Definition:Ordered Pair/Informal Definition

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Definition

The definition of a set does not take any account of the order in which the elements are listed.

That is, $\set {a, b} = \set {b, a}$, and the elements $a$ and $b$ have the same status -- neither is distinguished above the other as being more "important".


An ordered pair is a two-element set together with an ordering.

In other words, one of the elements is distinguished above the other - it comes first.

Such a structure is written:

$\tuple {a, b}$

and it means:

first $a$, then $b$.


Coordinates

Let $\tuple {a, b}$ be an ordered pair.

The following terminology is used:

$a$ is called the first coordinate
$b$ is called the second coordinate.

This definition is compatible with the equivalent definition in the context of Cartesian coordinate systems.


Also see


Sources