Difference between revisions of "Surjection"

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A surjection is a function in which every value in its codomain is the function of a value of the domainA surjection is also referred to as an "onto" function.
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A '''surjection''' is a [[function]] which takes each value in its [[codomain]] at some value in its [[domain]].  That is, the [[range]] (or [[image]]) of the function is equal to its codomain.  (For every function, the range is a subset of the codomain.) In adjectival form, we say that a function is ''surjective'' or ''onto''.
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For instance, the function <math>f: \mathbb Z \to \mathbb Z</math> defined by <math>f(x) = x+1</math> is surjective because every [[integer]] is one more than some other integer, but the function <math>f: \mathbb N \to\mathbb N</math> defined by <math>f(x) = x+1</math> is not surjective because there exists a [[natural number]] which is not one more than any other natural number.
  
 
See also:  
 
See also:  
* [[bijection]]
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* [[bijection|Bijection]]
* [[injection]]
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* [[injection|Injection]]

Revision as of 00:04, 27 June 2006

A surjection is a function which takes each value in its codomain at some value in its domain. That is, the range (or image) of the function is equal to its codomain. (For every function, the range is a subset of the codomain.) In adjectival form, we say that a function is surjective or onto.

For instance, the function $f: \mathbb Z \to \mathbb Z$ defined by $f(x) = x+1$ is surjective because every integer is one more than some other integer, but the function $f: \mathbb N \to\mathbb N$ defined by $f(x) = x+1$ is not surjective because there exists a natural number which is not one more than any other natural number.

See also: