Reflexive = transistive relation?

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In summary: No. You need to construct a relation where (a, b) and (b, c) are in the relation, but (a, c) is not.No. You need to construct a relation where (a, b) and (b, c) are in the relation, but (a, c) is not.
  • #1
jwxie
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Given A = {1,2,3}
R1 = {1,1 2,2 3,3}

I know it is reflexive, and I know it is symmetric. But what about its transitivity?

Def of transitive: a,b in R, b,c in R, then a,c is also in R

let a = 1
let b = 1
let c = 1

(1,1) and (1,1)
So yes, the book says it is an equivalence relation, so its transitivity is also valid.

therefore, are all reflexive relations transitive?

but what if the questions asks: constructs a reflexive and sysmmetric but not transitive?

I can do 11 22 33 and add 12 21 to make them both reflexive and symmetric. since i added 12 and 21, thus these 2 ordered pairs destroyed the transitivity?
 
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  • #2
jwxie said:
therefore, are all reflexive relations transitive?

No. You need to construct a relation where (a, b) and (b, c) are in the relation, but (a, c) is not.
 
  • #3
CRGreathouse said:
No. You need to construct a relation where (a, b) and (b, c) are in the relation, but (a, c) is not.

Well can't I make a = 1 b = 1 and c =1?

The book said 11 22 33 is an equivalence relations on A, so I am guessing that's how he did it.
 
  • #4
jwxie said:
Def of transitive: a,b in R, b,c in R, then a,c is also in R

let a = 1
let b = 1
let c = 1

(1,1) and (1,1)
So yes
This is wrong. You can't just "take" a,b,c=1. You need to check that FOR ALL a,b,c in R the implication "if (a,b) and (b,c) are in R, then (a,c) is in R" is valid.

Btw, you need to be careful with dropping brackets.
R1 = {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3)} is correct,
R1 = {1,1 2,2 3,3} is nonsensical.
 
  • #5
jwxie said:
... are all reflexive relations transitive?
No. See the second example here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equivalence_relation#Relations_that_are_not_equivalences
The relation "has a common factor greater than 1 with" between natural numbers greater than 1, is reflexive and symmetric, but not transitive. (Example: The natural numbers 2 and 6 have a common factor greater than 1, and 6 and 3 have a common factor greater than 1, but 2 and 3 do not have a common factor greater than 1).
(Bold emphasis added by me.)
 
  • #6
jwxie said:
Given A = {1,2,3}
R1 = {1,1 2,2 3,3}
This is not even a relation! A relation is a collection of order pairs from A, a subset of [itex]A\times A[/itex]. Did you mean {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3)}? If that is the case, then, yes it is transitive. Transitive means "if (a, b) and (b, c) are in the relation, then (a, c) is also in the relation. Here, in order that (a, b) and (b, c) be in the relation, we must have a= b= c. so that (a, b)= (a, c) is in the set.

I know it is reflexive, and I know it is symmetric. But what about its transitivity?

Def of transitive: a,b in R, b,c in R, then a,c is also in R

let a = 1
let b = 1
let c = 1

(1,1) and (1,1)
So yes, the book says it is an equivalence relation, so its transitivity is also valid.

therefore, are all reflexive relations transitive?

but what if the questions asks: constructs a reflexive and sysmmetric but not transitive?

I can do 11 22 33 and add 12 21 to make them both reflexive and symmetric. since i added 12 and 21, thus these 2 ordered pairs destroyed the transitivity?
 

1. What is a reflexive relation?

A reflexive relation is a mathematical concept in which every element in a set is related to itself. In other words, for any element x in a set, (x,x) is an ordered pair in the relation.

2. What is a transitive relation?

A transitive relation is a mathematical concept in which if two elements are related, and the second element is also related to a third element, then the first element is also related to the third element. In other words, if (x,y) and (y,z) are both ordered pairs in the relation, then (x,z) must also be in the relation.

3. What does it mean for a relation to be reflexive and transitive?

A relation that is both reflexive and transitive means that every element in a set is related to itself, and if two elements are related, then the first element is also related to any other element that the second element is related to.

4. How are reflexive and transitive relations used in mathematics?

Reflexive and transitive relations are used in many areas of mathematics, including set theory, graph theory, and algebra. They are important for understanding and proving various mathematical concepts and theorems.

5. Can a relation be reflexive but not transitive?

Yes, a relation can be reflexive but not transitive. This means that every element in a set is related to itself, but not all related elements follow the transitive property. This type of relation is called a reflexive but not transitive relation.

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