8.7.7 Functoriality of Powersets: Relations on Powersets

Let $X$ and $Y$ be sets and let $R\colon X\mathrel {\rightarrow \kern -9.5pt\mathrlap {|}\kern 6pt}Y$ be a relation.

The relation on powersets associated to $R$ is the relation

\[ \mathcal{P}(R)\colon \mathcal{P}(X)\mathrel {\rightarrow \kern -9.5pt\mathrlap {|}\kern 6pt}\mathcal{P}(Y) \]

defined as follows:1

  • Viewing relations as functions to powersets, we have

    \[ [\mathcal{P}(R)](U)\mathrel {\smash {\overset {\mathclap {\scriptscriptstyle \text{def}}}=}}\left\{ V\in \mathcal{P}(Y)\ \middle |\ R(U)\cap V\neq \text{Ø}\right\} \]

    for each $U\in \mathcal{P}(X)$ and each $V\in \mathcal{P}(Y)$.

  • Viewing relations as functions to $\{ \mathsf{t},\mathsf{f}\} $, we have

    \[ \mathcal{P}(R)^{V}_{U}\mathrel {\smash {\overset {\mathclap {\scriptscriptstyle \text{def}}}=}}\mathbf{Rel}(\Delta _{\mathrm{pt}},V\mathbin {\diamond }R\mathbin {\diamond }U) \]

    for each $U\in \mathcal{P}(X)$ and each $V\in \mathcal{P}(Y)$.


  1. 1Illustration:

In detail, we have $U\sim _{\mathcal{P}(R)}V$ iff the following equivalent conditions hold:

  • We have $\Delta _{\mathrm{pt}}\subset V\mathbin {\diamond }R\mathbin {\diamond }U$.

  • We have $(V\mathbin {\diamond }R\mathbin {\diamond }U)^{\star }_{\star }=\mathsf{true}$, i.e. we have

    \[ \int ^{a\in X}\int ^{b\in Y}V^{\star }_{b}\times R^{b}_{a}\times U^{a}_{\star }=\mathsf{true}. \]
  • There exists some $a\in X$ and some $b\in Y$ such that:

    • We have $U^{a}_{\star }=\mathsf{true}$.

    • We have $R^{b}_{a}=\mathsf{true}$.

    • We have $V^{\star }_{b}=\mathsf{true}$.

  • There exists some $a\in X$ and some $b\in Y$ such that:

    • We have $a\in U$.

    • We have $a\sim _{R}b$.

    • We have $b\in V$.

The assignment $R\mapsto \mathcal{P}(R)$ defines a functor

\[ \mathcal{P}\colon \mathrm{Rel}\to \mathrm{Rel}. \]

Omitted.


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