Computer Science I / Relations
Practice question · True or false

Because 'divides' is transitive on the positive integers, knowing 3 divides 12 and 12 divides 60 is enough to conclude 3 divides 60.

Hints
  1. What does transitivity let you chain?
  2. No need to check 60 against 3 directly.
Show the answer

True

Why

True. Transitivity is exactly the licence to chain: a∣ba \mid b and b∣cb \mid c give a∣ca \mid c, so 3∣123 \mid 12 and 12∣6012 \mid 60 settle 3∣603 \mid 60 without dividing. Chaining like this is what lets a Hasse diagram omit every implied edge and draw only the covering relations, the transitive ones are recoverable.

Read the lesson: Relations →

Practise Relations

The app has 5 more questions on this lesson, and keeps your place in the course. Computer Science I is free to start.

More questions on Relations