Assignment 6

(Concepts covered: Partially ordered sets, minimal element, minimum

element, maximal element, maximum element of a poset)
(1) Determine which of the following are posets:
(a) For a set A, consider the power set ((A), ) where we define
S, T (A), s T S T .
(b) (N, ) where for all n, m N define n m n | m.
(c) (Z<0 , usual )
(d) (R, ) where for x, y R define x y z R such that
z 2 = y x.
(2) Find the minimal and minimum elements of the of 1(a),(b),(c).
(3) Define maximal and maximum element for a poset.
(4) Find maximal and maximum element for :
(a) (R, usual )
(b) (A, ), where for a, b A, a b a = b.
(c) (A := {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8}, ) where a b a | b
(d) (N>1 , ) where for n, m N, n m m | n (Read the definiton
of carefully)
(e) Repeat 4(d) for the set (N, )
(5) Prove that :
(a) If a maximum element exists, it is unique.
(b) If a maximum element exists then it is also a maximal element; but
the converse need not be true.
(c) There can be more than one maximal element in a set.