In mathematics, image is a part of the set theoretic notion of function.

Definition

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Let X and Y be sets, f be the function f : X → Y, and x be some member of X. Then the image of x under f, denoted f(x), is the unique member y of Y that f associates with x. The range of f is the image f^* of its domain X.

The image of a subset A ⊆ X under f is the subset of Y defined by

f^* = {y ∈ Y | y = f(x) for some x ∈ A}.

When there is no risk of confusion, fis sometimes simply written f(A). An alternative notation for f[A, common in the older literature on mathematical logic and still preferred by some set theorists, is f "A.

Given this definition, the image of f becomes a function whose domain is the power set of X (the set of all subsets of X), and whose codomain is the power set of Y. The same notation can denote either the function f or its image. This convention is a common one; the intended meaning must be inferred from the context.

The preimage or inverse image of a set B ⊆ Y under f is the subset of X defined by

f ^−1* = {x ∈ X | f(x) ∈ B}.

The inverse image of a singleton, f ^−1*, is a fiber (also spelled fibre) or level set.

Again, if there is no risk of confusion, we may denote f ^−1* by f ⁻¹(B), and think of f ⁻¹ as a function from the power set of Y to the power set of X. The notation f ⁻¹ should not be confused with that for inverse function. The two coincide only if f is a bijection.

f can also be seen as a family of sets indexed by Y, which leads to the notion of a fibred category.

Examples

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1. f: {1,2,3} → {a,b,c,d} defined by

The image of {2,3} under f is f({2,3}) = {d,c}, and the range of f is {a,d,c}. The preimage of {a,c} is f ⁻¹({a,c}) = {1,3}.

2. f: R → R defined by f(x) = x².

The image of {-2,3} under f is f({-2,3}) = {4,9}, and the range of f is R⁺. The preimage of {4,9} under f is f ⁻¹({4,9}) = {-2,2,-3,3}.

3. f: R² → R defined by f(x, y) = x² + y².

The fibres f ⁻¹({a}) are concentric circles about the origin, the origin, and the empty set, depending on whether a>0, a=0, or a<0, respectively.

4. If M is a manifold and π :TM→M is the canonical projection from the tangent bundle TM to M, then the fibres of π are the tangent spaces T_x(M) for x∈M. This is also an example of a fiber bundle.

Consequences

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Some consequences that follow immediately from the definitions in section 1 are:

• f(A₁ ∪ A₂) = f(A₁) ∪ f(A₂)
• f(A₁ ∩ A₂) ⊆ f(A₁) ∩ f(A₂)
• f ⁻¹(B₁ ∪ B₂) = f ⁻¹(B₁) ∪ f ⁻¹(B₂)
• f ⁻¹(B₁ ∩ B₂) = f ⁻¹(B₁) ∩ f ⁻¹(B₂)
• f(f ⁻¹(B)) ⊆ B
• f ⁻¹(f(A)) ⊇ A
• A₁ ⊆ A₂ → f(A₁) ⊆ f(A₂)
• B₁ ⊆ B₂ → f ⁻¹(B₁) ⊆ f ⁻¹(B₂)
• f ⁻¹(B^C) = (f ⁻¹(B))^C
• (f |_A)⁻¹(B) = A ∩ f ⁻¹(B).

These results hold for arbitrary subsets A₁ and A₂ of the domain A, and for arbitrary subsets B₁ and B₂ of the codomain B. The results relating images and preimages to the (Boolean) algebra of intersection and union work for any collection of subsets, not just for pairs of subsets.

See also

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• range (mathematics)
• domain (mathematics)
• function (mathematics)
• Bijection, injection and surjection
• Kernel of a function
• Image (category theory)
• Preimage attack (cryptography)

Set theory

Bild (Mathematik) | Immagine (matematica) | Beeld (wiskunde)