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Consider the set of Rational numbers. {(a,b) s.t. a/b and a,b are integers with

ID: 2944080 • Letter: C

Question

Consider the set of Rational numbers.
{(a,b) s.t. a/b and a,b are integers with b not 0}.
Let ~ be the usual equivalence relation that partitions the set Q of rational numbers.
For example, (1,2) ~ (2,4) because 2/4 reduces to 1/2.
show the following:

If (a,b)~(a',b') and (c,d)~(c',d'), then
(ad+bc,bd)~(a'd'+b'c',b'd').

And hence showing that + is a well defined operation on Q.
I will start out the proof to save you some time . . .
Suppose (a,b)~(a',b') and (c,d)~(c',d').
That's as far as I can get on this problem.

Explanation / Answer

Consider the set of Rational numbers.
{(a,b) s.t. a/b and a,b are integers with b not 0}.
Let ~ be the usual equivalence relation that partitions the set Q of rational numbers.
For example, (1,2) ~ (2,4) because 2/4 reduces to 1/2.
show the following:

If (a,b)~(a',b') and (c,d)~(c',d'), then (ad+bc,bd)~(a'd'+b'c',b'd')

And hence showing that + is a well defined operation on Q.
I will start out the proof to save you some time . . .


Suppose (a,b)~(a',b') and (c,d)~(c',d')

Thus a is the usual equivalence relation to a' and b is the usual equivalence relation to b'.

Thus a is a factor of a' and b is a factor of b'.

Since this is a set of Rational numbers, the commutative property of multiplication must apply. Since a ~ a' and d ~ d', we see that:

(a)(d) = ad and thus ad ~ a'd'

Similarly,

(b)(c) = bc and thus bc ~ b'c'

Similarly,

(b)(d) = bd and thus bd ~ b'd'.

Since this is the set of Rational numbers, the associative property of addition must apply.

Thus if ad ~ a'd' and bc ~ b'c', then ad + bc ~ a'd' + b'c'

Thus bd ~ b'd'.

We have thus proved all components of

If (a,b)~(a',b') and (c,d)~(c',d'), then (ad+bc,bd)~(a'd'+b'c',b'd')

and therefore proved that addition is a well-defined operation on Q.