Complete set of invariants

In mathematics, a complete set of invariants for a classification problem is a collection of maps

${\displaystyle f_{i}:X\to Y_{i}}$

(where ${\displaystyle X}$ is the collection of objects being classified, up to some equivalence relation ${\displaystyle \sim }$, and the ${\displaystyle Y_{i}}$ are some sets), such that ${\displaystyle x\sim x'}$ if and only if ${\displaystyle f_{i}(x)=f_{i}(x')}$ for all ${\displaystyle i}$. In words, such that two objects are equivalent if and only if all invariants are equal.

Symbolically, a complete set of invariants is a collection of maps such that

${\displaystyle \left(\prod f_{i}\right):(X/\sim )\to \left(\prod Y_{i}\right)}$

is injective.

As invariants are, by definition, equal on equivalent objects, equality of invariants is a necessary condition for equivalence; a complete set of invariants is a set such that equality of these is also sufficient for equivalence. In the context of a group action, this may be stated as: invariants are functions of coinvariants (equivalence classes, orbits), and a complete set of invariants characterizes the coinvariants (is a set of defining equations for the coinvariants).