MAM1019H Tutorial 1 Semester 2 2023 Solutions

1. Let A = {a, b, c, d} and B = {x, y, z}. Determine which of the following are func-
tions from A to B. For the sets which are functions (from A to B), determine the
range. For the sets which are not functions (from A to B), give a reason why.

(a) f = {(a, x), (b, y), (c, y), (d, z)}

(b) g = {(x, a), (y, b), (z, a)}

(c) h = {(b, z), (a, z), (c, y), (d, z), (a, x)}

(d) r = {(d, y), (b, y), (a, y), (c, z)}

(e) s = {(a, x), (c, x), (d, z)}

(a) Function. Range is {x, y, z}.

(b) Not a function from A to B. Not a subset of A × B.

(c) Not a function from A to B. For the element a ∈ A, we have two ordered pairs
in h, namely (a, z) and (a, x).

(d) Function. Range is {y, z}.

(e) Not a function from A to B. For the element b ∈ A, we do not have an ordered
pair of the form (b, w) ∈ s, where w ∈ B.

2. List all possible functions f : {x, y} → {0, 1}.

There are 4 possible functions:

{(x, 0), (y, 0)}

{(x, 1), (y, 0)}
{(x, 0), (y, 1)}
{(x, 1), (y, 1)}

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3. Explain why the following fail to be functions:
√
(a) f : R → R where f = {(x, x) : x ∈ R}.

(b) g : R → R where g = {(|x|, x) : x ∈ R}.

√ √
(a) We have −1 ∈ R, but (−1, −1) is not an element of R × R since −1 ∈
/ R.
Thus f ⊈ R × R.

(b) We have −2 ∈ R but there is no ordered pair in g with −2 as its first coordinate
since |x| > 0 > −2 for all x ∈ R.

4. Determine the range of the following functions:

(a) f : N → Z defined by f (n) = n − 10.

(b) g : R → R defined by g(x) = ⌊x⌋ (i.e. the floor function which rounds every
real number down to the nearest integer).

(c) h : N → R defined by f (n) = 2n + 6.

(a) {x ∈ Z : x ≥ −9}.

(b) Z

(c) {8, 10, 12, 14, . . .} i.e. the set of even integers greater than or equal to 8

5. Let f : → be defined by f (x) = x2 . For each of the following statements, fill

in the blanks with R or R≥0 such that the statement is true.

(a) f is neither injective nor surjective.

(b) f is injective but not surjective.

(c) f is surjective but not injective.

(d) f is bijective.

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 (a) f : R → R

(b) f : R≥0 → R

(c) f : R → R≥0

(d) f : R≥0 → R≥0

6. Let A = {a, b, c, d} and B = {x, y, z}. For each of the following statements, define
a function f : A → B such that the statement is true or, if it is not possible, state
so.

(a) f is neither injective nor surjective.

(b) f is injective but not surjective.

(c) f is surjective but not injective.

(d) f is bijective.

(a) f = {(a, x), (b, y), (c, y), (d, x)} (other examples are also possible)

(b) Not possible.

(c) f = {(a, x), (b, y), (c, z), (d, z)} (other examples are also possible)

(d) Not possible.

7. Consider the function f : Z → Z defined by f (n) = 2n + 1.

(a) Prove or disprove: f is injective.

(b) Prove or disprove: f is surjective. If f is not surjective, find its range.

(c) Prove or disprove: f is bijective.

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 (a) We claim that f is injective. Let n, m ∈ Z and suppose f (n) = f (m). Then
2n + 1 = 2m + 1 and so 2n = 2m and then n = m. Thus f is injective.

(b) We claim that f is not surjective. Consider 2 ∈ Z. We know that 2 is even

and so it cannot be written in the form 2n + 1 for any n ∈ Z. Thus there is
no n ∈ Z such that f (n) = 2 and so f fails to be surjective. The range of f is
the set of odd integers.

(c) Since f is not surjective, it is not bijective.

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8. Repeat Question 7 with the function f : (0, ∞) → (0, 1) defined by f (x) = .
x+1
Note: When proving surjectivity, take b ∈ (0, 1) and find x ∈ (0, ∞) such that
f (x) = b. Make sure that the x you find is indeed an element of (0, ∞).

(a) We claim that f is injective. Let x, y ∈ (0, ∞) and suppose f (x) = f (y). We
then have
1 1
=
x+1 y+1
Thus x + 1 = y + 1. And so x = y. Thus, f is injective.

(b) We claim that f is surjective. Let b ∈ (0, 1). We need to find x ∈ (0, ∞) such
1
that f (x) = b. That is, b = x+1
. Rearranging this, we see that we require
x= 1
b
− 1. Note that since 0 < b < 1, we have 1
b
> 1, thus 1
b
− 1 > 0 and so
1
b
− 1 ∈ (0, ∞). Consider x = 1
b
− 1 ∈ (0, ∞). We then have

1 1 1
f (x) = = 1 = = b.
x+1 ( b − 1) + 1 1/b

Thus f (x) = b and so f is surjective.

(c) Since f is both injective and surjective, it is bijective.

9. Repeat Question 7 with the function f : N → N × N defined by f (n) = (n, n + 1).

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 (a) We claim f is injective. Suppose n, m ∈ N with f (n) = f (m). Then (n, n +
1) = (m, m + 1). By comparing the first coordinate, we get n = m and so f
is injective.

(b) We claim that f is not surjective. Consider (1, 1) ∈ N × N. Suppose there is

some n ∈ N with f (n) = (1, 1). Then we would have (n, n + 1) = (1, 1) and
so n = 1 and n + 1 = 1. Which is not possible. Thus f is not surjective. The
range of f is the set {(n, n + 1) : n ∈ N}.

(c) Since f is not surjective, it is not bijective.

10. Repeat Question 7 with the function f : Z × Z → Z defined by f (n, m) = n + m.

(a) We claim f is not injective. Consider (1, 2), (2, 1) ∈ Z × Z. We have f (1, 2) =
1 + 2 = 3 and f (2, 1) = 2 + 1 = 3, however (1, 2) ̸= (2, 1).

(b) We claim that f is surjective. Let x ∈ Z. Then we have (x, 0) ∈ Z × Z and

f (x, 0) = x + 0 = x.

(c) Since f is not injective, it is not bijective.

11. Let P be the set of nonempty subsets of N. We define a function f : P → N by

∑
f (X) = x.
x∈X

(a) Determine f ({1, 2, 6, 14}).

(b) Prove or disprove: f is injective.

(c) Prove or disprove: f is surjective.

(a) f ({1, 2, 6, 14}) = 1 + 2 + 6 + 14 = 23

(b) We claim that f is not injective. Notice that {2, 3} and {5} are nonempty
subsets of N. Thus these are elements of P . We have f ({2, 3}) = 2 + 3 = 5
and f ({5}) = 5. Thus f ({2, 3}) = f ({5}) but {2, 3} ̸= {5} and so f is not

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 injective.

(c) We claim that f is surjective. Let n ∈ N. Then {n} is a nonempty subset of

N and so we have {n} ∈ P . Moreover, f ({n}) = n. So f is surjective.

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Extra questions
(I) Is it possible to have a function from the empty set? What about a function to the
empty set?

(II) Find a set B such that for any set A, there is only one function f : A → B.

(III) Find a set A such that for any set B, there is only one function f : A → B.