codomain

English

Etymology

From co- +‎ domain.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌkoʊ.doʊˈmeɪn/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

codomain (plural codomains)

1. (mathematics, mathematical analysis) The target set into which a function is formally defined to map elements of its domain; the set denoted Y in the notation f : X → Y.
   • 1994, Richard A. Holmgren, A First Course in Discrete Dynamical Systems, Springer, page 11:

     Definition 2.5. A function is onto if each element of the codomain has at least one element of the domain assigned to it. In other words, a function is onto if the range equals the codomain.

   • 2006, Robert L. Causey, Logic, Sets, and Recursion, 2nd Edition, Jones & Bartlett Learning, page 192,

     Once we have described $f$ as a function from $A$ to $B$, by convention we will call $B$ the codomain, even though other sets, of which $B$ is a subset, could have been used. […] If $y$ is an element of the codomain, then $y\in {\mathit {Img}}(f,A)$ iff there is some $x$ in the domain such that $f$ maps $x$ to $y$.

   • 2017, Alan Garfinkel, Jane Shevtsov, Yina Guo, Modeling Life: The Mathematics of Biological Systems, Springer, page 12:

     For example, the codomain of $g(X)=X^{3}$ consists of all real numbers. A function links each element in its domain to some element in its codomain. Each domain element is linked to exactly one codomain element.

   1. (more generally, of a binary relation R between A and B) The set B.

Usage notes

The codomain always contains the image of the function (the actual set of points to which points of the domain are mapped), but is larger (i.e. strictly contains the image) if the function is not surjective.

The term range is often synonymous with codomain, but can also be used as a synonym for image.

Synonyms

• (target set of a function): range

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “target set of a function”): domain

Translations

target set of a function

• Czech: obor hodnot m
• Danish: dispositionsmængde c
• German: Zielmenge f
• Icelandic: aðmengi n, ítak n, bakmengi n
• Japanese: 終域 (ja) (しゅういき, shūiki)
• Polish: przeciwdziedzina f
• Portuguese: contradomínio m
• Russian: область значений
• Swedish: målmängd (sv) c

Further reading

• Domain of a function on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Image (mathematics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Range (mathematics) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Injective function on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Surjective function on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Bijection on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Codomain on Wolfram MathWorld

Anagrams

• monoacid