Definition:Injection
Definition
Definition 1
A mapping $f$ is an injection, or injective if and only if:
- $\forall x_1, x_2 \in \Dom f: \map f {x_1} = \map f {x_2} \implies x_1 = x_2$
That is, an injection is a mapping such that the output uniquely determines its input.
Definition 2
An injection is a relation which is both one-to-one and left-total.
Definition 3
Let $f$ be a mapping.
Then $f$ is an injection if and only if:
- $f^{-1} {\restriction_{\Img f} }: \Img f \to \Dom f$ is a mapping
where $f^{-1} {\restriction_{\Img f} }$ is the restriction of the inverse of $f$ to the image set of $f$.
Definition 4
Let $f$ be a mapping.
$f$ is an injection if and only if:
- $\forall y \in \Img f: \card {\map {f^{-1} } y} = \card {\set {f^{-1} \sqbrk {\set y} } } = 1$
where:
- $\Img f$ denotes the image set of $f$
- $\card {\, \cdot \,}$ denotes the cardinality of a set
- $\map {f^{-1} } y$ is the preimage of $y$
- $f^{-1} \sqbrk {\set y}$ is the preimage of the subset $\set y \subseteq \Img f$.
Definition 5
Let $f: S \to T$ be a mapping where $S \ne \O$.
Then $f$ is an injection if and only if:
- $\exists g: T \to S: g \circ f = I_S$
where $g$ is a mapping.
That is, if and only if $f$ has a left inverse.
Definition 6
Let $f: S \to T$ be a mapping where $S \ne \O$.
Then $f$ is an injection if and only if $f$ is left cancellable:
- $\forall X: \forall g_1, g_2: X \to S: f \circ g_1 = f \circ g_2 \implies g_1 = g_2$
where $g_1$ and $g_2$ are arbitrary mappings from an arbitrary set $X$ to the domain $S$ of $f$.
Class-Theoretical Definition
In the context of class theory, the definition follows the same lines:
Definition 1
A mapping $f$ is an injection, or injective if and only if:
- $\forall x_1, x_2 \in \Dom f: \map f {x_1} = \map f {x_2} \implies x_1 = x_2$
That is, an injection is a mapping such that the output uniquely determines its input.
Definition 2
This can otherwise be put:
- $\forall x_1, x_2 \in \Dom f: x_1 \ne x_2 \implies \map f {x_1} \ne \map f {x_2}$
Graphical Depiction
The following diagram depicts an injection $f$ from $S$ into $T$:
- $f: S \to T$
where $S$ and $T$ are the finite sets:
\(\ds S\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {a, b, c}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds T\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {p, q, r, s}\) |
and $f$ is defined as:
- $f = \set {\tuple {a, p}, \tuple {b, s}, \tuple {c, r} }$
Thus the images of each of the elements of $S$ under $f$ are:
\(\ds \map f a\) | \(=\) | \(\ds p\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \map f b\) | \(=\) | \(\ds s\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \map f c\) | \(=\) | \(\ds r\) |
The preimages of each of the elements of $T$ under $f$ are:
\(\ds \map {f^{-1} } p\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set a\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \map {f^{-1} } q\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \O\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \map {f^{-1} } r\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set c\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \map {f^{-1} } s\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set b\) |
Also known as
Authors who prefer to limit the jargon of mathematics tend to use the term:
- one-one (or 1-1) or one-to-one for injective
- one-one mapping or one-to-one mapping or one-to-one map for injection.
However, because of the possible confusion with the term one-to-one correspondence, it is standard on $\mathsf{Pr} \infty \mathsf{fWiki}$ for the technical term injection to be used instead.
E.M. Patterson's idiosyncratic Topology, 2nd ed. of $1959$ refers to such a mapping as biuniform.
This is confusing, because a casual reader may conflate this with the definition of a bijection, which in that text is not explicitly defined at all.
An injective mapping is sometimes written:
- $f: S \rightarrowtail T$ or $f: S \hookrightarrow T$
In the context of class theory, an injection is often seen referred to as a class injection.
Examples
$2 x$ Function on Integers is Injective but not Surjective
Let $f: \Z \to \Z$ be the mapping defined on the set of integers as:
- $\forall x \in \Z: \map f x = 2 x$
Then $f$ is an injection, but not a surjection.
$2 x + 1$ Function on Integers is Injective
Let $f: \Z \to \Z$ be the mapping defined on the set of integers as:
- $\forall x \in \Z: \map f x = 2 x + 1$
Then $f$ is an injection.
$-x$ Function on Integers is Injective
Let $f: \Z \to \Z$ be the mapping defined on the set of integers as:
- $\forall x \in \Z: \map f x = -x$
Then $f$ is an injection.
Square Function on $\N$ is Injective
Let $f: \N \to \N$ be the mapping defined as:
- $\forall n \in \N: \map f n = n^2$
Then $f$ is an injection, but not a surjection.
Cube Function is Injective
Let $f: \R \to \R$ be the real function defined as:
- $\forall x \in \R: \map f x = x^3$
Then $f$ is an injection.
Also see
- Subset equals Preimage of Image iff Mapping is Injection: a mapping $f$ is an injection if and only if the preimage of the image of every subset of its domain equals that subset.
- Results about injections can be found here.
Sources
- 2002: Thomas Jech: Set Theory (3rd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Power Set
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): one-to-one function (one-to-one mapping, one-to-one map)
- 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): injection, injective mapping