepts intuitively. It is suggested that rather than relying solely on mechanical proofs, students should develop heuristics and mental checks, such as using typical injective and surjective functions as reference points. Additionally, the preservation of set operations by injective functions and the inverse map is emphasized as a foundational concept to remember. Overall, integrating intuitive understanding with formal proofs can enhance retention of set theory properties.
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I'm an undergraduate studying math taking intermediate proof-writing courses, and there are certain basic identities of set theory and functions that still confuse me - i.e., I have to reprove them or think about them carefully every time. Examples:

$$(A\times B)\cap (C\times D)=(A\cap C)\times (B\cap D)$$

If $$g\circ f$$ is injective, then $$f$$ is injective (but not necessarily $$g$$). If $$g\circ f$$ is surjective, then $$g$$ is surjective (but not necessarily $$f$$).

Given $$f:A\rightarrow B$$, $$A_0,A_1\subset A$$ and $$B_0,B_1\subset B$$:

$$f^{-1}(B_0\cap B_1)=f^{-1}(B_0)\cap f^{-1}(B_1)$$ and

$$f(A_0\cap A_1)\subset f(A_0)\cap f(A_1)$$ - equality holds if $$f$$ is injective.

The thing is, proving such things doesn't seem to help me remember them since the proof is rather mechanical and symbolic. Does anyone have any tips for learning them better, or any book suggestions that might give me some intuition for it? Thanks!
 
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I do not remember any of those rules. I just assume the appropriate rules are true anytime I have to prove something and then do a quick check for the ones I assumed.
 
These are not "proofs" (for which there are, truly, "no substitutes") but "heuristics" which may, or may not help you.

For your first example, think of the two projection functions:

$p_1:X \times Y \to X$
$p_2: X \times Y \to Y$

defined in the obvious way.

For your second example: we have two "cases" with functions:

1. A function "preseves" set information (this is what injective functions do)
2. A function "collapes" set information

If the first function is a composition "collapses information" there is no way for the second function to "blow it back up". So if $g\circ f$ is injective, we cannot have $f$ NOT injective. We can actually say a "little bit" about $g$ in this situation: it is injective on the image of $f$ which lies in its domain. We can't tell what $g$ does to points of its domain NOT in the image of $f$, because $g \circ f$ never sees them.

On the other hand, if $g \circ f$ is surjective, then every element of the co-domain of $g \circ f$ was once an element in the domain of $f$. To get there it had to "pass through $g$", so there must have been some element in the domain of $g$ (which is also in the image of $f$) that $g$ maps to our original co-domain element.

When thinking about injective functions $f:X \to Y$, it is often helpful to use the "typical" injective function $1_X: X \to X$ as a quick "reality check". Similarly, it is often helpful to think of a CONSTANT function $g:X \to \{x\}$ as a "typical" surjective function.

With the "inverse map" $f^{-1}$ you can safely assume it preserves ALL set operations. Verify this ONE TIME, and then just use this fact forever more.

Similarly, if $f$ is injective, it preserves ALL set operations. If it is NOT injective, we have a function of the "collapsing" type. One simple way to keep straight "which way" the containment goes is to use a simple function like this:

$A = \{a,b,c\}, B = \{x,y\}$

$f: A \to B$ defined as: $f(a) = x, f(b) = y, f(c) = x$.

Let $A_0 = \{a,b\}$ and $A_1 = \{b,c\}$

Then $f(A_0 \cap A_1) = f(\{b\}) = \{y\}$

whereas $f(A_0) \cap f(A_1) = B \cap B = B$.
 
Ragnarok said:
I'm an undergraduate studying math taking intermediate proof-writing courses, and there are certain basic identities of set theory and functions that still confuse me - i.e., I have to reprove them or think about them carefully every time. Examples:

$$(A\times B)\cap (C\times D)=(A\cap C)\times (B\cap D)$$

If $$g\circ f$$ is injective, then $$f$$ is injective (but not necessarily $$g$$). If $$g\circ f$$ is surjective, then $$g$$ is surjective (but not necessarily $$f$$).

Given $$f:A\rightarrow B$$, $$A_0,A_1\subset A$$ and $$B_0,B_1\subset B$$:

$$f^{-1}(B_0\cap B_1)=f^{-1}(B_0)\cap f^{-1}(B_1)$$ and

$$f(A_0\cap A_1)\subset f(A_0)\cap f(A_1)$$ - equality holds if $$f$$ is injective.

The thing is, proving such things doesn't seem to help me remember them since the proof is rather mechanical and symbolic. Does anyone have any tips for learning them better, or any book suggestions that might give me some intuition for it? Thanks!

If WE PUT :

A={a,b}

B={c,d}

C={e,f}

D={k,l}

Can you then prove the set identity you mentioned??
 
Thank you so much for the detailed response, Deveno, and I'm sorry it took me so long to respond to it. Your advice is exactly what I was looking for!
 

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