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Exercise 4.1 · Q4

Q.If X={1,2,3,4}X = \{1, 2, 3, 4\}, give an example on XX which is

(i) reflexive and symmetric but not transitive.
(ii) symmetric and transitive but not reflexive.
(iii) neither reflexive, nor symmetric but transitive.
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Build a small relation on X={1,2,3,4}X=\{1,2,3,4\} for each required combination of properties by direct construction.

Reflexive: (x,x)∈R ∀x∈X(x,x)\in R\ \forall x\in X. Symmetric: (x,y)∈R⇒(y,x)∈R(x,y)\in R\Rightarrow(y,x)\in R. Transitive: (x,y),(y,z)∈R⇒(x,z)∈R(x,y),(y,z)\in R\Rightarrow(x,z)\in R.

  1. (i) Reflexive and symmetric but not transitive. Take R={(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(1,2),(2,1),(2,3),(3,2)}R=\{(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(1,2),(2,1),(2,3),(3,2)\}.
    • All (x,x)(x,x) are present ⇒\Rightarrow reflexive.
    • (1,2)↔(2,1)(1,2)\leftrightarrow(2,1) and (2,3)↔(3,2)(2,3)\leftrightarrow(3,2) both present ⇒\Rightarrow symmetric.
    • Check transitivity: (1,2)∈R(1,2)\in R, (2,3)∈R(2,3)\in R, but (1,3)∉R(1,3)\notin R. So not transitive.
  2. (ii) Symmetric and transitive but not reflexive. Take R={(1,1),(2,2),(1,2),(2,1)}R=\{(1,1),(2,2),(1,2),(2,1)\}.
    • Symmetric: (1,2)↔(2,1)(1,2)\leftrightarrow(2,1) present, (1,1),(2,2)(1,1),(2,2) self-paired. Symmetric.
    • Transitive: (1,2),(2,1)⇒(1,1)∈R(1,2),(2,1)\Rightarrow(1,1)\in R ✓; (2,1),(1,2)⇒(2,2)∈R(2,1),(1,2)\Rightarrow(2,2)\in R ✓; all other chains trivially close. Transitive.
    • Reflexive would need (3,3),(4,4)∈R(3,3),(4,4)\in R — they are absent. Not reflexive. …

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