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MATH F213
Relations and Digraphs
Important Properties of binary relations
Definitions (reflexive, irreflexive, transitive, symmetric,
asymmetric, antisymmetric):

• A (binary) relation 𝑅 on a set 𝐴 is called reflexive if

𝑥𝑅𝑥 for all 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴. (The set 𝑥, 𝑥 : 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 is called the diagonal of
𝐴. Thus 𝑅 is reflexive if and only if the diagonal of 𝐴 is its
subset.)

• A (binary) relation 𝑅 on a set 𝐴 is called irreflexive if

𝑥𝑅𝑥 for all 𝑥 ∈ 𝐴, i.e. 𝑥, 𝑥 ∉ 𝑅 ∀𝑥 ∈ 𝐴. Equivalently 𝑅 is disjoint
with the diagonal of 𝐴.

• A (binary) relation 𝑅 on a set 𝐴 is called transitive if for all

𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 ∈ 𝐴, 𝑥𝑅𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑅𝑧 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑥𝑅𝑧.
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More properties

• A (binary) relation 𝑅 on a set 𝐴 is called symmetric if for all

𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ 𝐴, 𝑥𝑅𝑦 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑅𝑥.

• A (binary) relation 𝑅 on a set 𝐴 is called asymmetric if 𝑥, 𝑦 ∈

𝑅 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑦, 𝑥 ∉ 𝑅.

• A (binary) relation 𝑅 on a set 𝐴 is called antisymmetric if for

all 𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ 𝐴, 𝑥𝑅𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑅𝑥 implies 𝑥 = y.

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Remarks

• If 𝑅 is a reflexive relation on a set A then the 𝐴 ≤ 𝑅 . (For a

set S, |S| denotes the number of elements of S).
• 𝑅 = ∅, the empty subset of 𝐴 × 𝐴, is a symmetric relation on
A and also an antisymmetric relation on A.
• 𝑅 = ∅, the empty subset of 𝐴 × 𝐴, is a transitive relation on A.
• A relation 𝑅 on 𝐴 is asymmetric if and only if it is
antisymmetric and disjoint with the diagonal of A.

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Special properties of digraphs

• Properties of relation can be attributed to the corresponding

digraphs. Thus we can say a digraph is reflexive (respectively
irreflexive, symmetric, transitive, antisymmetric, asymmetric)
if the corresponding relation is reflexive (respectively
irreflexive, symmetric, transitive, antisymmetric, asymmetric).
• For digraphs, these properties can be restated in their
terminology. Thus a digraph is reflexive if and only if there is
a loop at every vertex of the digraph. It is symmetric if for
every edge 𝑒 from 𝑣 to 𝑤, there is an edge from 𝑤 to 𝑣. (For a
loop, both the edges coincide).

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Check for transitivity

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Check for reflexivity

Reflexive

Irreflexive

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Check for symmetric, asymmetric, antisymmetric

symmetric

antisymmetric

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 Important classes of relations
(digraphs)
Definition : A binary relation on a set 𝐴 is called an equivalence
relation if it is reflexive, symmetric and transitive.

Definition : A binary relation on a set 𝐴 is called a partial order if it

is reflexive, antisymmetric and transitive.

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Check if the relation is reflexive, transitive or symmetric

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Check if the relation is reflexive, transitive or anti-symmetric

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 Ex. (p.342)

If a digraph is both asymmetric and symmetric, it has no edges.

Then transitivity is vacuously true.

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Reflexive, as a/a=1 is an integer for all a in A.
Transitive, as if a/b, b/c are integers then a/c=(a/b)(b/c) is an
integer, being product of 2 integers.
Not symmetric, as if a/b=3 then b/a is not an integer.
For all a, aRa, therefore it cannot be asymmetric.
It is anti-symmetric because for two distinct a, b, if aRb then b/a is
not an integer.

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#13. Reflexivity is clear. For symmetry, use the fact that inverse of
a nonzero rational is a rational. Transitivity follow from ‘product of
rationals is a rational.

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 Ex. (P. 342)

To start with, (𝑎, 𝑏) ∈ 𝑅 may not be true, as transitivity requires

only validity of conditional statement, not individual ones.

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 Matrix representation of a binary relation
• If 𝐴 = {𝑎1 , 𝑎2 , … , 𝑎𝑛 } is a set with n elements whose ordering is
fixed as listed (i.e. 𝐴 is an ordered set) and 𝑅 is a binary
relation on 𝐴, then the matrix associated to 𝑅 is a real 𝑛 × 𝑛
th
1 if (𝑎𝑖 , 𝑎𝑗 ) ∈ 𝑅
matrix 𝐵 whose (𝑖, 𝑗) entry is given by 𝑏𝑖𝑗 = ൝
0 if(𝑎𝑖 , 𝑎𝑗 ) ∉ 𝑅.
• Once the ordering of elements of 𝐴 is fixed, 𝐵 and 𝑅 determine
each other.
• If 𝑅 = 𝑎, 𝑏 , 𝑏, 𝑏 is a relation on set 𝐴 = 𝑎, 𝑏 , then 𝐵 =
0 1
.
0 1
0 0
• For the above 𝐴, if 𝐵 = then 𝑅 = 𝑏, 𝑎 .
1 0
• 𝐵 is also called the adjacency matrix of the digraph
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Obtain adjacency matrix of the following digraph

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Properties of relation

• A relation 𝑅 on 𝐴 is symmetric if and only if its associated

matrix 𝐵 is symmetric (for any ordering on 𝐴).
• A relation 𝑅 on 𝐴 is reflexive if and only if its associated
matrix 𝐵 has all diagonal entries 1.
• A relation 𝑅 on 𝐴 is irreflexive if and only if its associated
matrix 𝐵 has all diagonal entries 0.
• Irreflexive and not reflexive are different properties
• If 𝐵 is upper triangular or lower triangular, 𝑅 is antisymmetric.
Converse is not true.
• R is asymmetric if 𝐵 is upper triangular or lower triangular
and all diagonal entries are 0. Converse is not true.

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• A digraph is irreflexive if and only if it has no loops (i.e. it is a
simple digraph).
• A digraph is antisymmetric if and only if for an edge other
than loop, there is no edge in the reverse direction. If further
it has no loops then it is asymmetric.
• A digraph is transitive if whenever we can reach from a vertex
𝑣 to vertex 𝑤 by travelling successively in the direction of
edges, then there is an edge from 𝑣 to 𝑤.

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