Relation Composition

🅟 Feb 21, 2026

  🅤 Feb 22, 2026

Set Theory > Relations

DEF-RCOMP.

Let $R$ and $S$ be binary relations. Then

\[S\circ R = \{(x,z)\in \operatorname{dom}R\times\operatorname{ran}S:(\exists y\in\operatorname{ran}R:x\,R\,y\land y\,S\,z)\}\]

is also a binary relation and is called the composition of $R$ and $S$.

PROP-RCOMP-ID.

For any binary relation $R$,

\[R\circ\operatorname{id}_{\operatorname{dom}R} = \operatorname{id}_{\operatorname{ran}R}\circ R = R.\]

PROP-RCOMP-ASS. Associativity.

For any binary relations $R$, $S$ and $T$,

\[(R\circ S)\circ T = R\circ(S\circ T).\]

PROP-RCOMP-CV.

For any binary relations $R$ and $S$,

\[(R\circ S)^\intercal = S^\intercal\circ R^\intercal.\]