Understanding Relations
A relation is basically any connection between two sets of numbers, shown as ordered pairs like (x, y). Think of it as your contact list - each person might have multiple phone numbers, unlike functions where each person has exactly one number.
For example, the set {(1, 2), (2, 4), (3, 6)} shows that 1 connects to 2, 2 connects to 4, and 3 connects to 6. Pretty straightforward, right?
You can represent relations in four ways: as ordered pairs, in a table, through a mapping diagram, or on a graph. Each method shows the same relationships, just in different visual formats.
Remember: All functions are relations, but not all relations are functions - it's like how all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares!