Question
Let R be the real line. Consider the following subsets of the plane : , Which one of the following is true ?
Options
Solution
Key Concepts and Formulas
- Equivalence Relation: A relation on a set is an equivalence relation if it satisfies three properties:
- Reflexivity: For all , .
- Symmetry: For all , if , then .
- Transitivity: For all , if and , then .
- Set of Real Numbers: denotes the set of all real numbers.
- Set of Integers: denotes the set of all integers.
Step-by-Step Solution
We are given two subsets of the plane , denoted by and . We need to determine which of these is an equivalence relation on the set of real numbers .
Analysis of Relation S
The relation is defined as: We will check the three properties of an equivalence relation for on .
- Step 1: Check for Reflexivity
- Reasoning: For to be reflexive on , every real number must be related to itself, meaning .
- Mathematical Verification: The condition for is and . For to be in , we must have .
- Explanation: The equation simplifies to , which is a false statement. This means that for any real number , the pair does not satisfy the condition . Consequently, for any .
- Conclusion: Since is not reflexive, it cannot be an equivalence relation. We do not need to check symmetry or transitivity for .
Analysis of Relation T
The relation is defined as: We will check the three properties of an equivalence relation for on .
-
Step 2: Check for Reflexivity
- Reasoning: For to be reflexive on , every real number must be related to itself, meaning .
- Mathematical Verification: The condition for is that is an integer. For to be in , we must check if is an integer.
- Explanation: For any real number , . Since is an integer, the condition is satisfied. Thus, for all .
- Conclusion: is reflexive.
-
Step 3: Check for Symmetry
- Reasoning: For to be symmetric, if for any , then it must also be true that .
- Mathematical Verification: Assume . By definition, this means for some integer . We need to check if , which means checking if is an integer.
- Explanation: From , we can multiply by to get , which means . Since is an integer, is also an integer. Therefore, is an integer, and .
- Conclusion: is symmetric.
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Step 4: Check for Transitivity
- Reasoning: For to be transitive, if and for any , then it must also be true that .
- Mathematical Verification: Assume and .
- implies for some integer .
- implies for some integer . We need to check if , which means checking if is an integer.
- Explanation: We can add the two equations: . This simplifies to . Since and are integers, their sum is also an integer. Therefore, is an integer, and .
- Conclusion: is transitive.
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Step 5: Overall Conclusion for T
- Reasoning: Since satisfies reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity, it is an equivalence relation on .
Step 6: Evaluate the Options
- is not an equivalence relation.
- is an equivalence relation.
Let's examine the given options: (A) Neither S nor T is an equivalence relation on R. (False, T is) (B) Both S and T are equivalence relation on R. (False, S is not) (C) S is an equivalence relation on R but T is not. (False, S is not and T is) (D) T is an equivalence relation on R but S is not. (True, as determined)
Common Mistakes & Tips
- Scope of "on R": Remember that reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity must hold for all elements of the set , not just a subset. The condition in the definition of restricts the pairs that can be in , but reflexivity requires checking for all .
- Single Counterexample: If you find even one instance where a property (reflexivity, symmetry, or transitivity) fails, the relation is not an equivalence relation.
- Integer Properties: Be comfortable with the closure properties of integers under addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
Summary
We analyzed relation and found it to be not reflexive because is never true for any real number . Therefore, is not an equivalence relation. We then analyzed relation and found it to be reflexive (since is an integer), symmetric (if is an integer, then is also an integer), and transitive (if and are integers, then is also an integer). Hence, is an equivalence relation on . This means that is an equivalence relation on but is not.
The final answer is .