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Partial Functions

Partial functions are mappings that may not have defined outputs for all inputs, allowing for undefined values. A partial function assigns at most one element of B to each element of A, with its domain being the subset of A where it is defined. Total functions are a specific type of partial function that are defined for all inputs, and the document also discusses the graph of a partial function and related propositions.

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72 views1 page

Partial Functions

Partial functions are mappings that may not have defined outputs for all inputs, allowing for undefined values. A partial function assigns at most one element of B to each element of A, with its domain being the subset of A where it is defined. Total functions are a specific type of partial function that are defined for all inputs, and the document also discusses the graph of a partial function and related propositions.

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starry night
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fun.

1 Partial Functions
sfr:fun:par: It is sometimes useful to relax the definition of function so that it is not required explanation
sec
that the output of the function is defined for all possible inputs. Such mappings
are called partial functions.

Definition fun.1. A partial function f : A → 7 B is a mapping which assigns


to every element of A at most one element of B. If f assigns an element of B
to x ∈ A, we say f (x) is defined, and otherwise undefined. If f (x) is defined,
we write f (x) ↓, otherwise f (x) ↑. The domain of a partial function f is the
subset of A where it is defined, i.e., dom(f ) = {x ∈ A : f (x) ↓}.

Example fun.2. Every function f : A → B is also a partial function. Partial


functions that are defined everywhere on A—i.e., what we so far have simply
called a function—are also called total functions.

Example fun.3. The partial function f : R → 7 R given by f (x) = 1/x is


undefined for x = 0, and defined everywhere else.

Problem fun.1. Given f : A → 7 B, define the partial function g : B → 7 A


by: for any y ∈ B, if there is a unique x ∈ A such that f (x) = y, then
g(y) = x; otherwise g(y) ↑. Show that if f is injective, then g(f (x)) = x for all
x ∈ dom(f ), and f (g(y)) = y for all y ∈ ran(f ).

Definition fun.4 (Graph of a partial function). Let f : A → 7 B be a par-


tial function. The graph of f is the relation Rf ⊆ A × B defined by

Rf = {⟨x, y⟩ : f (x) = y}.

Proposition fun.5. Suppose R ⊆ A × B has the property that whenever Rxy


and Rxy ′ then y = y ′ . Then R is the graph of the partial function f : X →7 Y
defined by: if there is a y such that Rxy, then f (x) = y, otherwise f (x) ↑. If
R is also serial, i.e., for each x ∈ X there is a y ∈ Y such that Rxy, then f is
total.

Proof. Suppose there is a y such that Rxy. If there were another y ′ ̸= y such
that Rxy ′ , the condition on R would be violated. Hence, if there is a y such
that Rxy, that y is unique, and so f is well-defined. Obviously, Rf = R and f
is total if R is serial.

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