nLab
reflexive relation

Contents

Definition

A (binary) relation on a set A is reflexive if every element of A is related to itself:

(x:A),xx\forall (x: A),\; x \sim x

In the language of the 2-poset Rel of sets and relations, a relation R:AA is reflexive if it contains the identity relation on A:

id AR\id_A \subseteq R