surjective Definition
(of a function) mapping elements of one set onto elements of another set in such a way that every element of the latter set is the image of at least one element of the former set.
Using surjective: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "surjective" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The function f: R → R defined by f(x) = x^2 is surjective because every non-negative real number has a pre-image.
Example
The exponential function is not surjective because it does not map to negative numbers.
Summary: surjective in Brief
The term 'surjective' [sərˈjektiv] describes a function that maps elements of one set onto elements of another set in such a way that every element of the latter set is the image of at least one element of the former set. For example, the function f: R → R defined by f(x) = x^2 is surjective because every non-negative real number has a pre-image.
