0

Please explain how they are different, I am not able to follow this(see bold text below)

Definition. The identity function on the set $X$ is the function $$ i d_{X}: X \longrightarrow X, \quad x \longmapsto x, $$ which we also write as $i d_{X}(x):=x$. The domain and co-domain must coincide for the formula $f(x)=x$ to specify an identity function.

DEFINITION. If $X$ is a subset of $Y$, then the inclusion map is $$ i_{X}^{Y}: X \longrightarrow Y, \quad x \longmapsto x, $$ which we may also write as $i_{X}^{Y}(x):=x$. It is often denoted simply by $i$ when the context makes the domain and co-domain clear. This provides a characterisation of subsets using functions.

We can now construct an example of two functions with the same domain and taking the same values without being the same function.

EXAMPLE Let $X$ be a proper subset of $Y, X \subset Y$, then the two functions $$ \begin{aligned} i d_{X}: X \longrightarrow X, & x \longmapsto x \\ i_{X}^{Y}: X \longrightarrow Y, & x \longmapsto x \end{aligned} $$ have the same domain and are given by the same formula, whence they have precisely the same image. Yet they are different functions, even though the only difference between them lies in the values they do not take.

ALEXANDER
  • 2,099
  • 2
    A function is not only a map $f:x\mapsto f(x)$ but also consist of a domain and a codomain. If at least the map, domain, or codomain differ from one function to another, those functions will be different. In the present case, the codomain differs, so the functions are different. More importantly, we can see that the first function is both injective and surjective (hence bijective) whereas the second one fails to be surjective. This is what is meant by "the difference between the functions lies in the values they do not take". – KBS Mar 02 '22 at 12:40
  • @KBS Thank yours. Is the reason for being not surjective the simple fact that X is a proper subset of Y, hence there would be values in Y that would not necessarily map back to X? – ALEXANDER Mar 03 '22 at 09:41
  • This is correct :) – KBS Mar 03 '22 at 09:43

0 Answers0