Ch. 7 Equivalence Relations

Chapter 7
Equivalence Relations
7.1 Relations
Preview Activity 1 (The United States of America)

Recall from Section 5.4 that the Cartesian product of two sets A and B, written
A B, is the set of all ordered pairs .a; b/, where a 2 A and b 2 B. That is,
A B D f.a; b/ j a 2 A and b 2 Bg.
Let A be the set of all states in the United States and let
R D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x and y have a land border in commong:
For example, since California and Oregon have a land border, we can say that
.California, Oregon/ 2 R and .Oregon, California/ 2 R. Also, since Califor-
nia and Michigan do not share a land border, (California, Michigan) … R and
.Michigan, California/ … R.
1. Use the roster method to specify the elements in each of the following sets:
(a) B D fy 2 A j.Michigan, y/ 2 R g
(b) C D fx 2 A j.x; Michigan/ 2 R g
(c) D D fy 2 A j.Wisconsin, y/ 2 R g
2. Find two different examples of two ordered pairs, .x; y/ and .y; z/ such that
.x; y/ 2 R, .y; z/ 2 R, but .x; z/ 62 R, or explain why no such example
exists. Based on this, is the following conditional statement true or false?
For all x; y; z 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R and .y; z/ 2 R, then .x; z/ 2 R.
362
7.1. Relations 363
3. Is the following conditional statement true or false? Explain.
For all x; y 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R, then .y; x/ 2 R.
Preview Activity 2 (The Solution Set of an Equation with Two Variables)

In Section 2.3, we introduced the concept of the truth set of an open sentence with
one variable. This was defined to be the set of all elements in the universal set that
can be substituted for the variable to make the open sentence a true proposition.
Assume that x and y represent real numbers. Then the equation
4x 2 C y 2 D 16
is an open sentence with two variables. An element of the truth set of this open
sentence (also called a solution of the equation) is an ordered pair .a; b/ of real
numbers so that when a is substituted for x and b is substituted for y, the predicate
becomes a true statement (a true equation in this case). We can use set builder
notation to describe the truth set S of this equation with two variables as follows:
˚
S D .x; y/ 2 R R j 4x 2 C y 2 D 16 :
When a set is a truth set of an open sentence that is an equation, we also call the
set the solution set of the equation.
1. List four different elements of the set S.
2. The graph of the equation 4x 2 C y 2 D 16 in the xy-coordinate plane is an

ellipse. Draw the graph and explain why this graph is a representation of the
truth set (solutions set) of the equation 4x 2 C y 2 D 16.
3. Describe each of the following sets as an interval of real numbers:

˚
(a) A D x 2 R j there exists a y 2 R such that 4x 2 C y 2 D 16 .
˚
(b) B D y 2 R j there exists an x 2 R such that 4x 2 C y 2 D 16 .
Introduction to Relations
In Section 6.1, we introduced the formal definition of a function from one set to
another set. The notion of a function can be thought of as one way of relating the
elements of one set with those of another set (or the same set). A function is a
364 Chapter 7. Equivalence Relations
special type of relation in the sense that each element of the first set, the domain,
is “related” to exactly one element of the second set, the codomain.
This idea of relating the elements of one set to those of another set using or-
dered pairs is not restricted to functions. For example, we may say that one integer,
a, is related to another integer, b, provided that a is congruent to b modulo 3. No-
tice that this relation of congruence modulo 3 provides a way of relating one integer
to another integer. However, in this case, an integer a is related to more than one
other integer. For example, since
5 5 .mod 3/; 5 2 .mod 3/; and 5 1 .mod 3/;
we can say that 5 is related to 3, 5 is related to 2, and 5 is related to 1. Notice that,

as with functions, each relation of the form a b .mod 3/ involves two integers
a and b and hence involves an ordered pair .a; b/, which is an element of Z Z.
Definition. Let A and B be sets. A relation R from the set A to the set B
is a subset of A B. That is, R is a collection of ordered pairs where the first
coordinate of each ordered pair is an element of A, and the second coordinate
of each ordered pair is an element of B.
A relation from the set A to the set A is called a relation on the set A. So a
relation on the set A is a subset of A A.
In Section 6.1, we defined the domain and range of a function. We make similar
definitions for a relation.
Definition. If R is a relation from the set A to the set B, then the subset of
A consisting of all the first coordinates of the ordered pairs in R is called the
domain of R. The subset of B consisting of all the second coordinates of the
ordered pairs in R is called the range of R.
We use the notation dom.R/ for the domain of R and range.R/ for the range
of R. So using set builder notation,
dom.R/ D fu 2 A j .u; y/ 2 R for at least one y 2 Bg

range.R/ D fv 2 B j .x; v/ 2 R for at least one x 2 Ag:
7.1. Relations 365
Example 7.1 (Domain and Range)

A relation was studied in each of
˚ the Preview Activities for this section.
For Pre-
view Activity 2, the set S D .x; y/ 2 R R j 4x 2 C y 2 D 16 is a subset of
R R and, hence, S is a relation on R. In Problem (3) of Preview Activity 2, we
actually determined the domain and range of this relation.
˚
dom.S / D A D x 2 R j there exists a y 2 R such that 4x 2 C y 2 D 16
˚
range.S / D B D y 2 R j there exists an x 2 R such that 4x 2 C y 2 D 16
So from the results in Preview Activity 2, we can say that the domain of the relation
S is the closed interval Œ 2; 2 and the range of S is the closed interval Œ 4; 4.
Progress Check 7.2 (Examples of Relations)

˚
1. Let T D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 D 64 .
(a) Explain why T is a relation on R.

(b) Find all values of x such that .x; 4/ 2 T . Find all values of x such that
.x; 9/ 2 T.
(c) What is the domain of the relation T ? What is the range of T ?
(d) Since T is a relation on R, its elements can be graphed in the coordinate
plane. Describe the graph of the relation T.
2. From Preview Activity 1, A is the set of all states in the United States, and
R D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x and y have a border in commong:
(a) Explain why R is a relation on A.

(b) What is the domain of the relation R? What is the range of the relation
R?
(c) Are the following statements true or false? Justify your conclusions.
i. For all x; y 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R, then .y; x/ 2 R.
ii. For all x; y; z 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R and .y; z/ 2 R, then .x; z/ 2 R.
Some Standard Mathematical Relations
There are many different relations in mathematics. For example, two real numbers
can be considered to be related if one number is less than the other number. We
call this the “less than” relation on R. If x; y 2 R and x is less than y, we often
write x < y. As a set of ordered pairs, this relation is R< , where
R< D f.x; y/ 2 R R j x < yg:
With many mathematical relations, we do not write the relation as a set of ordered
pairs even though, technically, it is a set of ordered pairs. Table 7.1 describes some
standard mathematical relations.
Name Open Relation as a Set of
Sentence Ordered Pairs
The “less than” re- x<y f.x; y/ 2 R R j x < yg
lation on R
The “equality” rela- xDy f.x; y/ 2 R R j x D yg
tion on R
The “divides” rela- mjn f.m; n/ 2 Z Z j m divides ng
tion on Z
The “subset” rela- S T f.S; T / 2 P .U / P .U / j S T g
tion on P .U /
The “element of” x2S f.x; S / 2 U P .U / j x 2 S g
relation from U to
P .U /
The “congruence a b .mod n/ f.a; b/ 2 Z Z j a b .mod n/g
modulo n” relation
on Z
Table 7.1: Standard Mathematical Relations
Notation for Relations
The mathematical relations in Table 7.1 all used a relation symbol between the two
elements that form the ordered pair in A B. For this reason, we often do the same
thing for a general relation from the set A to the set B. So if R is a relation from A
to B, and x 2 A and y 2 B, we use the notation
xRy to mean .x; y/ 2 R; and

x 6R y to mean .x; y/ … R.
In some cases, we will even use a generic relation symbol for defining a new rela-
tion or speaking about relations in a general context. Perhaps the most commonly
7.1. Relations 367
used symbol is “”, read “tilde” or “squiggle” or “is related to.” When we do this,
we will write
xy means the same thing as .x; y/ 2 R; and

xœy means the same thing as .x; y/ … R.
Progress Check 7.3 (The Divides Relation)

Whenever we have spoken about one integer dividing another integer, we have
worked with the “divides” relation on Z. In particular, we can write
D D f.m; n/ 2 Z Z j m divides ng:
In this case, we have a specific notation for “divides,” and we write
mjn if and only if .m; n/ 2 D.
1. What is the domain of the “divides” relation? What is the range of the “di-
vides” relation?
2. Are the following statements true or false? Explain.
(a) For every nonzero integer a, a j a.

(b) For all nonzero integers a and b, if a j b, then b j a.
(c) For all nonzero integers a, b, and c, if a j b and b j c, then a j c.
Functions as Relations
If we have a function f W A ! B, we can generate a set of ordered pairs f that is

a subset of A B as follows:
f D f.a; f .a// j a 2 Ag or f D f.a; b/ 2 A B j b D f .a/g :
This means that f is a relation from A to B. Since, dom.f / D A, we know that
(1) For every a 2 A, there exists a b 2 B such that .a; b/ 2 f .
When .a; b/ 2 f , we write b D f .a/. In addition, to be a function, each input can

produce only one output. In terms of ordered pairs, this means that there will never
be two ordered pairs .a; b/ and .a; c/ in the function f , where a 2 A, b; c 2 B,
and b ¤ c. We can formulate this as a conditional statement as follows:
(2) For every a 2 A and every b; c 2 B, if .a; b/ 2 f and .a; c/ 2 f , then

b D c.
This means that a function f from A to B is a relation from A to B that satisfies

conditions (1) and (2). (See Theorem 6.22 in Section 6.5.) Not every relation,
however, will be a function. For example, consider the relation T in Progress
Check 7.2. ˚
T D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 D 64
This relation fails condition (2) above since a counterexample comes from the facts
that .0; 8/ 2 T and .0; 8/ 2 T and 8 ¤ 8.
Progress Check
˚ 7.4 (A Set of Ordered Pairs)
Let F D .x; y/ 2 R R j y D x 2 . The set F can then be considered to be
relation on R since it is a subset of R R.
1. List five different ordered pairs that are in the set F .

2. Use the roster method to specify the elements of each of the following the
sets:
(a) A D fx 2 R j .x; 4/ 2 F g (c) C D fy 2 R j .5; y/ 2 F g

(b) B D fx 2 R j .x; 10/ 2 F g (d) D D fy 2 R j . 3; y/ 2 F g
3. Since each real number x produces only one value of y for which y D x 2 ,
the set F can be used to define a function from the set R to R. Draw a graph
of this function.
Visual Representations of Relations
In Progress Check 7.4, we were able to draw a graph of a relation as a way to visu-
alize the relation. In this case, the relation was a function from R to R. In addition,
in Progress Check 7.2, we were also able ˚to use a graph to represent a relation.
In this case, the graph of the relation T D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 D 64 is a
circle of radius 8 whose center is at the origin.
When R is a relation from a subset of the real numbers R to a subset of R,
we can often use a graph to provide a visual representation of the relation. This is
especially true if the relation is defined by an equation or even an inequality. For
example, if ˚
R D .x; y/ 2 R R j y x 2 ;
7.1. Relations 369
then we can use the following graph as a way to visualize the points in the plane
that are also in this relation.
Figure 7.1: Graph of y x 2
The points .x; y/ in the relation R are the points on the graph of y D x 2 or are in
the shaded region. This because for these points, y x 2 . One of the shortcomings
of this type of graph is that the graph of the equation and the shaded region are
actually unbounded and so we can never show the entire graph of this relation.
However, it does allow us to see that the points in this relation are either on the
parabola defined by the equation y D x 2 or are “inside” the parabola.
When the domain or range of a relation is infinite, we cannot provide a visu-
alization of the entire relation. However, if A is a (small) finite set, a relation R
on A can be specified by simply listing all the ordered pairs in R. For example, if
A D f1; 2; 3; 4g, then
R D f.1; 1/; .4; 4/; .1; 3/; .3; 2/; .1; 2/; .2; 1/g
is a relation on A. A convenient way to represent such a relation is to draw a point

in the plane for each of the elements of A and then for each .x; y/ 2 R (or x R y),
we draw an arrow starting at the point x and pointing to the point y. If .x; x/ 2 R
(or x R x), we draw a loop at the point x. The resulting diagram is called a directed
graph or a digraph. The diagram in Figure 7.2 is a digraph for the relation R.
In a directed graph, the points are called the vertices. So each element of A
corresponds to a vertex. The arrows, including the loops, are called the directed
edges of the directed graph. We will make use of these directed graphs in the next
section when we study equivalence relations.
1 2
3 4
Figure 7.2: Directed Graph for a Relation
Progress Check 7.5 (The Directed Graph of a Relation)

Let A D f1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6g. Draw a directed graph for the following two relations on
the set A. For each relation, it may be helpful to arrange the vertices of A as shown
in Figure 7.3.
R D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x divides yg; T D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x C y is eveng:
1 2
6 3
5 4
Figure 7.3: Vertices for A
Exercises 7.1
?
1. Let A D fa; b; cg, B D fp; q; rg, and let R be the set of ordered pairs
defined by R D f.a; p/ ; .b; q/ ; .c; p/ ; .a; q/g.
7.1. Relations 371
(a) Use the roster method to list all the elements of A B. Explain why
A B can be considered to be a relation from A to B.
(b) Explain why R is a relation from A to B.
(c) What is the domain of R? What is the range of R?
? 2. Let A D fa; b; cg and let R D f.a; a/ ; .a; c/ ; .b; b/ ; .b; c/ ; .c; a/ ; .c; b/g
(so R is a relation on A). Are the following statements true or false? Explain.
(a) For each x 2 A, x R x.

(b) For every x; y 2 A, if x R y, then y R x.
(c) For every x; y; z 2 A, if x R y and y R z, then x R z.
(d) R is a function from A to A.
3. Let A be the set of all females citizens of the United States. Let D be the
relation on A defined by
D D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x is a daughter of yg:
That is, x D y means that x is a daughter of y.
? (a) Describe those elements of A that are in the domain of D.

?
(b) Describe those elements of A that are in the range of D.
(c) Is the relation D a function from A to A? Explain.
? 4. Let U be a nonempty set, and let R be the “subset relation” on P.U /. That
is,
R D f.S; T / 2 P.U / P.U / j S T g:
(a) Write the open sentence .S; T / 2 R using standard subset notation.
(b) What is the domain of this subset relation, R?
(c) What is the range of this subset relation, R?
(d) Is R a function from P.U / to P.U /? Explain.
5. Let U be a nonempty set, and let R be the “element of” relation from U to
P .U /. That is,
R D f.x; S/ 2 U P.U / j x 2 Sg:
(a) What is the domain of this “element of” relation, R?

(b) What is the range of this “element of” relation, R?

(c) Is R a function from U to P.U /? Explain.
?
˚
6. Let S D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 D 100 .
(a) Determine the set of all values of x such that .x; 6/ 2 S , and determine
the set of all values of x such that .x; 9/ 2 S.
(b) Determine the domain and range of the relation S and write each set
using set builder notation.
(c) Is the relation S a function from R to R? Explain.
(d) Since S is a relation on R, its elements can be graphed in the coordinate
plane. Describe the graph of the relation S . Is the graph consistent with
your answers in Exercises (6a) through (6c)? Explain.
7. Repeat Exercise( 6) using the relation on R defined by

n p o
S D .x; y/ 2 R R j y D 100 x 2 :
What is the connection between this relation and the relation in Exercise (6)?
8. Determine the domain and range of each of the following relations on R and
sketch the graph of each relation.
˚
(a) R D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 C y 2 D 10
˚
(b) S D .x; y/ 2 R R j y 2 D x C 10
(c) T D f.x; y/ 2 R R j jxj C jyj D 10g
˚
(d) R D .x; y/ 2 R R j x 2 D y 2
9. Let R be the relation on Z where for all a; b 2 Z, a R b if and only if

ja bj 2.
? (a) Use set builder notation to describe the relation R as a set of ordered
pairs.
? (b) Determine the domain and range of the relation R .
(c) Use the roster method to specify the set of all integers x such that x R 5
and the set of all integers x such that 5 R x.
(d) If possible, find integers x and y such that x R 8, 8 R y, but x 6R y.
7.1. Relations 373
(e) If b 2 Z, use the roster method to specify the set of all x 2 Z such that
x R b.
10. Let R< D f.x; y/ 2 R R j x < yg. This means that R< is the “less than”
relation on R.
(a) What is the domain of the relation R< ?

(b) What is the range of the relation R< ?
(c) Is the relation R< a function from R to R? Explain.
Note: Remember that a relation is a set. Consequently, we can talk about

one relation being a subset of another relation. Another thing to remember
is that the elements of a relation are ordered pairs.
Explorations and Activities
11. The Inverse of a Relation. In Section 6.5, we introduced the inverse of a

function. If A and B are nonempty sets and if f W A ! B is a function,
then the inverse of f , denoted by f 1 , is defined as
1
f D f.b; a/ 2 B A j f .a/ D bg
D f.b; a/ 2 B A j .a; b/ 2 f g:
Now that we know about relations, we see that f 1 is always a relation from
B to A. The concept of the inverse of a function is actually a special case of
the more general concept of the inverse of a relation, which we now define.
Definition. Let R be a relation from the set A to the set B. The inverse of R,
written R 1 and read “R inverse,” is the relation from B to A defined by
1
R D f.y; x/ 2 B A j .x; y/ 2 Rg , or
1
R D f.y; x/ 2 B A j x R yg:
That is, R 1 is the subset of B A consisting of all ordered pairs .y; x/ such
that x R y.
For example, let D be the “divides” relation on Z. See Progress Check 7.3.
So
D D f.m; n/ 2 Z Z j m divides ng:
This means that we can write m j n if and only if .m; n/ 2 D. So, in this
case,
D 1 D f.n; m/ 2 Z Z j .m; n/ 2 Dg
D f.n; m/ 2 Z Z j m divides ng:
Now, if we would like to focus on the first coordinate instead of the second
coordinate in D 1 , we know that “m divides n” means the same thing as “n
is a multiple of m.” Hence,
1
D D f.n; m/ 2 Z Z j n is a multiple of mg:
We can say that the inverse of the “divides” relation on Z is the “is a multiple
of” relation on Z.
Theorem 7.6, which follows, contains some elementary facts about inverse
relations.
Theorem 7.6. Let R be a relation from the set A to the set B. Then

The domain of R 1 is the range of R. That is, dom R 1 D range.R/.
1 1

The range of R is the domain of R. That is, range R D dom.R/.
1 1
1
The inverse of R is R. That is, R D R.
To prove the first part of Theorem 7.6, observe that the goal is to prove that
two sets are equal,
dom R 1 D range.R/:
One way to do this is to prove that each is a subset of the other. To prove
that dom R 1 range.R/, we can start by choosing an arbitrary ele-
1 1
ment of dom R . So let y 2 dom R . The goal now is to prove that
y 2 range.R/. What does it mean to say that y 2 dom R 1 ? It means
that there exists an x 2 A such that
1
.y; x/ 2 R :
1
Now what does it mean to say that .y; x/ 2 R ? It means that .x; y/ 2 R.
What does this tell us about y?
Complete the proof of the first part of Theorem 7.6. Then, complete the
proofs of the other two parts of Theorem 7.6.
7.2. Equivalence Relations 375
7.2 Equivalence Relations
Preview Activity 1 (Properties of Relations)

In previous mathematics courses, we have worked with the equality relation. For
example, let R be the relation on Z defined as follows: For all a; b 2 Z, a R b if and
only if a D b. We know this equality relation on Z has the following properties:
For each a 2 Z, a D b and so a R a.
For all a; b 2 Z, if a D b, then b D a. That is, if a R b, then b R a.
For all a; b; c 2 Z, if a D b and b D c, then a D c. That is, if a R b and

b R c, then a R c.
In mathematics, when something satisfies certain properties, we often ask if other

things satisfy the same properties. Before investigating this, we will give names to
these properties.
Definition. Let A be a nonempty set and let R be a relation on A.
The relation R is reflexive on A provided that for each x 2 A, x R x

or, equivalently, .x; x/ 2 R.
The relation R is symmetric provided that for every x; y 2 A, if x R y,

then y R x or, equivalently, for every x; y 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R, then
.y; x/ 2 R.
The relation R is transitive provided that for every x; y; z 2 A, if

x R y and y R z, then x R z or, equivalently, for every x; y; z 2 A, if
.x; y/ 2 R and .y; z/ 2 R, then .x; z/ 2 R.
Before exploring examples, for each of these properties, it is a good idea to

understand what it means to say that a relation does not satisfy the property. So let
A be a nonempty set and let R be a relation on A.
1. Carefully explain what it means to say that the relation R is not reflexive on
the set A.
2. Carefully explain what it means to say that the relation R is not symmetric.
3. Carefully explain what it means to say that the relation R is not transitive.
To illustrate these properties, we let A D f1; 2; 3; 4g and define the relations R and
T on A as follows:
R D f.1; 1/; .2; 2/; .3; 3/; .4; 4/; .1; 3/; .3; 2/g
T D f.1; 1/; .1; 4/; .2; 4/; .4; 1/; .4; 2/g
4. Draw a directed graph for the relation R. Then explain why the relation R is
reflexive on A, is not symmetric, and is not transitive.
5. Draw a directed graph for the relation T . Is the relation T reflexive on A? Is

the relation T symmetric? Is the relation T transitive? Explain.
Preview Activity 2 (Review of Congruence Modulo n)
1. Let a; b 2 Z and let n 2 N. On page 92 of Section 3.1, we defined what

it means to say that a is congruent to b modulo n. Write this definition and
state two different conditions that are equivalent to the definition.
2. Explain why congruence modulo n is a relation on Z.
3. Carefully review Theorem 3.30 and the proofs given on page 148 of Sec-
tion 3.5. In terms of the properties of relations introduced in Preview Activ-
ity 1, what does this theorem say about the relation of congruence modulo n
on the integers?
4. Write a complete statement of Theorem 3.31 on page 150 and Corollary 3.32.
5. Write a proof of the symmetric property for congruence modulo n. That is,
prove the following:
Let a; b 2 Z and let n 2 N. If a b .mod n/, then b a .mod n/.
Directed Graphs and Properties of Relations
In Section 7.1, we used directed graphs, or digraphs, to represent relations on finite

sets. Three properties of relations were introduced in Preview Activity 1 and will
be repeated in the following descriptions of how these properties can be visualized
on a directed graph.
Let A be a nonempty set and let R be a relation on A.
The relation R is reflexive on A provided that for each x 2 A, x R x or,

equivalently, .x; x/ 2 R.
This means that if a reflexive relation is represented on a digraph, there
would have to be a loop at each vertex, as is shown in the following figure.
The relation R is symmetric provided that for every x; y 2 A, if x R y, then

y R x or, equivalently, for every x; y 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R, then .y; x/ 2 R.
This means that if a symmetric relation is represented on a digraph, then
anytime there is a directed edge from one vertex to a second vertex, there
would be a directed edge from the second vertex to the first vertex, as is
shown in the following figure.
The relation R is transitive provided that for every x; y; z 2 A, if x R y and

y R z, then x R z or, equivalently, for every x; y; z 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R and
.y; z/ 2 R, then .x; z/ 2 R. So if a transitive relation is represented by a
digraph, then anytime there is a directed edge from a vertex x to a vertex y
and a directed edge from y to a vertex z, there would be a directed edge from
x to z.
In addition, if a transitive relation is represented by a digraph, then anytime
there is a directed edge from a vertex x to a vertex y and a directed edge from
y to the vertex x, there would be loops at x and y. These two situations are
illustrated as follows:
x y
x y
z
Progress Check 7.7 (Properties of Relations)

Let A D fa; b; c; d g and let R be the following relation on A:
R D f.a; a/; .b; b/; .a; c/; .c; a/; .b; d /; .d; b/g:
Draw a directed graph for the relation R and then determine if the relation R is
reflexive on A, if the relation R is symmetric, and if the relation R is transitive.
Definition of an Equivalence Relation
In mathematics, as in real life, it is often convenient to think of two different things

as being essentially the same. For example, when you go to a store to buy a cold
soft drink, the cans of soft drinks in the cooler are often sorted by brand and type
of soft drink. The Coca Colas are grouped together, the Pepsi Colas are grouped
together, the Dr. Peppers are grouped together, and so on. When we choose a
particular can of one type of soft drink, we are assuming that all the cans are es-
sentially the same. Even though the specific cans of one type of soft drink are
physically different, it makes no difference which can we choose. In doing this, we
are saying that the cans of one type of soft drink are equivalent, and we are using
the mathematical notion of an equivalence relation.
An equivalence relation on a set is a relation with a certain combination of
properties that allow us to sort the elements of the set into certain classes. In this
section, we will focus on the properties that define an equivalence relation, and in
the next section, we will see how these properties allow us to sort or partition the
elements of the set into certain classes.
Definition. Let A be a nonempty set. A relation on the set A is an equiv-

alence relation provided that is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive. For
a; b 2 A, if is an equivalence relation on A and a b, we say that a is
equivalent to b.
Most of the examples we have studied so far have involved a relation on a

small finite set. For these examples, it was convenient to use a directed graph to
represent the relation. It is now time to look at some other type of examples, which
may prove to be more interesting. In these examples, keep in mind that there is a
subtle difference between the reflexive property and the other two properties. The
reflexive property states that some ordered pairs actually belong to the relation R,
or some elements of A are related. The reflexive property has a universal quantifier
and, hence, we must prove that for all x 2 A, x R x. Symmetry and transitivity, on
the other hand, are defined by conditional sentences. We often use a direct proof
for these properties, and so we start by assuming the hypothesis and then showing
that the conclusion must follow from the hypothesis.
Example 7.8 (A Relation that Is Not an Equivalence Relation)

Let M be the relation on Z defined as follows:
For a; b 2 Z, a M b if and only if a is a multiple of b.
So a M b if and only if there exists a k 2 Z such that a D bk.
The relation M is reflexive on Z since for each x 2 Z, x D x 1 and, hence,

x M x.
Notice that 4 M 2, but 2 6M 4. So there exist integers x and y such that

x M y but y 6M x. Hence, the relation M is not symmetric.
Now assume that x M y and y M z. Then there exist integers p and q such
that
x D yp and y D zq:
Using the second equation to make a substitution in the first equation, we see
that x D z .pq/. Since pq 2 Z, we have shown that x is a multiple of z and
hence x M z. Therefore, M is a transitive relation.
The relation M is reflexive on Z and is transitive, but since M is not symmetric, it

is not an equivalence relation on Z.
Progress Check 7.9 (A Relation that Is an Equivalence Relation)

Define the relation on Q as follows: For all a; b 2 Q, a b if and only if
a b 2 Z. For example:
3 7 3 7
since D 1 and 1 2 Z.
4 4 4 4
3 1 3 1 1 1
6 since D and … Z.
4 2 4 2 4 4
To prove that is reflexive on Q, we note that for all a 2 Q, a a D 0. Since

0 2 Z, we conclude that a a. Now prove that the relation is symmetric and
transitive, and hence, that is an equivalence relation on Q.
Congruence Modulo n
One of the important equivalence relations we will study in detail is that of con-
gruence modulo n. We reviewed this relation in Preview Activity 2.
Theorem 3.30 on page 148 tells us that congruence modulo n is an equivalence
relation on Z. Recall that by the Division Algorithm, if a 2 Z, then there exist
unique integers q and r such that
a D nq C r and 0 r < n:
Theorem 3.31 and Corollary 3.32 then tell us that a r .mod n/. That is, a is
congruent modulo n to its remainder r when it is divided by n. When we use the
term “remainder” in this context, we always mean the remainder r with 0 r < n
that is guaranteed by the Division Algorithm. We can use this idea to prove the
following theorem.
Theorem 7.10. Let n 2 N and let a; b 2 Z. Then a b .mod n/ if and only if a

and b have the same remainder when divided by n.
Proof. Let n 2 N and let a; b 2 Z. We will first prove that if a and b have the
same remainder when divided by n, then a b .mod n/. So assume that a and b
have the same remainder when divided by n, and let r be this common remainder.
Then, by Theorem 3.31,
a r .mod n/ and b r .mod n/:
Since congruence modulo n is an equivalence relation, it is a symmetric relation.

Hence, since b r .mod n/, we can conclude that r b .mod n/. Combining
this with the fact that a r .mod n/, we now have
a r .mod n/ and r b .mod n/:
We can now use the transitive property to conclude that a b .mod n/. This
proves that if a and b have the same remainder when divided by n, then
a b .mod n/.
We will now prove that if a b .mod n/, then a and b have the same re-
mainder when divided by n. Assume that a b .mod n/, and let r be the least
nonnegative remainder when b is divided by n. Then 0 r < n and, by Theo-
rem 3.31,
b r .mod n/:
Now, using the facts that a b .mod n/ and b r .mod n/, we can use the
transitive property to conclude that
a r .mod n/:
This means that there exists an integer q such that a r D nq or that
a D nq C r:
Since we already know that 0 r < n, the last equation tells us that r is the
least nonnegative remainder when a is divided by n. Hence we have proven that if
a b .mod n/, then a and b have the same remainder when divided by n.
Examples of Other Equivalence Relations
1. The relation on Q from Progress Check 7.9 is an equivalence relation.
2. Let A be a nonempty set. The equality relation on A is an equivalence

relation. This relation is also called the identity relation on A and is denoted
by IA , where
IA D f.x; x/ j x 2 Ag:
3. Define the relation on R as follows:

For a; b 2 R, a b if and only if there exists an integer k such that
a b D 2k.
We will prove that the relation is an equivalence relation on R. The rela-

tion is reflexive on R since for each a 2 R, a a D 0 D 2 0 .
Now, let a; b 2 R and assume that a b. We will prove that b a. Since
a b, there exists an integer k such that
a b D 2k:
By multiplying both sides of this equation by 1, we obtain
. 1/.a b/ D . 1/.2k /
b a D 2. k/:
Since k 2 Z, the last equation proves that b a. Hence, we have proven

that if a b, then b a and, therefore, the relation is symmetric.
To prove transitivity, let a; b; c 2 R and assume that a b and b c. We

will prove that a c. Now, there exist integers k and n such that
a b D 2k and b c D 2n:
By adding the corresponding sides of these two equations, we see that
.a b/ C .b c/ D 2k C 2n
a c D 2.k C n/:
By the closure properties of the integers, k C n 2 Z. So this proves that
a c and, hence the relation is transitive.
We have now proven that is an equivalence relation on R. This equivalence
relation is important in trigonometry. If a b, then there exists an integer
k such that a b D 2k and, hence, a D b C k.2/. Since the sine and
cosine functions are periodic with a period of 2, we see that
sin a D sin.b C k.2// D sin b; and
cos a D cos.b C k.2// D cos b:
Therefore, when a b, each of the trigonometric functions have the same
value at a and b.
4. For an example from Euclidean geometry, we define a relation P on the set
L of all lines in the plane as follows:
For l1 ; l2 2 L, l1 P l2 if and only if l1 is parallel to l2 or l1 D l2 .
We added the second condition to the definition of P to ensure that P is re-
flexive on L. Theorems from Euclidean geometry tell us that if l1 is parallel
to l2 , then l2 is parallel to l1 , and if l1 is parallel to l2 and l2 is parallel to l3 ,
then l1 is parallel to l3 . (Drawing pictures will help visualize these proper-
ties.) This tells us that the relation P is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive
and, hence, an equivalence relation on L.
Progress Check 7.11 (Another Equivalence Relation)

Let U be a finite, nonempty set and let P .U / be the power set of U . Recall that
P .U / consists of all subsets of U . (See page 222.) Define the relation on P .U /
as follows:
For A; B 2 P .U /, A B if and only if card .A/ D card .B/.
For the definition of the cardinality of a finite set, see page 223. This relation states
that two subsets of U are equivalent provided that they have the same number of
elements. Prove that is an equivalence relation on
Exercises 7.2
? 1. Let A D fa; bg and let R D f.a; b/g. Is R an equivalence relation on A? If
not, is R reflexive, symmetric, or transitive? Justify all conclusions.
2. Let A D fa; b; cg. For each of the following, draw a directed graph that
represents a relation with the specified properties.
(a) A relation on A that is symmetric but not transitive

(b) A relation on A that is transitive but not symmetric
(c) A relation on A that is symmetric and transitive but not reflexive
on A
(d) A relation on A that is not reflexive on A, is not symmetric, and is not
transitive
(e) A relation on A, other than the identity relation, that is an equivalence
relation on A
? 3. Let A D f1; 2; 3; 4; 5g. The identity relation on A is
IA D f.1; 1/; .2; 2/; .3; 3/; .4; 4/; .5; 5/g :
Determine an equivalence relation on A that is different from IA or explain

why this is not possible.
?
4. Let R D f.x; y/ 2 R R j jxj C jyj D 4g. Then R is a relation on R. Is R
an equivalence relation on R? If not, is R reflexive, symmetric, or transitive?
Justify all conclusions.
5. A relation R is defined on Z as follows: For all a; b 2 Z, a R b if and only

if ja bj 3. Is R an equivalence relation on R? If not, is R reflexive,
symmetric, or transitive? Justify all conclusions.
?
6. Let f W R ! R be defined by f .x/ D x 2 4 for each x 2 R. Define a
relation on R as follows:
For a; b 2 R; a b if and only if f .a/ D f .b/:
(a) Is the relation an equivalence relation on R? Justify your conclusion.
(b) Determine all real numbers in the set C D fx 2 R j x 5g.

7. Repeat Exercise (6) using the function f W R ! R that is defined by f .x/ D

x 2 3x 7 for each x 2 R.
8. (a) Repeat Exercise (6a) using the function f W R ! R that is defined by

f .x/ D sin x for each x 2 R.
(b) Determine all real numbers in the set C D fx 2 R j x g.
9. Define the relation on Q as follows: For a; b 2 Q, a b if and only

if a b 2 Z. In Progress Check 7.9, we showed that the relation is an
equivalence relation on Q.

5
(a) List four different elements of the set C D x 2 Q j x .
7
(b) Use set builder notation (without using the symbol ) to specify the set
C.
(c) Use the roster method to specify the set C .
10. Let and be relations on Z defined as follows:
For a; b 2 Z, a b if and only if 2 divides a C b.

For a; b 2 Z, a b if and only if 3 divides a C b.
(a) Is an equivalence relation on Z? If not, is this relation reflexive,

symmetric, or transitive?
(b) Is an equivalence relation on Z? If not, is this relation reflexive,
11. Let U be a finite, nonempty set and let P.U / be the power set of U . That
is, P.U / is the set of all subsets of U . Define the relation on P.U / as
follows: For A; B 2 P .U /, A B if and only if A \ B D ;. That is, the
ordered pair .A; B/ is in the relation if and only if A and B are disjoint.
Is the relation an equivalence relation on P.U /? If not, is it reflexive,
symmetric, or transitive? Justify all conclusions.
12. Let U be a nonempty set and let P.U / be the power set of U . That is, P .U /
is the set of all subsets of U .
For A and B in P.U /, define A B to mean that there exists a bijection
f W A ! B. Prove that is an equivalence relation on P.U /.
Hint: Use results from Sections 6.4 and 6.5.
13. Let and be relations on Z defined as follows:
For a; b 2 Z, a b if and only if 2a C 3b 0 .mod 5/.

For a; b 2 Z, a b if and only if a C 3b 0 .mod 5/.
(a) Is an equivalence relation on Z? If not, is this relation reflexive,

(b) Is an equivalence relation on Z? If not, is this relation reflexive,
14. Let and be relations on R defined as follows:
For x; y 2 R, x y if and only if xy 0.

For x; y 2 R, x y if and only if xy 0.
(a) Is an equivalence relation on R? If not, is this relation reflexive,

(b) Is an equivalence relation on R? If not, is this relation reflexive,
15. Define the relation on R R as follows: For .a; b/ ; .c; d / 2 R R,

.a; b/ .c; d / if and only if a2 C b 2 D c 2 C d 2 .
(a) Prove that is an equivalence relation on R R.

(b) List four different elements of the set
C D f.x; y/ 2 R R j .x; y/ .4; 3/g :
? (c) Give a geometric description of set C .
16. Evaluation of proofs

See the instructions for Exercise (19) on page 100 from Section 3.1.
(a) Proposition. Let R be a relation on a set A. If R is symmetric and

transitive, then R is reflexive.
Proof. Let x; y 2 A. If x R y, then y R x since R is symmetric. Now,

x R y and y R x, and since R is transitive, we can conclude that x R x.
Therefore, R is reflexive.
(b) Proposition. Let be a relation on Z where for all a; b 2 Z, a b if

and only if .a C 2b/ 0 .mod 3/. The relation is an equivalence
relation on Z.
Proof. Assume a a. Then .a C 2a/ 0 .mod 3/ since

.3a/ 0 .mod 3/. Therefore, is reflexive on Z. In addition, if
a b, then .a C 2b/ 0 .mod 3/, and if we multiply both sides of
this congruence by 2, we get
2 .a C 2b/ 2 0 .mod 3/
.2a C 4b/ 0 .mod 3/
.2a C b/ 0 .mod 3/
.b C 2a/ 0 .mod 3/ :
This means that b a and hence, is symmetric.

We now assume that .a C 2b/ 0 .mod 3/ and .b C 2c/ 0 .mod 3/.
By adding the corresponding sides of these two congruences, we obtain
.a C 2b/ C .b C 2c/ 0 C 0 .mod 3/

.a C 3b C 2c/ 0 .mod 3/
.a C 2c/ 0 .mod 3/ :
Hence, the relation is transitive and we have proved that is an

equivalence relation on Z.
17. Other Types of Relations. In this section, we focused on the properties of

a relation that are part of the definition of an equivalence relation. However,
there are other properties of relations that are of importance. We will study
two of these properties in this activity.
A relation R on a set A is a circular relation provided that for all x, y, and
z in A, if x R y and y R z, then z R x.
(a) Carefully explain what it means to say that a relation R on a set A is

not circular.
(b) Let A D f1; 2; 3g. Draw a directed graph of a relation on A that is
circular and draw a directed graph of a relation on A that is not circular.
7.3. Equivalence Classes 387
(c) Let A D f1; 2; 3g. Draw a directed graph of a relation on A that is

circular and not transitive and draw a directed graph of a relation on A
that is transitive and not circular.
(d) Prove the following proposition:
A relation R on a set A is an equivalence relation if and only if it
is reflexive and circular.
A relation R on a set A is an antisymmetric relation provided that for all

x; y 2 A, if x R y and y R x, then x D y.
(e) Carefully explain what it means to say that a relation on a set A is not
antisymmetric.
(f) Let A D f1; 2; 3g. Draw a directed graph of a relation on A that is
antisymmetric and draw a directed graph of a relation on A that is not
antisymmetric.
(g) Are the following propositions true or false? Justify all conclusions.
If a relation R on a set A is both symmetric and antisymmetric,
then R is transitive.
If a relation R on a set A is both symmetric and antisymmetric,
then R is reflexive.
7.3 Equivalence Classes
Preview Activity 1 (Sets Associated with a Relation)

As was indicated in Section 7.2, an equivalence relation on a set A is a relation
with a certain combination of properties (reflexive, symmetric, and transitive) that
allow us to sort the elements of the set into certain classes. This is done by means
of certain subsets of A that are associated with the elements of the set A. This will
be illustrated with the following example. Let A D fa; b; c; d; eg, and let R be the
relation on the set A defined as follows:
aRa bRb cRc d Rd eR e

aRb bRa bRe eRb
aRe eRa cRd d Rc
For each y 2 A, define the subset RŒy of A as follows:
RŒy D fx 2 A j x R yg :
That is, RŒy consists of those elements in A such that x R y. For example, using
y D a, we see that a R a, b R a,and e R a, and so RŒa D fa; b; eg.
1. Determine RŒb, RŒc, RŒd , and RŒe.
2. Draw a directed graph for the relation R and explain why R is an equivalence
relation on A.
3. Which of the sets RŒa, RŒb, RŒc, RŒd , and RŒe are equal?
4. Which of the sets RŒa, RŒb, RŒc, RŒd , and RŒe are disjoint?
As we will see in this section, the relationships between these sets is typical for an
equivalence relation. The following example will show how different this can be
for a relation that is not an equivalence relation.
Let A D fa; b; c; d; eg, and let S be the relation on the set A defined as follows:
bS b cS c dSd eS e
aS b aS d bS c
cS d dSc
5. Draw a digraph that represents the relation S on A. Explain why S is not an

equivalence relation on A.
For each y 2 A, define the subset S Œy of A as follows:
S Œy D fx 2 A j x S yg D fx 2 A j .x; y/ 2 S g :
For example, using y D b, we see that S Œb D fa; bg since .a; b/ 2 S and
.b; b/ 2 S . In addition, we see that S Œa D ; since there is no x 2 A such that
.x; a/ 2 S .
6. Determine S Œc, S Œd , and S Œe.
7. Which of the sets S Œa, S Œb, S Œc, S Œd , and S Œe are equal?
8. Which of the sets S Œb, S Œc, S Œd , and S Œe are disjoint?

Preview Activity 2 (Congruence Modulo 3)

An important equivalence relation that we have studied is congruence modulo n
on the integers. We can also define subsets of the integers based on congruence
modulo n. We will illustrate this with congruence modulo 3. For example, we can
define C Œ0 to be the set of all integers a that are congruent to 0 modulo 3. That is,
C Œ0 D fa 2 Z j a 0 .mod 3/g:
Since an integer a is congruent to 0 modulo 3 if an only if 3 divides a, we can use

the roster method to specify this set as follows:
C Œ0 D f; : : : ; 9; 6; 3; 0; 3; 6; 9; : : :g :
1. Use the roster method to specify each of the following sets:
(a) The set C Œ1 of all integers a that are congruent to 1 modulo 3. That is,
(b) The set C Œ2 of all integers a that are congruent to 2 modulo 3. That is,
(c) The set C Œ3 of all integers a that are congruent to 3 modulo 3. That is,
2. Now consider the three sets, C Œ0, C Œ1, and C Œ2.
(a) Determine the intersection of any two of these sets. That is, determine
C Œ0 \ C Œ1, C Œ0 \ C Œ2, and C Œ1 \ C Œ2.
(b) Let n D 734. What is the remainder when n is divided by 3? Which of
the three sets, if any, contains n D 734?
(c) Repeat Part (2b) for n D 79 and for n D 79.
(d) Do you think that C Œ0 [ C Œ1 [ C Œ2 D Z? Explain.
(e) Is the set C Œ3 equal to one of the sets C Œ0; C Œ1, or C Œ2?
(f) We can also define C Œ4 D fa 2 Z j a 4 .mod 3/g: Is this set equal
to any of the previous sets we have studied in this part? Explain.
The Definition of an Equivalence Class
We have indicated that an equivalence relation on a set is a relation with a certain

combination of properties (reflexive, symmetric, and transitive) that allow us to
sort the elements of the set into certain classes. We saw this happen in the preview
activities. We can now illustrate specifically what this means. For example, in
Preview Activity 2, we used the equivalence relation of congruence modulo 3 on Z
to construct the following three sets:
C Œ0 D fa 2 Z j a 0 .mod 3/g;

C Œ1 D fa 2 Z j a 1 .mod 3/g; and
The main results that we want to use now are Theorem 3.31 and Corollary 3.32 on
page 150. This corollary tells us that for any a 2 Z, a is congruent to precisely one
of the integers 0, 1, or 2. Consequently, the integer a must be congruent to 0, 1, or
2, and it cannot be congruent to two of these numbers. Thus
1. For each a 2 Z, a 2 C Œ0, a 2 C Œ1, or a 2 C Œ2; and
2. C Œ0 \ C Œ1 D ;, C Œ0 \ C Œ2 D ; , and C Œ1 \ C Œ2 D ;.
This means that the relation of congruence modulo 3 sorts the integers into
three distinct sets, or classes, and that each pair of these sets have no elements in
common. So if we use a rectangle to represent Z, we can divide that rectangle
into three smaller rectangles, corresponding to C Œ0, C Œ1, and C Œ2, and we might
picture this situation as follows:
The Integers
C Œ0 consisting of C Œ1 consisting of C Œ2 consisting of
all integers with a all integers with a all integers with a
remainder of 0 when remainder of 1 when remainder of 2 when
divided by 3 divided by 3 divided by 3
Each integer is in exactly one of the three sets C Œ0, C Œ1, or C Œ2, and two
integers are congruent modulo 3 if and only if they are in the same set. We will see
that, in a similar manner, if n is any natural number, then the relation of congruence
modulo n can be used to sort the integers into n classes. We will also see that in
general, if we have an equivalence relation R on a set A, we can sort the elements
of the set A into classes in a similar manner.
Definition. Let be an equivalence relation on a nonempty set A. For each

a 2 A, the equivalence class of a determined by is the subset of A, denoted
by Œa, consisting of all the elements of A that are equivalent to a. That is,
Œa D fx 2 A j x ag:
We read Œa as “the equivalence class of a” or as “bracket a.”
Notes
1. We use the notation Œa when only one equivalence relation is being used.
If there is more than one equivalence relation, then we need to distinguish
between the equivalence classes for each relation. We often use something
like Œa , or if R is the name of the relation, we can use RŒa or ŒaR for the
equivalence class of a determined by R. In any case, always remember that
when we are working with any equivalence relation on a set A if a 2 A, then
the equivalence class Œa is a subset of A.
2. We know that each integer has an equivalence class for the equivalence rela-
tion of congruence modulo 3. But as we have seen, there are really only three
distinct equivalence classes. Using the notation from the definition, they are:
Œ0 D fa 2 Z j a 0 .mod 3/g ; Œ1 D fa 2 Z j a 1 .mod 3/g ; and

Œ2 D fa 2 Z j a 2 .mod 3/g :
Progress Check 7.12 (Equivalence Classes from Preview Activity 1)

Without using the terminology at that time, we actually determined the equivalence
classes of the equivalence relation R in Preview Activity 1. What are the distinct
equivalence classes for this equivalence relation?
Congruence Modulo n and Congruence Classes
In Preview Activity 2, we used the notation C Œk for the set of all integers that are
congruent to k modulo 3. We could have used a similar notation for equivalence
classes, and this would have been perfectly acceptable. However, the notation Œa
is probably the most common notation for the equivalence class of a. We will now
use this same notation when dealing with congruence modulo n when only one
congruence relation is under consideration.
Definition. Let n 2 N. Congruence modulo n is an equivalence relation on

Z. So for a 2 Z,
Œa D fx 2 Z j x a .mod n/g:
In this case, Œa is called the congruence class of a modulo n.
We have seen that congruence modulo 3 divides the integers into three distinct
congruence classes. Each congruence class consists of those integers with the same
remainder when divided by 3. In a similar manner, if we use congruence modulo
2, we simply divide the integers into two classes. One class will consist of all the
integers that have a remainder of 0 when divided by 2, and the other class will
consist of all the integers that have a remainder of 1 when divided by 2. That is,
congruence modulo 2 simply divides the integers into the even and odd integers.
Progress Check 7.13 (Congruence Modulo 4)

Determine all of the distinct congruence classes for the equivalence relation of
congruence modulo 4 on the integers. Specify each congruence class using the
roster method.
Properties of Equivalence Classes
As we have seen, in Preview Activity 1, the relation R was an equivalence relation.

For that preview activity, we used RŒy to denote the equivalence class of y 2 A,
and we observed that these equivalence classes were either equal or disjoint.
However, in Preview Activity 1, the relation S was not an equivalence relation,
and hence we do not use the term “equivalence class” for this relation. We should
note, however, that the sets S Œy were not equal and were not disjoint. This exhibits
one of the main distinctions between equivalence relations and relations that are not
equivalence relations.
In Theorem 7.14, we will prove that if is an equivalence relation on the set A,
then we can “sort” the elements of A into distinct equivalence classes. The prop-
erties of equivalence classes that we will prove are as follows: (1) Every element
of A is in its own equivalence class; (2) two elements are equivalent if and only
if their equivalence classes are equal; and (3) two equivalence classes are either
identical or they are disjoint.
Theorem 7.14. Let A be a nonempty set and let be an equivalence relation on
the set A. Then,
1. For each a 2 A, a 2 Œa.

2. For each a; b 2 A, a b if and only if Œa D Œb.

3. For each a; b 2 A, Œa D Œb or Œa \ Œb D ;.
Proof. Let A be a nonempty set and assume that is an equivalence relation on

A. To prove the first part of the theorem, let a 2 A. Since is an equivalence
relation on A, it is reflexive on A. Thus, a a, and we can conclude that a 2 Œa.
The second part of this theorem is a biconditional statement. We will prove
it by proving two conditional statements. We will first prove that if a b, then
Œa D Œb. So let a; b 2 A and assume that a b. We will now prove that the two
sets Œa and Œb are equal. We will do this by proving that each is a subset of the
other.
First, assume that x 2 Œa. Then, by definition, x a. Since we have assumed
that a b, we can use the transitive property of to conclude that x b, and this
means that x 2 Œb. This proves that Œa Œb.
We now assume that y 2 Œb. This means that y b, and hence by the
symmetric property, that b y. Again, we are assuming that a b. So we have
a b and b y.
We use the transitive property to conclude that a y and then, using the symmetric
property, we conclude that y a. This proves that y 2 Œa and, hence, that
Œb Œa. This means that we can conclude that if a b, then Œa D Œb.
We must now prove that if Œa D Œb, then a b. Let a; b 2 A and assume
that Œa D Œb. Using the first part of the theorem, we know that a 2 Œa and since
the two sets are equal, this tells us that a 2 Œb. Hence by the definition of Œb, we
conclude that a b. This completes the proof of the second part of the theorem.
For the third part of the theorem, let a; b 2 A. Since this part of the theorem is
a disjunction, we will consider two cases: Either
Œa \ Œb D ; or Œa \ Œb ¤ ;:
In the case where Œa \ Œb D ;, the first part of the disjunction is true, and
hence there is nothing to prove. So we assume that Œa \ Œb ¤ ; and will show
that Œa D Œb. Since Œa \ Œb ¤ ;, there is an element x in A such that
x 2 Œa \ Œb:
This means that x 2 Œa and x 2 Œb. Consequently, x a and x b, and so we
can use the second part of the theorem to conclude that Œx D Œa and Œx D Œb.
Hence, Œa D Œb, and we have proven that Œa D Œb or Œa \ Œb D ;.
Theorem 7.14 gives the primary properties of equivalence classes. Conse-

quences of these properties will be explored in the exercises. The following table
restates the properties in Theorem 7.14 and gives a verbal description of each one.
Formal Statement from Verbal Description

Theorem 7.14
For each a 2 A, a 2 Œa. Every element of A is in its own
equivalence class.
For each a; b 2 A, a b if and Two elements of A are equivalent if
only if Œa D Œb. and only if their equivalence classes
are equal.
For each a; b 2 A, Œa D Œb or Any two equivalence classes are
Œa \ Œb D ;. either equal or they are disjoint.
This means that if two equivalence
classes are not disjoint then they
must be equal.
Progress Check 7.15 (Equivalence Classes)

Let f W R ! R be defined by f .x/ D x 2 4 for each x 2 R. Define a relation
on R as follows:
For a; b 2 R, a b if and only if f .a/ D f .b/.
In Exercise (6) of Section 7.2, we proved that is an equivalence relation on

R. Consequently, each real number has an equivalence class. For this equivalence
relation,
1. Determine the equivalence classes of 5, 5, 10, 10, , and .
2. Determine the equivalence class of 0.
3. If a 2 R, use the roster method to specify the elements of the equivalence

class Œa.
The results of Theorem 7.14 are consistent with all the equivalence relations
studied in the preview activities and in the progress checks. Since this theorem
applies to all equivalence relations, it applies to the relation of congruence modulo
n on the integers. Because of the importance of this equivalence relation, these
results for congruence modulo n are given in the following corollary.
Corollary 7.16. Let n 2 N. For each a 2 Z, let Œa represent the congruence class
of a modulo n.
1. For each a 2 Z, a 2 Œa.
2. For each a; b 2 Z, a b .mod n/ if and only if Œa D Œb.
3. For each a; b 2 Z, Œa D Œb or Œa \ Œb D ;.
For the equivalence relation of congruence modulo n, Theorem 3.31 and Corol-
lary 3.32 tell us that each integer is congruent to its remainder when divided by n,
and that each integer is congruent modulo n to precisely one of one of the integers
0; 1; 2; : : : ; n 1. This means that each integer is in precisely one of the congru-
ence classes Œ0, Œ1, Œ2; : : : ; Œn 1. Hence, Corollary 7.16 gives us the following
result.
Corollary 7.17. Let n 2 N. For each a 2 Z, let Œa represent the congruence class
of a modulo n.
1. Z D Œ0 [ Œ1 [ Œ2 [ [ Œn 1
2. For j; k 2 f0; 1; 2; : : : ; n 1g, if j ¤ k, then Œj \ Œk D ;.
Partitions and Equivalence Relations
A partition of a set A is a collection of subsets of A that “breaks up” the set A into
disjoint subsets. Technically, each pair of distinct subsets in the collection must
be disjoint. We then say that the collection of subsets is pairwise disjoint. We
introduce the following formal definition.
Definition. Let A be a nonempty set, and let C be a collection of subsets of

A. The collection of subsets C is a partition of A provided that
1. For each V 2 C, V ¤ ;.
2. For each x 2 A, there exists a V 2 C such that x 2 V.
3. For every V; W 2 C, V D W or V \ W D ;.
There is a close relation between partitions and equivalence classes since the
equivalence classes of an equivalence relation form a partition of the underlying
set, as will be proven in Theorem 7.18. The proof of this theorem relies on the
results in Theorem 7.14.
Theorem 7.18. Let be an equivalence relation on the nonempty set A. Then the
collection C of all equivalence classes determined by is a partition of the set A.
Proof. Let be an equivalence relation on the nonempty set A, and let C be the
collection of all equivalence classes determined by . That is,
C D fŒa j a 2 Ag:
We will use Theorem 7.14 to prove that C is a partition of A.

Part (1) of Theorem 7.14 states that for each a 2 A, a 2 Œa. In terms of the
equivalence classes, this means that each equivalence class is nonempty since each
element of A is in its own equivalence class. Consequently, C, the collection of
all equivalence classes determined by , satisfies the first two conditions of the
definition of a partition.
We must now show that the collection C of all equivalence classes determined
by satisfies the third condition for being a partition. That is, we need to show
that any two equivalence classes are either equal or are disjoint. However, this is
exactly the result in Part (3) of Theorem 7.14.
Hence, we have proven that the collection C of all equivalence classes deter-
mined by is a partition of the set A.
Note: Theorem 7.18 has shown us that if is an equivalence relation on a nonempty

set A, then the collection of the equivalence classes determined by form a parti-
tion of the set A.
This process can be reversed. This means that given a partition C of a nonempty
set A, we can define an equivalence relation on A whose equivalence classes are
precisely the subsets of A that form the partition. This will be explored in Exer-
cise (12).
Exercises 7.3
?
1. Let A D fa; b; c; d; eg and let be the relation on A that is represented by
the directed graph in Figure 7.4.
b c
d e
Figure 7.4: Directed Graph for the Relation in Exercise (1)
Prove that is an equivalence relation on the set A, and determine all of the
equivalence classes determined by this equivalence relation.
?
2. Let A D fa; b; c; d; e; f g, and assume that is an equivalence relation on
A. Also assume that it is known that
ab a 6 c ef
ad a 6 f e 6 c.
Draw a complete directed graph for the equivalence relation on the set
A, and then determine all of the equivalence classes for this equivalence
relation.
? 3. Let A D f0; 1; 2; 3; : : : ; 999; 1000g. Define the relation R on A as follows:
For x; y 2 A, x R y if and only if x and y have the same number of
digits.
Prove that R is an equivalence relation on the set A and determine all of the
distinct equivalence classes determined by R.
4. Determine all of the congruence classes for the relation of congruence mod-
ulo 5 on the set of integers.
5. Let Z9 D f0; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8g.

?
(a) Define the relation on Z9 as follows: For all a; b 2 Z9 , a b if and
only if a2 b 2 .mod 9/. Prove that is an equivalence relation on Z9
and determine all of the distinct equivalence classes of this equivalence
relation.
(b) Define the relation on Z9 as follows: For all a; b 2 Z9 , a b if and

only if a3 b 3 .mod 9/. Prove that is an equivalence relation on Z9
and determine all of the distinct equivalence classes of this equivalence
relation.
6. Define the relation on Q as follows: For a; b 2 Q, a b if and only if

a b 2 Z. In Progress Check 7.9 of Section 7.2, we showed that the relation
is an equivalence relation on Q. Also, see Exercise (9) in Section 7.2.
ˇ
? 5 5 ˇˇ
(a) Prove that D mC ˇm 2 Z .
7 7
(b) If a 2 Z, then what is the equivalence class of a?

5
(c) If a 2 Z, prove that there is a bijection from Œa to .
7
7. Define the relation on R as follows:
For x; y 2 R, x y if and only if x y 2 Q.
(a) Prove that is an equivalence relation on R.

p
(b) List four different real numbers that are in the equivalence class of 2.
(c) If a 2 Q, what is the equivalence class of a?
hp i n p o
(d) Prove that 2 D rC 2jr 2Q .
hp i
(e) If a 2 Q, prove that there is a bijection from Œa to 2 .
8. Define the relation on Z as follows: For a; b 2 Z, a b if and only if

2a C 3b 0 .mod 5/. The relation is an equivalence relation on Z. (See
Exercise (13) in Section 7.2). Determine all the distinct equivalence classes
for this equivalence relation.
9. Let A D Z .Z f0g/. That is, A D f.a; b/ 2 Z Z j b ¤ 0g. Define the

relation on A as follows:
For .a; b/ ; .c; d / 2 A, .a; b/ .c; d / if and only if ad D bc.
? (a) Prove that is an equivalence relation on A.
(b) Why was it necessary to include the restriction that b ¤ 0 in the defi-
nition of the set A?
?
(c) Determine an equation that gives a relation between a and b if .a; b/ 2
A and .a; b/ .2; 3/.
(d) Determine at least four different elements in Œ.2; 3/, the equivalence
class of .2; 3/.
(e) Use set builder notation to describe Œ.2; 3/, the equivalence class of
.2; 3/.
10. For .a; b/ ; .c; d / 2 R R, define .a; b/ .c; d / if and only if a2 C b 2 D

c 2 C d 2 . In Exercise (15) of Section 7.2, we proved that is an equivalence
relation on R R.
(a) Determine the equivalence class of .0; 0/.

(b) Use set builder notation (and do not use the symbol ) to describe the
equivalence class of .2; 3/ and then give a geometric description of this
equivalence class.
(c) Give a geometric description of a typical equivalence class for this
equivalence relation.
(d) Let R D fx 2 R j x 0g. Prove that there is a one-to-one correspon-
dence (bijection) between R and the set of all equivalence classes for
this equivalence relation.
11. Let A be a nonempty set and let be an equivalence relation on A. Prove

each of the following:
(a) For each a; b 2 A, a œ b if and only if Œa \ Œb D ;.

(b) For each a; b 2 A, if Œa ¤ Œb, then Œa \ Œb D ;.
(c) For each a; b 2 A, if Œa \ Œb ¤ ; then Œa D Œb.
12. A Partition Defines an Equivalence Relation. Let A D fa; b; c; d; eg and

let C D ffa; b; cg ; fd; egg.
(a) Explain why C is a partition of A.
Define a relation on A as follows: For x; y 2 A, x y if and only if there

exists a set U in C such that x 2 U and y 2 U.
(b) Prove that is an equivalence relation on the set A, and then deter-
mine all the equivalence classes for . How does the collection of all
equivalence classes compare to C?
What we did for the specific partition in Part (12b) can be done for any
partition of a set. So to generalize Part (12b), we let A be a nonempty set
and let C be a partition of A. We then define a relation on A as follows:
For x; y 2 A, x y if and only if there exists a set U in C such that
x 2 U and y 2 U.
(c) Prove that is an equivalence relation on the set A.

(d) Let a 2 A and let U 2 C such that a 2 U . Prove that Œa D U .
13. Equivalence Relations on a Set of Matrices. The following exercises re-

quire a knowledge of elementary linear algebra. We let Mn;n .R/ be the set
of all n by n matrices with real number entries.
(a) Define a relation on Mn;n.R/ as follows: For all A; B 2 Mn;n.R/,
A B if and only if there exists an invertible matrix P in Mn;n.R/
such that B D PAP 1 . Is an equivalence relation on Mn;n .R/?
Justify your conclusion.
(b) Define a relation R on Mn;nR/ as follows: For all A; B 2 Mn;n.R/,
A R B if and only if det.A/ D det.B/. Is R an equivalence relation on
Mn;n.R/? Justify your conclusion.
(c) Let be an equivalence relation on R. Define a relation on Mn;n .R/
as follows: For all A; B 2 Mn;n .R/, A B if and only if det.A/
det.B/. Is an equivalence relation on Mn;n.R/? Justify your con-
clusion.
7.4 Modular Arithmetic
Preview Activity 1 (Congruence Modulo 6)

For this preview activity, we will only use the relation of congruence modulo 6 on
the set of integers.
1. Find five different integers a such that a 3 .mod 6/ and find five different
integers b such that b 4 .mod 6/. That is, find five different integers in
Œ3, the congruence class of 3 modulo 6 and five different integers in Œ4, the
congruence class of 4 modulo 6.
2. Calculate s D a Cb using several values of a in Œ3 and several values of b in
Œ4 from Part (1). For each sum s that is calculated, find r so that 0 r < 6
and s r .mod 6/. What do you observe?
7.4. Modular Arithmetic 401
3. Calculate p D a b using several values of a in Œ3 and several values of

b in Œ4 from Part (1). For each product p that is calculated, find r so that
0 r < 6 and p r .mod 6/. What do you observe?
4. Calculate q D a2 using several values of a in Œ3 from Part (1). For each
product q that is calculated, find r so that 0 r < 6 and q r .mod 6/.
What do you observe?
Preview Activity 2 (The Remainder When Dividing by 9)

If a and b are integers with b > 0, then from the Division Algorithm, we know
that there exist unique integers q and r such that
a D bq C r and 0 r < b:
In this activity, we are interested in the remainder r. Notice that r D a bq. So,
given a and b, if we can calculate q, then we can calculate r.
We can use the “int” function on a calculator to calculate q. [The “int” function
is the “greatest integer function.” If x is a real number, then int.x/ is the greatest
integer that is less than or equal to x.]
a
So, in the context of the Division Algorithm, q D int . Consequently,
b
a
r D a b int :
b
If n is a positive integer, we will let s .n/ denote the sum of the digits of n. For
example, if n D 731, then
s.731/ D 7 C 3 C 1 D 11:
For each of the following values of n, calculate
The remainder when n is divided by 9, and
The value of s.n/ and the remainder when s.n/ is divided by 9.
1. n D 498 3. n D 4672 5. n D 51381
2. n D 7319 4. n D 9845 6. n D 305877
What do you observe?

The Integers Modulo n
Let n 2 N. Since the relation of congruence modulo n is an equivalence relation

on Z, we can discuss its equivalence classes. Recall that in this situation, we refer
to the equivalence classes as congruence classes.
Definition. Let n 2 N. The set of congruence classes for the relation of

congruence modulo n on Z is the set of integers modulo n, or the set of
integers mod n. We will denote this set of congruence classes by Zn .
Corollary 7.17 tells us that

Z D Œ0 [ Œ1 [ Œ2 [ [ Œn 1:
In addition, we know that each integer is congruent to precisely one of the integers
0; 1; 2; : : : ; n 1. This tells us that one way to represent Zn is
Zn D fŒ0; Œ1; Œ2; : : : Œn 1g :
Consequently, even though each integer has a congruence class, the set Zn has only
n distinct congruence classes.
The set of integers Z is more than a set. We can add and multiply integers.
That is, there are the arithmetic operations of addition and multiplication on the set
Z, and we know that Z is closed with respect to these two operations.
One of the basic problems dealt with in modern algebra is to determine if the
arithmetic operations on one set “transfer” to a related set. In this case, the related
set is Zn . For example, in the integers modulo 5, Z5 , is it possible to add the
congruence classes Œ4 and Œ2 as follows?
Œ4 ˚ Œ2 D Œ4 C 2
D Œ6
D Œ1:
We have used the symbol ˚ to denote addition in Z5 so that we do not confuse

it with addition in Z. This looks simple enough, but there is a problem. The
congruence classes Œ4 and Œ2 are not numbers, they are infinite sets. We have to
make sure that we get the same answer no matter what element of Œ4 we use and
no matter what element of Œ2 we use. For example,
9 4 .mod 5/ and so Œ9 D Œ4: Also,
7 2 .mod 5/ and so Œ7 D Œ2:
Do we get the same result if we add Œ9 and Œ7 in the way we did when we added
Œ4 and Œ2? The following computation confirms that we do:
Œ9 ˚ Œ7 D Œ9 C 7
D Œ16
D Œ1:
This is one of the ideas that was explored in Preview Activity 1. The main differ-
ence is that in this preview activity, we used the relation of congruence, and here
we are using congruence classes. All of the examples in Preview Activity 1 should
have illustrated the properties of congruence modulo 6 in the following table. The
left side shows the properties in terms of the congruence relation and the right side
shows the properties in terms of the congruence classes.
If a 3 .mod 6/ and b 4 .mod 6/, then If Œa D Œ3 and Œb D Œ4 in
Z6 , then
.a C b/ .3 C 4/ .mod 6/;
Œa C b D Œ3 C 4;
.a b/ .3 4/ .mod 6/.
Œa b D Œ3 4.
These are illustrations of general properties that we have already proved in Theo-
rem 3.28. We repeat the statement of the theorem here because it is so important
for defining the operations of addition and multiplication in Zn .
Theorem 3.28 Let n be a natural number and let a; b; c; and d be integers. Then
1. If a b .mod n/ and c d .mod n/, then .a C c/ .b C d / .mod n/.
2. If a b .mod n/ and c d .mod n/, then ac bd .mod n/.
3. If a b .mod n/ and m 2 N, then am b m .mod n/.
Since x y .mod n/ if and only if Œx D Œy, we can restate the result of this
Theorem 3.28 in terms of congruence classes in Zn .
Corollary 7.19. Let n be a natural number and let a; b; c and d be integers. Then,
in Zn ,
1. If Œa D Œb and Œc D Œd , then Œa C c D Œb C d .

2. If Œa D Œb and Œc D Œd , then Œa c D Œb d .
3. If Œa D Œb and m 2 N, then Œam D Œbm .
Because of Corollary 7.19, we know that the following formal definition of ad-
dition and multiplication of congruence classes in Zn is independent of the choice
of the elements we choose from each class. We say that these definitions of addi-
tion and multiplication are well defined.
Definition. Let n 2 N. Addition and multiplication in Zn are defined as

follows: For Œa; Œc 2 Zn ,
Œa ˚ Œc D Œa C c and Œa ˇ Œc D Œac:
The term modular arithmetic is used to refer to the operations of addition

and multiplication of congruence classes in the integers modulo n.
So if n 2 N, then we have an addition and multiplication defined on Zn , the

integers modulo n.
Always remember that for each of the equations in the definitions, the oper-
ations on the left, ˚ and ˇ, are the new operations that are being defined. The
operations on the right side of the equations .C and / are the known operations of
addition and multiplication in Z.
Since Zn is a finite set, it is possible to construct addition and multiplication
tables for Zn . In constructing these tables, we follow the convention that all sums
and products should be in the form Œr, where 0 r < n. For example, in Z3 , we
see that by the definition, Œ1 ˚ Œ2 D Œ3, but since 3 0 .mod 3/, we see that
Œ3 D Œ0 and so we write
Œ1 ˚ Œ2 D Œ3 D Œ0:
Similarly, by definition, Œ2 ˇ Œ2 D Œ4, and in Z3 , Œ4 D Œ1. So we write
Œ2 ˇ Œ2 D Œ4 D Œ1:
The complete addition and multiplication tables for Z3 are
˚ Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 ˇ Œ0 Œ1 Œ2

Œ0 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ0 Œ0 Œ0 Œ0
Œ1 Œ1 Œ2 Œ0 Œ1 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2
Œ2 Œ2 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ0 Œ2 Œ1
Progress Check 7.20 (Modular Arithmetic in Z2 , Z5 , and Z6 )
1. Construct addition and multiplication tables for Z2 , the integers modulo 2.
2. Verify that the following addition and multiplication tables for Z5 are cor-
rect.
˚ Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ3 Œ4 ˇ Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ3 Œ4
Œ0 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ3 Œ4 Œ0 Œ0 Œ0 Œ0 Œ0 Œ0
Œ1 Œ1 Œ2 Œ3 Œ4 Œ0 Œ1 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ3 Œ4
Œ2 Œ2 Œ3 Œ4 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ0 Œ2 Œ4 Œ1 Œ3
Œ3 Œ3 Œ4 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ3 Œ0 Œ3 Œ1 Œ4 Œ2
Œ4 Œ4 Œ0 Œ1 Œ2 Œ3 Œ4 Œ0 Œ4 Œ3 Œ2 Œ1
3. Construct complete addition and multiplication tables for Z6 .
4. In the integers, the following statement is true. We sometimes call this the
zero product property for the integers.
For all a; b 2 Z, if a b D 0, then a D 0 or b D 0.
Write the contrapositive of the conditional statement in this property.
5. Are the following statements true or false? Justify your conclusions.
(a) For all Œa; Œb 2 Z5 , if Œa ˇ Œb D Œ0, then Œa D Œ0 or Œb D Œ0.
(b) For all Œa; Œb 2 Z6 , if Œa ˇ Œb D Œ0, then Œa D Œ0 or Œb D Œ0.
Divisibility Tests
Congruence arithmetic can be used to proof certain divisibility tests. For example,
you may have learned that a natural number is divisible by 9 if the sum of its
digits is divisible by 9. As an easy example, note that the sum of the digits of
5823 is equal to 5 C 8 C 2 C 3 D 18, and we know that 18 is divisible by 9.
It can also be verified that 5823 is divisible by 9. (The quotient is 647.) We can
actually generalize this property by dealing with remainders when a natural number
is divided by 9.
Let n 2 N and let s.n/ denote the sum of the digits of n. For example, if
n D 7319, then s.7319/ D 7 C 3 C 1 C 9 D 20. In Preview Activity 2, we saw
that
7319 2 .mod 9/ and 20 2 .mod 9/.
In fact, for every example in Preview Activity 2, we saw that n and s.n/ were
congruent modulo 9 since they both had the same remainder when divided by 9.
The concepts of congruence and congruence classes can help prove that this is
always true.
We will use the case of n D 7319 to illustrate the general process. We must
use our standard place value system. By this, we mean that we will write 7319 as
follows:

7319 D 7 103 C 3 102 C 1 101 C 9 100 : (1)
The idea is to now use the definition of addition and multiplication in Z9 to convert
equation (1) to an equation in Z9 . We do this as follows:

Œ7319 D Œ 7 103 C 3 102 C 1 101 C 9 100
D Œ7 103 ˚ Œ3 102 ˚ Œ1 101 ˚ Œ9 100

D Œ7 ˇ Œ103 ˚ Œ3 ˇ Œ102 ˚ Œ1 ˇ Œ101 ˚ .Œ9 ˇ Œ1/ : (2)
Since 103 1 .mod 9/, 102 1 .mod 9/ and 10 1 .mod 9/, we can conclude
that Œ103 D Œ1, Œ102 D Œ1 and Œ10 D Œ1. Hence, we can use these facts and
equation (2) to obtain

Œ7319 D Œ7 ˇ Œ103 ˚ Œ3 ˇ Œ102 ˚ .Œ1 ˇ Œ10/ ˚ .Œ9 ˇ Œ1/
D .Œ7 ˇ Œ1/ ˚ .Œ3 ˇ Œ1/ ˚ .Œ1 ˇ Œ1/ ˚ .Œ9 ˇ Œ1/
D Œ7 ˚ Œ3 ˚ Œ1 ˚ Œ9
D Œ7 C 3 C 1 C 9: (3)
Equation (3) tells us that 7319 has the same remainder when divided by 9 as the
sum of its digits. It is easy to check that the sum of the digits is 20 and hence has a
remainder of 2. This means that when 7319 is divided by 9, the remainder is 2.
To prove that any natural number has the same remainder when divided by 9
as the sum of its digits, it is helpful to introduce notation for the decimal represen-
tation of a natural number. The notation we will use is similar to the notation for
the number 7319 in equation (1).
In general, if n 2 N, and n D ak ak 1 a1 a0 is the decimal representation of
n, then

n D ak 10k C ak 1 10k 1 C C a1 101 C a0 100 :
This can also be written using summation notation as follows:

k
X
nD aj 10j :
j D0
Using congruence classes for congruence modulo 9, we have

Œn D Œ ak 10k C ak 1 10k 1 C C a1 101 C a0 100
D Œak 10k ˚ Œak 1 10k 1 ˚ ˚ Œa1 101 ˚ Œa0 100

D Œak ˇ Œ10k ˚ Œak 1 ˇ Œ10k 1 ˚

˚ Œa1 ˇ Œ101 ˚ Œa0 ˇ Œ100 : (4)
One last detail is needed. It is given in Proposition 7.21. The proof by mathemat-
ical induction is Exercise (6).
Proposition 7.21. If n is a nonnegative integer, then 10n 1 .mod 9/, and hence
for the equivalence relation of congruence modulo 9, Œ10n D Œ1.
If we let s.n/ denote the sum of the digits of n, then

s.n/ D ak C ak 1 C C a1 C a0 ;
Now using equation (4) and Proposition 7.21, we obtain
Œn D .Œak ˇ Œ1/ ˚ .Œak 1 ˇ Œ1/ ˚ ˚ .Œa1 ˇ Œ1/ ˚ .Œa0 ˇ Œ1/
D Œak ˚ Œak 1 ˚ ˚ Œa1 ˚ Œa0
D Œak C ak 1 C C a1 C a0 :
D Œs.n/:
This completes the proof of Theorem 7.22.
Theorem 7.22. Let n 2 N and let s.n/ denote the sum of the digits of n. Then
1. Œn D Œs.n/, using congruence classes modulo 9.

2. n s.n/ .mod 9/.
3. 9 j n if and only if 9 j s.n/.
Part (3) of Theorem 7.22 is called a divisibility test. If gives a necessary and
sufficient condition for a natural number to be divisible by 9. Other divisibility tests
will be explored in the exercises. Most of these divisibility tests can be proved in a
manner similar to the proof of the divisibility test for 9.
Exercises 7.4
1. ? (a) Complete the addition and multiplication tables for Z4 .

?
(b) Complete the addition and multiplication tables for Z7 .
(c) Complete the addition and multiplication tables for Z8 .
2. The set Zn contains n elements. One way to solve an equation in Zn is

to substitute each of these n elements in the equation to check which ones
are solutions. In Zn , when parentheses are not used, we follow the usual
order of operations, which means that multiplications are done first and then
additions. Solve each of the following equations:
?
(a) Œx2 D Œ1 in Z4 ?
(e) Œx2 ˚ Œ1 D Œ0 in Z5
(b) Œx2 D Œ1 in Z8 (f) Œ3 ˇ Œx ˚ Œ2 D Œ0 in Z5
(c) Œx4 D Œ1 in Z5 ? (g) Œ3 ˇ Œx ˚ Œ2 D Œ0 in Z6
(d) Œx2 ˚ Œ3 ˇ Œx D Œ3 in Z6 (h) Œ3 ˇ Œx ˚ Œ2 D Œ0 in Z9
?
3. In each case, determine if the statement is true or false.
(a) For all Œa 2 Z6 , if Œa ¤ Œ0, then there exists a Œb 2 Z6 such that
Œa ˇ Œb D Œ1.
(b) For all Œa 2 Z5 , if Œa ¤ Œ0, then there exists a Œb 2 Z5 such that
Œa ˇ Œb D Œ1.
4. In each case, determine if the statement is true or false.
(a) For all Œa; Œb 2 Z6 , if Œa ¤ Œ0 and Œb ¤ Œ0, then Œa ˇ Œb ¤ Œ0.
(b) For all Œa; Œb 2 Z5 , if Œa ¤ Œ0 and Œb ¤ Œ0, then Œa ˇ Œb ¤ Œ0.
5. ? (a) Prove the following proposition:

For each Œa 2 Z5 , if Œa ¤ Œ0, then Œa2 D Œ1 or Œa2 D Œ4.
(b) Does there exist an integer a such that a2 D 5; 158; 232; 468; 953; 153?
Use your work in Part (a) to justify your conclusion. Compare to Exer-
cise (11) in Section 3.5.
6. Use mathematical induction to prove Proposition 7.21.

If n is a nonnegative integer, then 10n 1 .mod 9/, and hence for the
equivalence relation of congruence modulo 9, Œ10n D Œ1.
7. Use mathematical induction to prove that if n is a nonnegative integer, then

10n 1 .mod 3/. Hence, for congruence classes modulo 3, if n is a non-
negative integer, then Œ10n D Œ1.
8. Let n 2 N and let s.n/ denote the sum of the digits of n. So if we write

n D ak 10k C ak 1 10k 1 C C a1 101 C a0 100 ;
then s.n/ D ak C ak 1 C C a1 C a0 . Use the result in Exercise (7) to

help prove each of the following:
(a) Œn D Œs.n/, using congruence classes modulo 3.

(b) n s.n/ .mod 3/.
(c) 3 j n if and only if 3 j s.n/.
9. Use mathematical induction to prove that if n is an integer and n 1, then

10n 0 .mod 5/. Hence, for congruence classes modulo 5, if n is an integer
and n 1, then Œ10n D Œ0.
10. Let n 2 N and assume

n D ak 10k C ak 1 10k 1
C C a1 101 C a0 100 :
Use the result in Exercise (9) to help prove each of the following:
(a) Œn D Œa0 , using congruence classes modulo 5.

(b) n a0 .mod 5/.
(c) 5 j n if and only if 5 j a0 .


n D ak 10k C ak 1 10
k 1
C C a1 101 C a0 100 :
(a) Œn D Œ10a1 C a0 , using congruence classes modulo 4.

(b) n .10a1 C a0 / .mod 4/.
(c) 4 j n if and only if 4 j .10a1 C a0 /.


n D ak 10k C ak 1 10
k 1
C C a1 101 C a0 100 :
Use the result in Exercise (13) to help develop a divisibility test for 8. Prove
that your divisibility test is correct.
15. Use mathematical induction to prove that if n is a nonnegative integer then

10n . 1/n .mod 11/. Hence, for congruence classes modulo 11, if n is a
nonnegative integer, then Œ10n D Œ. 1/n .

n D ak 10k C ak 1 10k 1
C C a1 101 C a0 100 :
P
k
(a) n . 1/j aj .mod 11/.
j D0
k
P
(b) Œn D Œ . 1/j aj , using congruence classes modulo 11.
j D0
P
k
(c) 11 divides n if and only if 11 divides . 1/j aj .
j D0
17. ? (a) Prove the following proposition:

For all Œa; Œb 2 Z3 . if Œa2 C Œb2 D Œ0, then Œa D 0 and
Œb D Œ0.
(b) Use Exercise (17a) to prove the following proposition:

Let a; b 2 Z. If a2 C b 2 0 .mod 3/, then a 0 .mod 3/
and b 0 .mod 3/.
(c) Use Exercise (17b) to prove the following proposition:

For all a; b 2 Z, if 3 divides a2 C b 2 , then 3 divides a and 3
divides b.
7.5. Chapter 7 Summary 411
18. Prove the following proposition:

For each a 2 Z, if there exist integers b and c such that a D b 4 C c 4 ,
then the units digit of a must be 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, or 7.
19. Is the following proposition true or false? Justify your conclusion.

Let n 2 Z. If n is odd, then 8 j n2 1 . Hint: What are the possible
values of n (mod 8)?
20. Prove the following proposition:

Let n 2 N. If n 7 .mod 8/, then n is not the sum of three squares.
That is, there do not exist natural numbers a, b, and c such that
n D a2 C b 2 C c 2 .
21. Using Congruence Modulo 4. The set Zn is a finite set, and hence one
way to prove things about Zn is to simply use the n elements in Zn as the n
cases for a proof using cases. For example, if n 2 Z, then in Z4 , Œn D Œ0,
Œn D Œ1, Œn D Œ2, or Œn D Œ3.
(a) Prove that if n 2 Z, then in Z4 , Œn2 D Œ0 or Œn2 D Œ1. Use this to
conclude that in Z4 , Œn2 D Œ0 or Œn2 D Œ1.

(b) Translate the equations n2 D Œ0 and n2 D Œ1 in Z4 into congru-
ences modulo 4.
(c) Use a result in Exercise (12) to determine the value of r so that r 2 Z,
0 r < 3, and
104 257 833 259 r .mod 4/:
That is, Œ104 257 833 259 D Œr in Z4 .

(d) Is the natural number 104 257 833 259 a perfect square? Justify your
conclusion.
7.5 Chapter 7 Summary
Important Definitions
Relation from A to B, page 364 Equivalence relation, page 378

Relation on A, page 364 Equivalence class, page 391
Domain of a relation, page 364
Congruence class, page 392
Range of a relation, page 364
Partition of a set, page 395
Inverse of a relation, page 373
Integers modulo n, page 402
Reflexive relation, page 375
Symmetric relation, page 375 Addition in Zn , page 404
Transitive relation, page 375 Multiplication in Zn , page 404
Important Theorems and Results about Relations, Equivalence Rela-

tions, and Equivalence Classes
Theorem 7.6. Let R be a relation from the set A to the set B. Then
1 1
1. The domain of R is the range of R. That is, dom.R / D range.R/.
1 1
2. The range of R is the domain of R. That is, range.R / D dom.R/.
1 1
1
3. The inverse of R is R. That is, R D R.
Theorem 7.10. Let n 2 N and let a; b 2 Z. Then a b .mod n/ if and only

if a and b have the same remainder when divided by n.
Theorem 7.14. Let A be a nonempty set and let be an equivalence relation

on A.
1. For each a 2 A, a 2 Œa.

2. For each a; b 2 A, a b if and only if Œa D Œb.
3. For each a; b 2 A, Œa D Œb or Œa \ Œb D ;.
Corollary 7.16. Let n 2 N. For each a 2 Z, let Œa represent the congruence
class of a modulo n.
1. For each a 2 Z, a 2 Œa.

7.5. Chapter 7 Summary 413
2. For each a; b 2 Z, a b .mod n/ if and only if Œa D Œb.

3. For each a; b 2 Z, Œa D Œb or Œa \ Œb D ;.
Corollary 7.17. Let n 2 N. For each a 2 Z, let Œa represent the congruence
class of a modulo n.
1. Z D Œ0 [ Œ1 [ Œ2 [ [ Œn 1

2. For j; k 2 f0; 1; 2; : : : ; n 1g, if j ¤ k, then Œj \ Œk D ;.
Theorem 7.18. Let be an equivalence relation on the nonempty set A.

Then the collection C of all equivalence classes determined by is a parti-
tion of the set A.

Ch. 7 Equivalence Relations

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What is a relation and how is it defined formally?

What is a relation and how is it defined formally?

What are the properties that define an equivalence relation?

What are the properties that define an equivalence relation?

Chapter 7

Preview Activity 1 (The United States of America)

R D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x and y have a land border in commong:

For all x; y; z 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R and .y; z/ 2 R, then .x; z/ 2 R.

3. Is the following conditional statement true or false? Explain.

For all x; y 2 A, if .x; y/ 2 R, then .y; x/ 2 R.

Preview Activity 2 (The Solution Set of an Equation with Two Variables)

1. List four different elements of the set S.

2. The graph of the equation 4x 2 C y 2 D 16 in the xy-coordinate plane is an

3. Describe each of the following sets as an interval of real numbers:

5  5 .mod 3/; 5  2 .mod 3/; and 5  1 .mod 3/;

we can say that 5 is related to 3, 5 is related to 2, and 5 is related to 1. Notice that,

dom.R/ D fu 2 A j .u; y/ 2 R for at least one y 2 Bg

Example 7.1 (Domain and Range)

Progress Check 7.2 (Examples of Relations)

(a) Explain why T is a relation on R.

R D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x and y have a border in commong:

(a) Explain why R is a relation on A.

Some Standard Mathematical Relations

Table 7.1: Standard Mathematical Relations

Notation for Relations

xRy to mean .x; y/ 2 R; and

xy means the same thing as .x; y/ 2 R; and

Progress Check 7.3 (The Divides Relation)

D D f.m; n/ 2 Z Z j m divides ng:

In this case, we have a specific notation for “divides,” and we write

mjn if and only if .m; n/ 2 D.

2. Are the following statements true or false? Explain.

(a) For every nonzero integer a, a j a.

If we have a function f W A ! B, we can generate a set of ordered pairs f that is

f D f.a; f .a// j a 2 Ag or f D f.a; b/ 2 A B j b D f .a/g :

This means that f is a relation from A to B. Since, dom.f / D A, we know that

(1) For every a 2 A, there exists a b 2 B such that .a; b/ 2 f .

When .a; b/ 2 f , we write b D f .a/. In addition, to be a function, each input can

(2) For every a 2 A and every b; c 2 B, if .a; b/ 2 f and .a; c/ 2 f , then

This means that a function f from A to B is a relation from A to B that satisfies

1. List five different ordered pairs that are in the set F .

(a) A D fx 2 R j .x; 4/ 2 F g (c) C D fy 2 R j .5; y/ 2 F g

Visual Representations of Relations

Figure 7.1: Graph of y  x 2

is a relation on A. A convenient way to represent such a relation is to draw a point

Figure 7.2: Directed Graph for a Relation

Progress Check 7.5 (The Directed Graph of a Relation)

Figure 7.3: Vertices for A

(a) For each x 2 A, x R x.

D D f.x; y/ 2 A A j x is a daughter of yg:

That is, x D y means that x is a daughter of y.

? (a) Describe those elements of A that are in the domain of D.

R D f.x; S/ 2 U P.U / j x 2 Sg:

(a) What is the domain of this “element of” relation, R?

(b) What is the range of this “element of” relation, R?

7. Repeat Exercise( 6) using the relation on R defined by

9. Let R be the relation on Z where for all a; b 2 Z, a R b if and only if

(a) What is the domain of the relation R< ?

Note: Remember that a relation is a set. Consequently, we can talk about

5 5 .mod 3/; 5 2 .mod 3/; and 5 1 .mod 3/;

xy means the same thing as .x; y/ 2 R; and

Figure 7.1: Graph of y x 2

For each a 2 Z, a D b and so a R a.

For all a; b 2 Z, if a D b, then b D a. That is, if a R b, then b R a.

For all a; b; c 2 Z, if a D b and b D c, then a D c. That is, if a R b and

The relation R is reflexive on A provided that for each x 2 A, x R x

The relation R is symmetric provided that for every x; y 2 A, if x R y,

The relation R is transitive provided that for every x; y; z 2 A, if

The relation R is reflexive on A provided that for each x 2 A, x R x or,

The relation R is symmetric provided that for every x; y 2 A, if x R y, then

The relation R is transitive provided that for every x; y; z 2 A, if x R y and

Definition. Let A be a nonempty set. A relation on the set A is an equiv-

The relation M is reflexive on Z since for each x 2 Z, x D x 1 and, hence,

Notice that 4 M 2, but 2 6M 4. So there exist integers x and y such that

To prove that is reflexive on Q, we note that for all a 2 Q, a a D 0. Since

Theorem 7.10. Let n 2 N and let a; b 2 Z. Then a b .mod n/ if and only if a

a r .mod n/ and b r .mod n/:

a r .mod n/ and r b .mod n/:

1. The relation on Q from Progress Check 7.9 is an equivalence relation.

3. Define the relation on R as follows:

We will prove that the relation is an equivalence relation on R. The rela-

Since k 2 Z, the last equation proves that b a. Hence, we have proven

To prove transitivity, let a; b; c 2 R and assume that a b and b c. We

For A; B 2 P .U /, A B if and only if card .A/ D card .B/.

For a; b 2 R; a b if and only if f .a/ D f .b/:

(a) Is the relation an equivalence relation on R? Justify your conclusion.

(b) Determine all real numbers in the set C D fx 2 R j x 5g.

9. Define the relation on Q as follows: For a; b 2 Q, a b if and only

10. Let and be relations on Z defined as follows:

For a; b 2 Z, a b if and only if 2 divides a C b.

(a) Is an equivalence relation on Z? If not, is this relation reflexive,

13. Let and be relations on Z defined as follows:

For a; b 2 Z, a b if and only if 2a C 3b 0 .mod 5/.

(a) Is an equivalence relation on Z? If not, is this relation reflexive,

14. Let and be relations on R defined as follows:

For x; y 2 R, x y if and only if xy 0.

(a) Is an equivalence relation on R? If not, is this relation reflexive,

15. Define the relation on R R as follows: For .a; b/ ; .c; d / 2 R R,