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Any function $\{(x_1,y_1), (x_2,y_2),... \}$ can be viewed as the union of "disjoint singleton" functions (I mean functions with distinct singleton co-domains, i.e. $\{x_1 \} \neq \{ x_2 \}$).

This reduction seems pleasing to me. Does it have a conventional uses or names?

Perhaps in the category of sets, where singleton sets are encoded as functions from the terminal element? Or elsewhere?

Asaf Karagila
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JRC
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    I'm not sure why this got a -1, and I've upvoted to compensate - terminology questions like this are perfectly appropriate to MSE in my opinion. (FWIW I do not believe there is such a notation or term, partly because I can't think of a use for it.) – Noah Schweber Jan 28 '21 at 18:05
  • Google for "presheaf". – Rob Arthan Jan 28 '21 at 23:15
  • Thanks @RobArthan. I would need quite some time to digest that, as I don't see anything immediate to help me. – JRC Jan 29 '21 at 08:35
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    One of the motivations for presheaves is to abstract the idea of constructing a function by "gluing" together smaller functions (I'm afraid the Wikipedia page isn't very good on discussing the motivation). Typically you require the smaller functions to be compatible in the sense that they agree whenever both are defined. Your example arranges for the domains of the smaller functions to be disjoint so that they are automatically compatible. I don't know of any better technical term for your reduction other than to say that any function can be obtained by gluing together singletons. – Rob Arthan Jan 30 '21 at 11:21
  • @RobArthan Thanks. This seems to be a good answer. If you copy-paste and send me your favorite reference, or elaborate a little, I'd accept this answer. This relates to my other question. – JRC Jan 31 '21 at 09:19

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The categorical notions of presheaf and sheaf are an abstraction of the idea of constructing a function by gluing together smaller functions that are compatible in the sense that they agree whenever they are both defined. Your example arranges for the domains of the functions to be disjoint, so that they are automatically compatible. So an appropriate technical term would be "gluing": you are observing that any set-theoretic function can be obtained by gluing together singletons. See the Wikipedia page on the gluing axiom for some more information, in particular, how the presheaf and sheaf ideas pan out in situations where topological and algebraic considerations have to be taken into account.

Rob Arthan
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