Final answer:
The student is asking about the definition of a function in mathematics, which is a rule that assigns each input exactly one output, describing a one-to-one relationship between two sets of numbers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about a fundamental concept in mathematics that describes a relationship between two sets of numbers. When we have an input value from the first set that is associated with only one output value in the second set, this describes a function. In mathematics, a function is a rule that assigns each input exactly one output. The relationship is often written as f(x) where x is the input value, and f(x) is the output value. A paired data set refers to two data sets that have a one-to-one correspondence such that each element of one set is paired with exactly one element from the other set, ensuring both data sets are of the same size.
An example of a function could be f(x) = 2x, which means that every input value x is multiplied by 2 to get the output value. Functions are used throughout mathematics to describe various types of relationships and to perform calculations. In terms of paired data sets, they can be used in statistics to match individuals or items based on certain criteria.