0

Here are two sets which I need to define a bijection function in order to show they are equivalent: $$ (A^B)^C \triangleq \{f:C\rightarrow \{g:B\rightarrow A\} \} $$ $$ (A^{B \times C}) \triangleq \{ h:B \times C \rightarrow A\} $$ where $A, B, C$ are sets, and $f, g, h$ represent functions.

I am trying to define a function $F : C \rightarrow A$ , but still struggling with its formal description, and how to use functions like $g$ above.

What is the right way of showing that such bijection $F$ exists?

1 Answers1

1

(This is taken direcly from the same exercise I've done quite a while ago, so it might seem a bit pedantic from time to time. In what follows $\langle b,c\rangle=(b,c)$) If $A$ is empty the identity is trivially true.

So we may assume $A$ is non-empty. We construct a bijection from $\left( A^{B} \right)^C$ to $A^{B\times C}$. Define $\psi$ by $\psi(f)=g$ where $f\in \left( A^{B} \right)^C$ and $g\in A^{B\times C}$ are such that

$$ g(\langle b,c\rangle) = \left( f(c) \right) (b) \;\;\; \text{for all $\langle b,c\rangle \in B\times C$} $$

It is clear that $g$ is in $A^{B\times C}$ from its definition. Also, for each $f$ there exists unique $g=\psi(f)$ (since above definition of $g$ uniquely specifies its values on elements of $B\times C$) so $\psi$ is a function from $\left( A^{B} \right)^C$ to $A^{B\times C}$. We further claim that $\psi$ is in fact a bijection.

Injective: Suppose that $g=\psi(f_1)=\psi(f_2)$. Fix $c\in C$, then for every $b\in B$,

$$ \left( f_1(c) \right)(b)= g\left( \langle b, c\rangle \right)=\left( f_2(c) \right)(b) $$

whence it follows that $f_1(c)=f_2(c)$. Since $c$ was arbitrary, then it follows that $f_1=f_2$, so $\psi$ is injective.

Surjective: Let $g\in A^{B\times C}$. Fix $c\in C$. Then define $f_c$ by

$$ f_c(b):=g\left( \langle b,c \rangle \right) \;\;\; \text{for all $b\in B$} $$

Then clearly $f_c$ is a function from $B$ to $A$ (since $g$ is a function). Now define $f:C \to A^{B}$ by

$$ f(c)=f_c \;\;\; \text{for all $c\in C$} $$

It follows that $\psi(f)=g$ by construction.

Thus $\psi$ is a bijection

user160738
  • 4,160