Is the relation a function: {(-8,-6),(-3,-9),(5,-6),(-4,-6)}?

1 Answer
Oct 7, 2017

Yes. Each input has only 1 output.

Explanation:

A function is defined as a relation where every input has only 1 possible output. As a result of this definition you could have multiple inputs with the same output.

Think of each pair of numbers as a mapping from one number to the other.

#-8->-6#
#-3->-9#
#+5->-6#
#-4->-6#

Based on the info given to us, every input (number on the left) is mapped to only one output.

Once again, it’s okay to have different inputs go to the same output as long as one input does not go to multiple outputs.

For example if the inputs and outputs were reversed (the inverse of this relation), this would NOT be a function because #-6# would go to 3 different outputs.