Definition:Codomain (Relation Theory)/Mapping
Definition
Let $S$ and $T$ be sets.
Let $f: S \to T$ be a mapping.
The codomain of $f$ is $T$.
It is denoted on $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$ by $\Cdm f$.
Also known as
The codomain of a mapping is sometimes called the arrival set.
On rare occasions, the codomain is referred to as the target.
Some sources write codomain as co-domain.
A note on terminology
Some sources refer to the codomain of a mapping as its range.
However, other sources equate the term range with the image set.
Other sources brush the question aside by refraining from giving the codomain a name at all.
For example, from 1975: W.A. Sutherland: Introduction to Metric and Topological Spaces: Notation and Terminology:
- A map or function (the terms are used interchangeably) between sets $A, B$ is written $f: A \to B$. We call $A$ the domain of $f$, and we avoid calling $B$ anything.
As there exists significant ambiguity as to whether the range is to mean the codomain or image set, it is advised that the term range is not used.
The notation $\Cdm f$ has not actually been found by this author anywhere in the literature. In fact, except in the field of category theory, no symbol for the concept of codomain has been found, despite extensive searching.
However, using $\Cdm f$ to mean codomain is a useful enough shorthand to be worth coining.
This is the approach which has been taken on this website.
Also see
Technical Note
The $\LaTeX$ code for \(\Cdm {X}\) is \Cdm {X}
.
When the argument is a single character, it is usual to omit the braces:
\Cdm X
Sources
- 1967: George McCarty: Topology: An Introduction with Application to Topological Groups ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text{I}$: Sets and Functions: Functions
- 1972: A.G. Howson: A Handbook of Terms used in Algebra and Analysis ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 2$: Sets and functions: Graphs and functions
- 1975: T.S. Blyth: Set Theory and Abstract Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 4$. Relations; functional relations; mappings
- 1975: Bert Mendelson: Introduction to Topology (3rd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Theory of Sets: $\S 6$: Functions
- 1978: Thomas A. Whitelaw: An Introduction to Abstract Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 20$: Introduction: Remarks $\text{(e)}$
- 1996: H. Jerome Keisler and Joel Robbin: Mathematical Logic and Computability ... (previous) ... (next): Appendix $\text{A}.3$: Functions
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): codomain
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): function (map, mapping)
- 2000: James R. Munkres: Topology (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $1$: Set Theory and Logic: $\S 2$: Functions
- 2008: David Joyner: Adventures in Group Theory (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $2$: 'And you do addition?': $\S 2.1$: Functions: Definition $2.1.1$
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): codomain
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): function (map, mapping)
- 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): codomain
- For a video presentation of the contents of this page, visit the Khan Academy.