Q:

Clearly write what it means for a set to be closed under an operation

Accepted Solution

A:
Answer:A set S is closed under an operation * (we're denoting the operation as asterisk) IF for any two elements a,b in S, the result a*b is also in S.Step-by-step explanation:A set being closed under an operation means that whenever you operate elements from the set, the result you get out of it is ALWAYS inside the set. For example, think of the set Z of integer numbers and the operation + (usual addition). If we add ANY two integers, we're going to get another integer. Or said in terms of sets, for any two numbers a,b in Z, a+b is also in Z.On the other side, not being closed under an operation means you do NOT ALWAYS get results inside the same set. Think of the set of natural numbers N, and the operation - (usual difference). If we do the operation 5-12, we get -7 which is NOT in the set of natural numbers. So N is not closed under subtraction.