ONE-TO-ONE

FUNCTIONS
 Study the sets carefully.

Does the figure represents function?

How many elements of set B correspond to
each of the elements of set A?
A function f is one-to-one
if for each x in the domain
of f there is exactly one y
in the range and no y in
the range is the image of
more than one x in the
domain.
 A relation where each
element of the domain
corresponds to exactly one
element of the range and
vice versa is called a
one-to-one function.
 A function is not
one-to-one if two
different elements in the
domain correspond to the
same element in the
range.
 x1 y1 x1 y1
x2 y2 x2
x3
y3 x3
Domain Range
y3
Domain
Range
One-to-one
function NOT One-to-one
function
x1 y1

y2
x3
y3 Not a
Domain Range
function
Theorem Horizontal Line Test

If horizontal lines
intersect the graph of a
function f in at most one
point, then f is one-to-
one.
Use the graph to determine whether the
function is one-to-one.

Not one-to-one.
Use the graph to determine whether the
function is one-to-one.

One-to-one.
 Examples:
1. Set A=(2,1),(3,4),(4,7),(5,10)

2.

3.
 Explore
1. Look around your
classroom. Every student in
the class has a unique
thumb print and each
thumb print belongs to
exactly one person.
 Explore
2. Now think about your
home during dinner time.
Every family member eats
his/her own food, and each
quantity of food belongs to
exactly one person.
Explore
3. In a medical clinic, each
patient is assigned a different
appointment slot and each slot
is assigned to only one patient.
The situations above are all
examples of one-to-one functions in
real life. Can you think of other
examples?
 Try It!
Identify if the given shows one-to-
one function (✓) or not (χ).
1. {(2,1),(3,1),(4,1)}
Answer: χ. The element 1 of the
range is repeatedly paired with
the elements of the domain.
 Try It!
Identify if the given shows one-to-
one function (✓) or not (χ).

2.
Answer: χ. The
elements −3 and −6 have both been
paired with 1, while −4 and −7 have
both been paired with 2.
 Try It!
Identify if the given shows one-to-
one function (✓) or not (χ).
3. the students and their school
IDs
Answer:✓. Every student has only
one school ID and each school ID
belongs to only one student
 Try It!
Identify if the given shows one-to-
one function (✓) or not (χ).
4. the cars in Metro Manila and
their license plate numbers

Answer: ✓. A car has only one

license plate number and a number
can only be assigned to one car.
 Try It!
5.

Answer: ✓. The arrows indicate a one-

to-one correspondence between the
elements of the domain and the
elements of the range.
Practice: Determine if the following figures
represent one-to-one or not.

Joe
Samantha Laura
Anna Julie
Ian Hilary
Chelsea Barbara
George Sue

Humans Mothers
 S: Social Security function IS

Joe 123456789
Samantha 223456789
Anna 333456789
Ian 433456789
Chelsea 533456789
George 633456789

Americans SSN
Is the function f below one – one?

1 10

2 11

3 12

4 13

5 14

6 15

7 16
 Key Point
A one-to-one function is
a set of ordered pairs
where each element of
the domain is paired with
only one element of the
range and vice versa.