Graphing equivalence is a term that describes the description of properties of mathematical concepts such as equivalence relations and total products as being analogous to the pictorial properties of graph in the Cartesian plane. We can do this because any relation is a subset of the Cartesian product of the domain and range of this relation.
The definitive properties of the equivalence relation in mathematics, including in arithmetic, are:
- reflexivity;
- symmetry;
- transitivity.
Thus, we calculate the cartesian product: {a,b,c} × {1,2} = {(a, 1), (a,2), (b,1), (b,3), (c,1), (c,2)}. (Cartesian product is implicit in arithmetic multiplication as shown in figurate numbers.)
The format of any Cartesian product is that of a table, with rows and columns, with cells at the intersection of a row and a column:
(a, 1) | (a, 2) |
(b, 1) | (b, 2) |
(c, 1) | (c, 2) |
Students can be introduced to Cartesian product by the familiar calendar:
- weeks as rows;
- weekdays as columns;
- a given day as a cell.
(a,a) | (a,b) | (a,c) | (a,d) | (a,e) |
(b,a) | (b,b) | (b,c) | (b,d) | (b,e) |
(c,a) | (c,b) | (c,c) | (c,d) | (c,e) |
(d,a) | (d,b) | (d,c) | (d,d) | (d,e) |
(e,a) | (e,b) | (e,c) | (e,d) | (e,e) |
Note the properties of this "square" table (same number of members in each set):
- The table has a diagonal, containing each set element as both first and second members;
- the diagonal subdivides the table into an upper subtriangular region and a lower subtriangular region;
- each element of the set appears as first member of a pair and as second member in another pair.
- The diagonal yields reflexivity (relation of element to itself);
- the relation of upper subtriangle to lower subtriangle yields symmetry;
- that each element appears as first or second element yields transitivity, as in (a,b) and (b, c) relating to (a,c).