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单词 MultivaluedFunction
释义

multivalued function


Let us recall that a function f from a set A to a set B is an assignment that takes each element of A to a unique element of B. One way to generalize this notion is to remove the uniqueness aspect of this assignment, and what results is a multivalued function. Although a multivalued function is in general not a function, one may formalize this notion mathematically as a function:

Definition. A multivalued function f from a set A to a set B is a function f:AP(B), the power setMathworldPlanetmath of B, such that f(a) is non-empty for every aA. Let us denote f:AB the multivalued function f from A to B.

A multivalued function is said to be single-valued if f(a) is a singleton for every aA.

From this definition, we see that every function f:AB is naturally associated with a multivalued function f*:AB, given by

f*(a)={f(a)}.

Thus a function is just a single-valued multivalued function, and vice versa.

As another example, suppose f:AB is a surjective function. Then f-1:BA defined by f-1(b)={aAf(a)=b} is a multivalued function.

Another way of looking at a multivalued function is to interpret it as a special type of a relationMathworldPlanetmath, called a total relation. A relation R from A to B is said to be total if for every aA, there exists a bB such that aRb.

Given a total relation R from A to B, the function fR:AB given by

fR(a)={bBaRb}

is multivalued. Conversely, given f:AB, the relation Rf from A to B defined by

aRfb  iff  bf(a)

is total.

Basic notions such as functionalPlanetmathPlanetmathPlanetmathPlanetmath compositionMathworldPlanetmath, injectivity and surjectivity on functions can be easily translated to multivalued functions:

Definition. A multivalued function f:AB is injectivePlanetmathPlanetmath if f(a)=f(b) implies a=b, absolutely injective if ab implies f(a)f(b)=, and surjective if every bB belongs to some f(a) for some aA. If f is both injective and surjective, it is said to be bijectiveMathworldPlanetmath.

Given f:AB and g:BC, then we define the composition of f and g, written gf:AC, by setting

(gf)(a):={cCcg(b) for some bf(a)}.

It is easy to see that Rgf=RgRf, where the on the right hand side denotes relational compositionPlanetmathPlanetmath.

For a subset SA, if we define f(S)={bBbf(s) for some sS}, then f:AB is surjective iff f(A)=B, and functional composition has a simplified and familiar form:

(gf)(a)=g(f(a)).

A bijective multivalued function i:AA is said to be an identityPlanetmathPlanetmathPlanetmath (on A) if ai(a) for all aA (equivalently, Rf is a reflexive relation). Certainly, the function idA on A, taking a into itself (or equivalently, {a}), is an identity. However, given A, there may be more than one identity on it: f: given by f(n)={n,n+1} is an identity that is not id. An absolute identity on A is necessarily idA.

Suppose i:AA, we have the following equivalentMathworldPlanetmathPlanetmathPlanetmathPlanetmath characterizations of an identity:

  1. 1.

    i is an identity on A

  2. 2.

    f(x)(fi)(x) for every f:AB and every xA

  3. 3.

    g(y)(ig)(y) for all g:CA and yC

To see this, first assume i is an identity on A. Then xi(x), so that f(x)f(i(x)). Conversely, idA(x)(idAi)(x) implies that {x}idA(i(x))={yyi(x)}, so that xi(x). This proved the equivalence of (1) and (2). The equivalence of (1) and (3) are established similarly.

A multivalued function g:BA is said to be an inversePlanetmathPlanetmath of f:AB if fg is an identity on B and gf is an identity on A. If f possesses an inverse, it must be surjective. Given that f:AB is surjective, the multivalued function f-1:BA defined by f-1(b)={aAbf(a)} is an inverse of f. Like identities, inverses are not unique.

Remark. More generally, one defines a multivalued partial function (or partial multivalued function) f from A to B, as a multivalued function from a subset of A to B. The same notation f:AB is used to mean that f is a multivalued partial function from A to B. A multivalued partial function f:AB can be equivalently characterized, either as a function f:AP(B), where f(a) is undefined iff f(a)=, or simply as a relation Rf from A to B, where aRfb iff f(a) is defined and bf(a). Every partial functionMathworldPlanetmath f:AB has an associated multivalued partial function f*:AB, so that f*(a) is defined and is equal to {b} iff f(a) is and f(a)=b.

Titlemultivalued function
Canonical nameMultivaluedFunction
Date of creation2013-03-22 18:36:26
Last modified on2013-03-22 18:36:26
OwnerCWoo (3771)
Last modified byCWoo (3771)
Numerical id15
AuthorCWoo (3771)
Entry typeDefinition
Classificationmsc 03E20
Synonymmulti-valued
Synonymmultiple-valued
Synonymmultiple valued
Synonymsingle-valued
Synonymsingle valued
Synonympartial multivalued function
Related topicMultifunction
Definesmultivalued
Definessinglevalued
Definestotal relation
Definesmultivalued partial function
Definesinjective
Definessurjective
Definesbijective
Definesidentity
Definesinverse
Definesabsolutely injective

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