Let f be a function and R be a relation defined from set X to set Y.

The domain of the relation R might be a subset of the set X, but the domain of the function f must be equal to X. This is because each element of the domain of a function must have an element associated with it, whereas this is not necessary for a relation.

In relation, one element of X might be associated with one or more elements of Y, while it must be associated with only one element of Y in a function.

Thus, not every relation is a function. However, every function is necessarily a relation.