Is x^2=y^2 a symmetric relation?

profesorluissp

profesorluissp

Answered question

2022-09-05

Is x 2 = y 2 a symmetric relation?
R = { ( x , y ) : x 2 = y 2 } and I have to determine whether its an equivalence relation.
I found that it's reflexive but for the symmetry part I got confused as x = y is sometimes said to be symmetric others not so I don't know what to take it as.

Answer & Explanation

Jolie Padilla

Jolie Padilla

Beginner2022-09-06Added 7 answers

Step 1
Certainly if x 2 = y 2 then y 2 = x 2 , so it is symmetric.
Step 2
It is also transitive because if x 2 = y 2 and y 2 = z 2 , then x 2 = z 2 .
Brooklynn Valencia

Brooklynn Valencia

Beginner2022-09-07Added 18 answers

Step 1
You can even replace taking squares with an arbitrary function. Namely, if X is a set, Y is a second set, and f : X Y is a function, then define x x iff f ( x ) = f ( x ). In other words, R = { ( x , x ) X × X f ( x ) = f ( x ) }.
Step 2
This is an equivalence relation:
- x x because f ( x ) = f ( x ).
- x x implies that f ( x ) = f ( x ), so f ( x ) = f ( x ), thus x x.
- x x and x x imply that f ( x ) = f ( x ) and f ( x ) = f ( x ), so f ( x ) = f ( x ) and x x .
The corresponding partition is the partition of X by level sets of f. It doesn't get any more geometric than that.

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