Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

MATHEMATICS
JEE MAIN + ADVANCED

RELATIONS AND FUNCTIONS

Complete Study Module

CONTENTS OF THIS MODULE

1. Complete Theory (Relations, Domain/Range, Types of Relations, Equivalence Relation, Number of Relations, Introduction
to Functions)
2. Important Theorems & Key Observations
3. Common Mistakes (Error Analysis)
4. Solved Examples: Basic → JEE Main → JEE Advanced
5. Exercise 1 — 30 Basic Problems
6. Exercise 2 — 30 JEE Main Level Problems
7. Exercise 3 — 25 JEE Advanced Level Problems
8. Challenge Exercise — 10 Very Difficult Problems
9. Previous Year Questions (JEE Main & Advanced style)
10. Detailed Solutions to All Exercises

Page 1
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

1. THEORY: RELATIONS AND FUNCTIONS

1.1 Cartesian Product — A Quick Recap

Before defining a relation, recall the Cartesian product of two non-empty sets A and B:

Definition
A × B = {(a, b) : a ∈ A and b ∈ B}
Each element of A × B is an ORDERED PAIR. (a,b) = (c,d) ⟺ a = c and b = d.
If n(A) = m and n(B) = n, then n(A × B) = mn.
In general, A × B ≠ B × A (unless A = B or one of them is empty).
A × (B ∪ C) = (A × B) ∪ (A × C); A × (B ∩ C) = (A × B) ∩ (A × C).

1.2 Definition of Relation

A relation R from a non-empty set A to a non-empty set B is a subset of A × B, obtained by describing a relationship
between the first and second element of the ordered pairs in A × B.
If (a, b) ∈ R, we write a R b (read: a is related to b). If (a,b) ∉ R, we write a R̸ b.

Key Facts
A relation R from A to B is simply ANY subset of A × B (including ∅ and A×B itself).
Since A × B has mn elements (n(A)=m, n(B)=n), the total number of relations from A to B is 2^(mn) — because every
subset of A×B is a valid relation.
A relation ON a set A means a relation from A to A, i.e. R ⊆ A × A.

1.3 Representation of a Relation

A relation can be represented in FOUR standard ways — JEE frequently tests conversion between these forms.

(i) Roster (Set-builder listing) form

R = {(1,2), (2,3), (3,4)} — explicit listing of ordered pairs.

(ii) Set-builder form

R = {(x,y) : x ∈ A, y ∈ B, and x,y satisfy a given rule}. Example: R = {(x,y) : y = x+1, x ∈ A}.

(iii) Arrow diagram (Mapping diagram)

Two sets A and B are drawn as bubbles and arrows are drawn from each x ∈ A to its related y ∈ B. Useful for visually
testing whether a relation is a function (see §1.7).

(iv) Graphical form (Lattice/Cartesian plane)

Ordered pairs are plotted as points on the Cartesian plane. This form is essential in JEE Advanced for relations defined
by inequalities or equations (e.g., R = {(x,y) : x² + y² ≤ 4}) since domain/range/nature are read off the graph.

Page 2
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

1.4 Domain, Co-domain and Range of a Relation

Definitions
Domain of R = set of all first components of ordered pairs in R = {a : (a,b) ∈ R}.
Co-domain of R = the set B itself (fixed in advance, from which second components are drawn).
Range of R = set of all second components actually appearing = {b : (a,b) ∈ R}.
Range ⊆ Co-domain always; equality is NOT guaranteed.

Illustration: Let A = {1,2,3,4}, B = {1,2,3,...,10} and R = {(a,b): b = a²}. Then R = {(1,1),(2,4),(3,9)} (note 4²=16 ∉ B, so 4 is
excluded).
Domain of R = {1, 2, 3}, Co-domain of R = B = {1,2,...,10}, Range of R = {1, 4, 9}.

1.5 Types of Relations on a Set

Let R be a relation defined on a non-empty set A (i.e. R ⊆ A × A). The following properties are JEE staples:

(a) Void (Empty) Relation

R = ∅ ⊆ A × A. No element of A is related to any element. (Example: R = {(a,b) : a − b = 13} on A = {1,2,...,10} is void.)

(b) Universal Relation

R = A × A. Every element is related to every element.

(c) Identity Relation

I_A = {(a,a) : a ∈ A}. Only the diagonal pairs.

(d) Reflexive Relation

R is reflexive if (a,a) ∈ R for EVERY a ∈ A. i.e. every element must be related to itself.

Caution
A relation containing the identity relation as a subset is NOT automatically reflexive — reflexivity requires ALL (a,a) pairs,
not just some.

(e) Symmetric Relation

R is symmetric if (a,b) ∈ R ⟹ (b,a) ∈ R for all a,b ∈ A.

(f) Transitive Relation

R is transitive if (a,b) ∈ R and (b,c) ∈ R ⟹ (a,c) ∈ R for all a,b,c ∈ A.

(g) Antisymmetric Relation

R is antisymmetric if (a,b) ∈ R and (b,a) ∈ R ⟹ a = b. (Example: 'divides' relation, ≤ relation.)

Relation Example on A = Reflexive? Symmetric? Transitive?

{1,2,3}

R=A×A all 9 pairs Yes Yes Yes

R=∅ no pairs No (if A≠∅) Yes (vacuously) Yes (vacuously)

Page 3
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Relation Example on A = Reflexive? Symmetric? Transitive?

{1,2,3}

R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3)} identity Yes Yes Yes

R = {(1,2),(2,1)} — No Yes No
R = {(1,2),(2,3),(1,3)} — No No Yes

Important Observation
∅ (the void relation) is always symmetric and transitive VACUOUSLY (there is no counter-example pair to violate the
condition), but it is reflexive only when A = ∅.
A relation can be simultaneously symmetric and antisymmetric — this forces R ⊆ Identity relation.

1.6 Equivalence Relation

Definition
A relation R on set A is an EQUIVALENCE RELATION if it is simultaneously:
(i) Reflexive (ii) Symmetric (iii) Transitive.

Equivalence relations partition the set A into disjoint subsets called EQUIVALENCE CLASSES. The equivalence class of a
∈ A is [a] = {x ∈ A : x R a}.

Key Theorem — Equivalence Classes Partition the Set

Theorem
If R is an equivalence relation on A, the distinct equivalence classes:
(i) are pairwise disjoint,
(ii) their union is A itself (i.e., they form a PARTITION of A),
(iii) a ∈ [a] for every a (since R is reflexive).
Conversely, every partition of A induces a natural equivalence relation: x R y ⟺ x and y lie in the same part.

Standard Examples of Equivalence Relations (memorize these!)

● 'Congruence modulo n' on ℤ: a R b ⟺ n | (a − b). Equivalence classes = residue classes {0,1,2,...,n−1} mod n.
● 'Similarity of triangles' and 'Congruence of triangles' on the set of all triangles.
● 'Parallelism of lines' (a line is considered parallel to itself) on the set of all lines in a plane.
● R = {(a,b) : a − b is an integer} on ℝ.
● R = {(a,b) : |a| = |b|} on ℝ.

Common Trap
'Perpendicularity of lines' is symmetric but NOT reflexive (a line isn't perpendicular to itself) and NOT transitive — so it is
NOT an equivalence relation.
'a is a factor of b' (divisibility) on ℕ is reflexive & transitive but NOT symmetric (2|4 but 4∤2) — so it is NOT an
equivalence relation; it's a PARTIAL ORDER.

Page 4
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

1.7 Number of Relations — Counting Techniques (High JEE Weightage)

Master Formulas
Number of relations from A to B (n(A)=m, n(B)=n): 2^(mn) [total subsets of A×B]
Number of relations on a set A with n(A) = n: 2^(n²)
Number of REFLEXIVE relations on A: 2^(n² − n) [diagonal n entries fixed as present; remaining n²−n pairs free]
Number of SYMMETRIC relations on A: 2^(n(n+1)/2) [diagonal n entries free; off-diagonal pairs come in n(n−1)/2
symmetric pairs, each pair chosen together]
Number of REFLEXIVE AND SYMMETRIC relations on A: 2^(n(n−1)/2) [diagonal fixed present; only n(n−1)/2 symmetric
off-diagonal pairs free]
Number of relations that are NEITHER reflexive NOR irreflexive etc. — computed via inclusion-exclusion (see solved
examples).

Derivation sketch: Represent R ⊆ A×A as an n×n boolean matrix M where M(i,j)=1 iff (aᵢ,a ⱼ) ∈ R.
● Total entries = n². Total relations = ways to fill each cell 0/1 = 2^(n²).
● Reflexive ⟹ all n diagonal cells MUST be 1 (fixed); remaining n²−n cells free ⟹ 2 n²−n relations.
● Symmetric ⟹ M(i,j) = M(j,i), so the matrix is determined by the diagonal (n cells) plus one triangle (n(n−1)/2
cells); total free cells = n + n(n−1)/2 = n(n+1)/2 ⟹ 2n(n+1)/2 relations.
● Reflexive + Symmetric ⟹ diagonal fixed (1s), only upper triangle n(n−1)/2 cells free ⟹ 2 n(n−1)/2 relations.

Frequently Tested Numbers (n=3)

Total relations on a 3-element set: 2^9 = 512
Reflexive relations: 2^6 = 64
Symmetric relations: 2^6 = 64
Reflexive & Symmetric relations: 2^3 = 8
Equivalence relations containing a specific pair, e.g. {1,2} — counted by extending to a valid partition (typically solved by
listing partitions of the set).

Equivalence Relations via Partitions — Bell Numbers

The number of equivalence relations on an n-element set equals the number of ways to PARTITION that set into non-
empty subsets — the Bell number B(n).

n 1 2 3 4 5

B(n) 1 2 5 15 52
JEE typically restricts to n = 3 or 4, where partitions can be listed directly by hand — this is a favourite Advanced-level
counting question.

1.8 Introduction to Functions

Definition
A relation f from set A to set B is called a FUNCTION (or mapping) if:
(i) every element of A has an image in B (domain of f = A, i.e. f is DEFINED for all of A), and
(ii) every element of A has a UNIQUE (exactly one) image in B.
Notation: f : A → B, f(a) = b means (a,b) ∈ f.

Page 5
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Function vs. General Relation

Every function is a relation, but not every relation is a function. A relation fails to be a function if:
● Some element of A has NO image in B (violates 'defined everywhere'), OR
● Some element of A has TWO OR MORE images in B (violates uniqueness).

Vertical Line Test (Graphical Check)

A curve in the xy-plane represents y as a function of x if and only if every vertical line x = k (for k in the domain)
intersects the curve at MOST once. If some vertical line cuts the curve at 2 or more points, y is not a function of x.

Domain, Co-domain and Range of a Function

Definitions
Domain of f = the set A (all permissible inputs). In practice (when f is given only by a formula), domain = set of all real x
for which f(x) is defined (well-defined, real-valued).
Co-domain of f = the set B (declared target set).
Range of f = f(A) = {f(a) : a ∈ A} ⊆ B (actual set of outputs).

Number of Functions from A to B

Formula
If n(A) = m and n(B) = n, the number of functions from A to B = n^m.
(Each of the m elements of A independently chooses ANY 1 of the n images — by the multiplication principle.)
This is different from the number of relations (2^(mn)), since a function is a MUCH more restrictive relation.

Distinguishing Function-Related Counting (Preview for later modules)

For JEE, be careful to distinguish (details are developed fully in the 'Functions' module, but the counting principle
belongs here):

Quantity Formula (n(A)=m, n(B)=n) Condition

Total functions A→B nᵐ always

One-one (injective) functions ⁿPₘ = n!/(n−m)! requires n ≥ m
Into functions nᵐ − (onto functions) —
Onto (surjective) functions Σ(−1)^r · ⁿCᵣ·(n−r)ᵐ, r=0..n requires m ≥ n
(These onto/into/bijective counts are elaborated with solved examples in the Functions module; here we only fix the
total-function count 2^(mn) vs. nᵐ distinction, which is a very common Relations-chapter MCQ.)

2. IMPORTANT THEOREMS AND KEY OBSERVATIONS

Theorem 1 — Counting subsets as relations
Since a relation from A to B is any subset of A×B, and a set with k elements has 2^k subsets, the total number of
relations from A to B is 2^(n(A)·n(B)). This single idea underlies almost all 'number of relations' questions.

Page 6
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Theorem 2 — Reflexive relations must contain the identity relation

If R is reflexive on A, then I_A ⊆ R. This is often used to quickly eliminate options in MCQs: any option relation NOT
containing all pairs (a,a) cannot be reflexive.

Theorem 3 — Symmetric relations correspond to undirected graphs

A symmetric relation on A (excluding loops) corresponds exactly to an undirected graph on vertex set A; this bijection
is the reasoning behind the 2^(n(n+1)/2) count and is useful for visual/graph-based JEE Advanced problems.

Theorem 4 — Equivalence relations ⟺ Partitions

There is a bijection between equivalence relations on A and partitions of A into non-empty, pairwise disjoint subsets
whose union is A. Counting equivalence relations containing certain fixed pairs reduces to counting partitions
consistent with those pairs.

Theorem 5 — Intersection of equivalence relations is an equivalence relation

If R₁ and R₂ are equivalence relations on A, then R₁ ∩ R₂ is also an equivalence relation on A. (Reflexive ∩ Reflexive =
Reflexive; similarly for symmetric and transitive — each property is preserved under intersection.)

Caution
The UNION of two equivalence relations need NOT be an equivalence relation — transitivity can fail. This is a favourite
JEE Advanced trap.

Theorem 6 — A relation that is both symmetric and antisymmetric

If R is both symmetric and antisymmetric on A, then R ⊆ I_A (R can only contain pairs of the form (a,a)).

Theorem 7 — Smallest equivalence relation containing a given relation

Given any relation R on A, the smallest equivalence relation containing R is obtained by taking the reflexive closure,
then symmetric closure, then transitive closure (in that order — reflexive-symmetric closure then transitive closure,
repeated till stable). This is tested when JEE asks: 'What is the minimum number of ordered pairs to be added to R to
make it an equivalence relation?'

3. COMMON MISTAKES (ERROR ANALYSIS)

Mistake 1
Confusing 2^(mn) (relations) with n^m (functions). Remember: EVERY subset of A×B is a relation, but a function
additionally needs uniqueness + totality.

Mistake 2
Assuming the void relation ∅ is never reflexive. In fact ∅ IS reflexive when A = ∅ (vacuous truth) — a subtlety tested in
Advanced-level 'always true' statements.

Mistake 3
Thinking a relation containing SOME pairs (a,a) is reflexive. Reflexivity demands (a,a) ∈ R for EVERY a ∈ A, not just a
few.

Mistake 4

Page 7
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Believing symmetric ⟹ NOT antisymmetric. A relation can be both (e.g. the identity relation, or ∅) — these aren't
mutually exclusive.

Mistake 5
Forgetting that Range ⊆ Co-domain but Range need NOT equal Co-domain — many students wrongly equate range with
co-domain while computing outputs of a formula-relation.

Mistake 6
Assuming the union of two equivalence relations is automatically an equivalence relation. Transitivity is the property
that typically breaks.

Mistake 7
Sign/domain errors while finding domain of relations defined by inequalities, e.g. forgetting to exclude values making a
denominator zero or a square-root argument negative, before computing the range.

Mistake 8
In counting reflexive/symmetric relations, using n² instead of n(n−1)/2 or n(n+1)/2 for the off-diagonal / combined count
— always separate diagonal (n cells) from off-diagonal pairs carefully.

Mistake 9
Treating 'is a factor of' or '≤' as equivalence relations — these are reflexive & transitive but fail symmetry, so they are
partial orders, NOT equivalence relations.

Mistake 10
Applying the vertical line test on a relation that is already known to be a function, or misreading an implicit curve like x²
+ y² = 4 as a function without restricting to y ≥ 0 or y ≤ 0.

Page 8
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

4. SOLVED EXAMPLES: BASIC → JEE MAIN → JEE ADVANCED

Tier 1 — Basic (Foundation Building)

Example 1 [Basic]
Let A = {1,2,3} and B = {3,4}. Write A × B and find n(A × B).
Solution:
A × B = {(1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4),(3,3),(3,4)}.
n(A) = 3, n(B) = 2 ⟹ n(A × B) = 3 × 2 = 6. ✓ matches the listed 6 pairs.

Example 2 [Basic]
If R = {(x,y) : x,y ∈ ℕ, x + y = 5}, list R and find its domain and range.
Solution:
x, y ∈ ℕ (natural numbers, taken as {1,2,3,...}) with x + y = 5:
R = {(1,4),(2,3),(3,2),(4,1)}.
Domain = {1,2,3,4}, Range = {1,2,3,4}.

Example 3 [Basic]
Determine whether R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2)} on A = {1,2,3} is reflexive, symmetric, or transitive.
Solution:
Reflexive: (1,1),(2,2),(3,3) all present ⟹ Reflexive ✓.
Symmetric: (1,2) ∈ R but (2,1) ∉ R ⟹ NOT symmetric.
Transitive: only nontrivial chain is (1,2) with nothing following from 2, so no violation ⟹ Transitive ✓.
Conclusion: R is reflexive and transitive, but not symmetric — hence NOT an equivalence relation.

Example 4 [Basic]
How many relations can be defined from a set A with 3 elements to a set B with 2 elements?
Solution:
n(A) = 3, n(B) = 2 ⟹ n(A×B) = 6.
Number of relations = 2^6 = 64.

Example 5 [Basic]
Is the relation 'is parallel to' on the set of all straight lines in a plane an equivalence relation?
Solution:
Reflexive: every line is parallel to itself (by convention) ⟹ Reflexive ✓.
Symmetric: if L₁ ∥ L₂ then L₂ ∥ L₁ ⟹ Symmetric ✓.
Transitive: if L₁ ∥ L₂ and L₂ ∥ L₃ then L₁ ∥ L₃ ⟹ Transitive ✓.
Hence it IS an equivalence relation.

Page 9
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Tier 2 — JEE Main Level

Example 6 [JEE Main]
Let A = {1,2,3,4}. Let R be a relation on A defined by R = {(a,b) : a divides b}. Write R in roster form and check
reflexivity, symmetry and transitivity.
Solution:
R = {(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(1,4),(2,2),(2,4),(3,3),(4,4)}.
Reflexive: (a,a) present for all a ∈ A ⟹ Reflexive ✓.
Symmetric: (1,2) ∈ R but (2,1) ∉ R ⟹ NOT symmetric.
Transitive: (1,2) & (2,4) ∈ R ⟹ need (1,4) ∈ R — yes it is. Check all chains similarly; all hold ⟹ Transitive ✓.
Conclusion: R is reflexive & transitive but not symmetric (it is a PARTIAL ORDER, not an equivalence relation).

Example 7 [JEE Main]

Let R be the relation on the set of integers ℤ given by R = {(a,b) : a − b is divisible by 5}. Show R is an equivalence
relation and find the equivalence class of 2.
Solution:
Reflexive: a − a = 0, and 5 | 0 ⟹ (a,a) ∈ R for all a ⟹ Reflexive ✓.
Symmetric: if 5 | (a−b), then a−b = 5k ⟹ b−a = 5(−k), so 5 | (b−a) ⟹ Symmetric ✓.
Transitive: if 5 | (a−b) and 5 | (b−c), then a−b = 5k₁, b−c = 5k₂ ⟹ a−c = 5(k₁+k₂) ⟹ Transitive ✓.
Hence R is an equivalence relation (this is 'congruence mod 5').
[2] = {x ∈ ℤ : x − 2 is divisible by 5} = {..., −8, −3, 2, 7, 12, ...} = {5k+2 : k ∈ ℤ}.

Example 8 [JEE Main]

A relation R is defined on the set A = {1,2,3,4,5} by R = {(x,y) : |x−y| ≤ 2}. Is R reflexive? symmetric? transitive?
Solution:
Reflexive: |x−x| = 0 ≤ 2 for all x ⟹ Reflexive ✓.
Symmetric: |x−y| = |y−x| always ⟹ Symmetric ✓.
Transitive: Take x=1, y=3, z=5. |1−3|=2 ≤2 ✓, |3−5|=2≤2 ✓, but |1−5| = 4 > 2 ✗.
So (1,3) ∈ R, (3,5) ∈ R but (1,5) ∉ R ⟹ NOT transitive.
Conclusion: R is reflexive and symmetric, but not transitive.

Example 9 [JEE Main]

Find the number of reflexive relations that can be defined on a set with 4 elements.
Solution:
n = 4 ⟹ n² = 16 total ordered pairs in A×A.
For reflexivity, all n = 4 diagonal pairs must be included (fixed).
Remaining free pairs = n² − n = 16 − 4 = 12.
Number of reflexive relations = 2^12 = 4096.

Example 10 [JEE Main]

If R and S are two equivalence relations on a set A, prove that R ∩ S is also an equivalence relation on A.
Solution:

Page 10
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Reflexive: since R, S both reflexive, (a,a) ∈ R and (a,a) ∈ S for all a ⟹ (a,a) ∈ R∩S ⟹ Reflexive ✓.
Symmetric: if (a,b) ∈ R∩S, then (a,b) ∈ R and (a,b) ∈ S. Since both symmetric, (b,a) ∈ R and (b,a) ∈ S ⟹ (b,a) ∈
R∩S ⟹ Symmetric ✓.
Transitive: if (a,b),(b,c) ∈ R∩S, then both pairs lie in R (so (a,c) ∈ R by transitivity of R) and both lie in S (so (a,c) ∈ S)
⟹ (a,c) ∈ R∩S ⟹ Transitive ✓.
Hence R ∩ S is an equivalence relation. (Note: this argument does NOT work for R ∪ S — transitivity can fail, since a
chain a→b via R and b→c via S need not give a→c in either relation.)

Example 11 [JEE Main]

Let A = {1,2,3}. Find the number of relations on A that are both reflexive and symmetric.
Solution:
n = 3 ⟹ diagonal has 3 cells, fixed as 1 (reflexive requirement).
Off-diagonal pairs come in n(n−1)/2 = 3 symmetric pairs: {(1,2),(2,1)}, {(1,3),(3,1)}, {(2,3),(3,2)} — each pair is included
together or excluded together (symmetric constraint), giving 2 choices per pair.
Number of such relations = 2^3 = 8.

Example 12 [JEE Main]

Let A = {x ∈ ℤ : 0 ≤ x ≤ 12}. Show that R = {(a,b) : |a − b| is a multiple of 4} is an equivalence relation. Find the
equivalence class of 1.
Solution:
Reflexive: |a−a| = 0, and 0 is a multiple of 4 ⟹ Reflexive ✓.
Symmetric: |a−b| = |b−a| ⟹ Symmetric ✓.
Transitive: |a−b| = 4k₁, |b−c| = 4k₂ (with appropriate signs) ⟹ a−c = ±4k₁ ± 4k₂ = 4(integer) ⟹ Transitive ✓.
Hence R is an equivalence relation.
[1] = {x ∈ A : |x−1| is a multiple of 4} = {1, 5, 9} (since 1,5,9 ∈ [0,12] with |x−1| ∈ {0,4,8}).

Tier 3 — JEE Advanced Level

Example 13 [JEE Advanced]
Let A = {1,2,3,4}. R₁ = {(1,2),(2,1)} and R₂ = {(1,1),(2,2),(1,2),(2,1)}. Show R₁ ∪ (identity) need not equal a valid
equivalence relation, and find the SMALLEST equivalence relation on A containing R₁.
Solution:
Start with R₁ = {(1,2),(2,1)}. To make it reflexive, add all (a,a) for a=1,2,3,4: add (1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4).
Check symmetry: (1,2) & (2,1) are both present ⟹ symmetric already satisfied for this pair.
Check transitivity: (1,2) & (2,1) ⟹ need (1,1) ✓ (added). (2,1) & (1,2) ⟹ need (2,2) ✓ (added). No further pairs
forced.
Smallest equivalence relation ⊇ R₁: R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(1,2),(2,1)}.
This corresponds to the partition {{1,2},{3},{4}} of A — consistent with Theorem 4 (equivalence relations ↔
partitions).

Example 14 [JEE Advanced]

Find the number of equivalence relations on the set A = {1,2,3} that contain the pair (1,2).

Page 11
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Solution:
An equivalence relation ↔ a partition of A. Since (1,2) must be in R, elements 1 and 2 must lie in the SAME block of
the partition.
Possible partitions of {1,2,3} with 1,2 together:
(a) {{1,2},{3}} — one partition,
(b) {{1,2,3}} — the entire set as one block (also has 1,2 together).
These are the only 2 partitions where 1 and 2 are in the same block (recall total partitions of a 3-set = Bell(3) = 5:
{{1,2,3}}, {{1,2},{3}}, {{1,3},{2}}, {{2,3},{1}}, {{1},{2},{3}} — only the first two keep 1,2 together).
Hence, the number of equivalence relations containing (1,2) is 2.

Example 15 [JEE Advanced]

Let A = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}. R is a relation on A defined by R = {(x,y): y = x + 1 or y = x − 1}. Determine the minimum number
of ordered pairs to be added to R to make it (a) reflexive, (b) an equivalence relation.
Solution:
R = {(1,2),(2,1),(2,3),(3,2),(3,4),(4,3),(4,5),(5,4)} — 8 pairs. This is already symmetric.
(a) To make reflexive, add all 5 pairs (a,a), a=1..5 ⟹ minimum 5 pairs needed.
(b) For an equivalence relation, note R (as a graph on {1,...,5}) connects 1−2−3−4−5 in a path — so ALL of 1,2,3,4,5
must end up in ONE equivalence class (since 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 forces transitive closure to connect all of them).
The transitive closure of the path relation on 5 connected vertices is the COMPLETE relation on {1,2,3,4,5}, i.e. A × A,
which has 25 pairs.
Minimum pairs to be added = 25 − 8 = 17.

Example 16 [JEE Advanced]

Let R = {(x,y) : x, y ∈ ℝ, x² + y² = 1} be a relation on ℝ. Is R a function from ℝ to ℝ? Find its domain and range.
Solution:
For a fixed x with |x| < 1, y = ±√(1−x²) — TWO values of y correspond to one x (except at x = ±1, where y=0 uniquely).
Since some x-values give 2 distinct y-values, R is NOT a function (uniqueness fails, e.g. (0,1) and (0,−1) both ∈ R).
Domain: x² ≤ 1 ⟹ x ∈ [−1, 1]. Range: similarly y ∈ [−1, 1].
This is the classic 'unit circle fails vertical line test' example.

Example 17 [JEE Advanced]

On the set N of natural numbers, define a R b ⟺ GCD(a,b) = 1 (a is coprime to b). Examine reflexivity, symmetry and
transitivity of R.
Solution:
Reflexive: GCD(a,a) = a. This equals 1 only if a = 1. So (2,2) ∉ R (since GCD(2,2)=2≠1) ⟹ R is NOT reflexive (fails for a
> 1).
Symmetric: GCD(a,b) = GCD(b,a) always ⟹ Symmetric ✓.
Transitive: Consider a=2, b=3, c=4. GCD(2,3)=1 ✓ (a R b), GCD(3,4)=1 ✓ (b R c), but GCD(2,4)=2 ≠1 (a R̸ c) ⟹ NOT
transitive.
Conclusion: R is symmetric only — neither reflexive nor transitive; certainly not an equivalence relation.

Example 18 [JEE Advanced]

Page 12
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Let A be the set of all triangles in a plane, and let R be defined by R = {(T₁,T₂) : T₁ is similar to T₂}. If T₁ has sides 3,4,5,
and T₂ has sides 5,12,13, are T₁ and T₂ related? Discuss the general nature of R.
Solution:
Similarity requires proportional corresponding sides. Ratio test for {3,4,5} vs {5,12,13}: 3/5, 4/12=1/3, 5/13 — not all
equal, so T₁ and T₂ are NOT similar ⟹ (T₁,T₂) ∉ R.
General nature: R is reflexive (every triangle similar to itself), symmetric (if T₁~T₂ then T₂~T₁), and transitive (if T₁~T₂
and T₂~T₃ then T₁~T₃, since similarity ratios multiply consistently) ⟹ R is an equivalence relation on the set of all
triangles.
The equivalence classes are 'shape classes' — all triangles with the same set of angles (up to labeling).

Page 13
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

5. EXERCISE 1 — BASIC (30 Questions)

Instructions: Attempt all questions without referring to solutions. Time suggested: 60 minutes.
1. If A = {1,2} and B = {3,4}, write A × B and B × A. Verify A × B ≠ B × A.
2. If n(A) = 4 and n(B) = 3, find n(A × B) and the total number of relations from A to B.
3. Let A = {a,b,c}. Write the identity relation on A.
4. Write the relation R = {(x,y): y = 2x, x ∈ {1,2,3}, y ∈ ℕ} in roster form and find its domain and range.
5. If R = {(x,y) : x + y = 10, x,y ∈ ℕ}, write R in roster form.
6. Let A = {1,2,3,4,5}. Is R = A × A a reflexive relation? Justify.
7. Give an example of a relation on a set which is symmetric but not reflexive.
8. Give an example of a relation on a set which is transitive but not symmetric.
9. State whether the void relation on a non-empty set A is reflexive, symmetric, transitive.
10. Define equivalence relation. Give one real-life-style example.
11. If A = {1,2,3}, list all elements of the identity relation and the universal relation on A.
12. How many relations exist on a set with 2 elements? List them all in terms of matrix representation.
13. Check whether R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2),(2,1)} on A={1,2,3} is an equivalence relation.
14. Find the domain and range of R = {(x, 1/x) : x ∈ {1,2,3,4,5}}.
15. If A = {1,2,3,4} and R = {(a,b): a < b}, write R in roster form. Is R reflexive?
16. Show that the relation R on ℤ defined by aRb ⟺ a = b is an equivalence relation.
17. A relation R on set of humans is defined as 'x is a sister of y'. Discuss whether it is symmetric.
18. Let A = {1,2,3}. Find the number of reflexive relations on A.
19. Let A = {1,2,3}. Find the number of symmetric relations on A.
20. Find the number of relations from a set with 2 elements to a set with 5 elements.
21. Is R = {(x,y) : x is the square of y, x,y ∈ ℕ} a function from ℕ to ℕ? Justify.
22. If f = {(1,2),(2,3),(3,4),(4,5)} is a relation from A={1,2,3,4} to B={2,3,4,5}, is f a function? Why?
23. What is the domain and range of the relation R = {(1,2),(3,5),(4,7)}?
24. Give an example of a relation which is neither reflexive, symmetric, nor transitive.
25. Is the relation 'is the reciprocal of' on the set of nonzero real numbers symmetric? Reflexive?
26. Let R be a relation on ℤ defined by aRb ⟺ a ≤ b. Is R reflexive? symmetric? transitive?
27. If A = {2,3,4} and B = {3,4,5,6}, find the relation R = {(a,b): a divides b, a ∈ A, b ∈ B}.
28. Prove that the relation 'is congruent to' on the set of all triangles is an equivalence relation.
29. Let A = {1,2,3,4}. Find the total number of relations on A that contain the pair (1,2).
30. Determine whether the arrow diagram representing {1→a, 2→b, 3→a} from {1,2,3} to {a,b} represents a function.

Page 14
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

6. EXERCISE 2 — JEE MAIN LEVEL (30 Questions)

Instructions: Single correct answer type, as per JEE Main pattern. Time suggested: 60 minutes.
1. Let A = {1,2,3}. The number of relations on A that are reflexive is:
(A) 2⁶ = 64 (B) 2⁹ = 512 (C) 2³ = 8 (D) 2⁵ = 32

2. If n(A) = 3, the number of relations on A that are both reflexive and symmetric is:
(A) 8 (B) 64 (C) 16 (D) 32

3. Let R = {(x,y) : x,y ∈ ℝ, x² + y² = 4}. Which statement is correct?

(A) R is a function with domain [−2,2] (B) R is not a function; domain = range = [−2,2] (C) R is an equivalence relation
(D) R is reflexive and symmetric

4. The relation R defined on the set of natural numbers as R = {(a,b): a differs from b by 3} is given by:
(A) {(1,4),(2,5),(3,6),...} (B) {(4,1),(5,2),(6,3),...} (C) {(1,3),(2,6),(3,9),...} (D) None of these

5. Let A = {1,2,3,4}. R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(1,2),(2,3),(1,3)}. R is:

(A) Reflexive and transitive but not symmetric (B) Reflexive and symmetric but not transitive (C) An equivalence
relation (D) Symmetric and transitive but not reflexive

6. The number of equivalence relations on a set with 3 elements is:

(A) 3 (B) 5 (C) 8 (D) 6

7. Let A = {1,2,3}. The relation R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2),(2,1),(2,3),(3,2),(1,3),(3,1)} is:

(A) Reflexive, symmetric but not transitive (B) An equivalence relation (C) Only reflexive (D) Only symmetric

8. R is a relation on ℤ given by aRb ⟺ a − b is even. Then R is:

(A) Only reflexive (B) Only symmetric (C) An equivalence relation (D) Neither reflexive nor symmetric

9. The relation 'is a factor of' defined on the set of natural numbers is:
(A) Reflexive, symmetric and transitive (B) Reflexive and transitive but not symmetric (C) Symmetric and transitive
but not reflexive (D) None of these

10. Let A = {1,2,3,4,5,6}. R = {(a,b): b = a+1, a,b ∈ A}. The number of elements needed to be added to R to make it
reflexive is:
(A) 5 (B) 6 (C) 1 (D) 0

11. If a relation R on the set {1,2,3} is defined by R = {(1,2)}, then R is:

(A) Symmetric and transitive (B) Reflexive and symmetric (C) Transitive only (D) Reflexive only

12. The maximum number of equivalence relations on the set A = {1,2,3} is:
(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 5

13. Let R be the relation on set A = {x : x ∈ ℤ, 0 ≤ x ≤ 10} given by R = {(a,b) : a = b}. Then R is:
(A) Reflexive but not symmetric (B) Reflexive and symmetric but not transitive (C) An equivalence relation (D)
Only transitive

14. Two elements a and b are related under R iff both a and b are either even or odd, on the set A = {1,2,...,10}. R is:
(A) Not reflexive (B) Reflexive, symmetric but not transitive (C) An equivalence relation (D) Only symmetric

15. If A = {1,2,3} and R is the smallest equivalence relation on A, then R equals:

(A) A × A (B) ∅ (C) {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3)} (D) {(1,2),(2,1)}

16. The relation R in the set {1,2,3,4,5,6} defined as R = {(a,b): b = a+1} is:

Page 15
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

(A) Reflexive (B) Symmetric (C) Transitive (D) Neither reflexive, symmetric, nor transitive

17. Let A be the set of all lines in a plane and R be the relation 'is perpendicular to'. Then R is:
(A) Reflexive but not symmetric (B) Symmetric but not reflexive or transitive (C) An equivalence relation (D)
Reflexive and transitive

18. The number of reflexive relations on a set with n elements is:

(A) 2ⁿ (B) 2^(n²−n) (C) 2^(n²) (D) 2^(n(n+1)/2)

19. If n(A) = 3 and n(B) = 4, the number of one-one (injective) functions from A to B is:
(A) 12 (B) 24 (C) 64 (D) 81

20. Let R = {(x,x³) : x is a prime number less than 10}. The range of R is:
(A) {2,3,5,7} (B) {8,27,125,343} (C) {1,2,3,4} (D) {8,27,343}

21. A relation R on set A = {1,2,3,4} is defined as aRb iff a + b is even. R is:

(A) Not reflexive (B) An equivalence relation (C) Only transitive (D) Only symmetric

22. The relation R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3)} on set {1,2,3} represents:

(A) Universal relation (B) Void relation (C) Identity relation (D) None of these

23. If R and S are equivalence relations on set A, which of the following is always an equivalence relation?
(A) R ∪ S (B) R ∩ S (C) R − S (D) None of these

24. Let A = {1,2,3}. The number of relations on A containing (1,2) and (2,1) that are reflexive and symmetric is:
(A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 8 (D) 16

25. Domain of the relation R = {(x,y) : y = √(9−x²), x,y ∈ ℝ} is:

(A) [−3,3] (B) [0,3] (C) (−3,3) (D) ℝ

26. The relation R defined on ℝ by xRy ⟺ x ≥ y is:

(A) Symmetric and transitive (B) Reflexive and transitive but not symmetric (C) An equivalence relation (D) Only
reflexive

27. The number of relations from set A with 2 elements to set B with 3 elements which are NOT functions is:
(A) 2⁶ − 3² (B) 2⁶ − 2³ (C) 3² − 2⁶ (D) 2⁶ − 3⁶

28. The relation 'has the same birthday as' defined on the set of all people is:
(A) Reflexive only (B) Reflexive and symmetric only (C) An equivalence relation (D) Symmetric only

29. If A = {1,2,3,4,5}, and R = {(a,b): |a−b| = 1}, the number of elements in R is:
(A) 4 (B) 8 (C) 10 (D) 5

30. For A = {1,2,3}, how many relations on A contain some but not all of the diagonal pairs (1,1),(2,2),(3,3) — i.e. are
neither fully reflexive nor fully diagonal-free?
(A) 384 (B) 56 (C) 8 (D) 448

Page 16
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

7. EXERCISE 3 — JEE ADVANCED LEVEL (25 Questions)

Instructions: Mixed format — single correct, multiple correct, integer type, and comprehension — as per JEE Advanced
pattern. Time suggested: 75 minutes.

Section A: Single Correct Answer (Q1–Q10)

1. Let A = {1,2,3,4}. The number of equivalence relations on A containing the pair (1,2) but NOT containing (1,3) is: (a)
1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 4
2. Let R be a relation on ℕ defined by aRb ⟺ a² − b² = a − b (a ≠ b) or a = b. Then R is: (a) reflexive only (b) reflexive
and symmetric (c) an equivalence relation (d) reflexive and transitive only
3. Consider A = {1,2,3,4,5,6}. The relation R = {(a,b): a,b have the same remainder when divided by 3} is an
equivalence relation. The number of elements in the equivalence class containing 4 is: (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 4
4. Let f be a relation on ℝ defined by xRy ⟺ x − y ∈ ℚ (rational numbers). This relation is: (a) reflexive only (b) an
equivalence relation (c) symmetric only (d) not reflexive
5. The minimum number of ordered pairs that must be added to R = {(1,2),(2,3)} on the set {1,2,3} to make it an
equivalence relation is: (a) 5 (b) 6 (c) 7 (d) 4
6. Let A be a set with |A| = n. The number of relations on A that are symmetric but NOT reflexive is: (a) 2^(n(n+1)/2) −
2^(n(n−1)/2) (b) 2^(n(n+1)/2) (c) 2^(n(n−1)/2) (d) 2^(n²) − 2^(n(n+1)/2)
7. If R₁ and R₂ are two equivalence relations on a set A, then R₁ ∪ R₂ is: (a) always an equivalence relation (b) always
reflexive and symmetric, but not necessarily transitive (c) never reflexive (d) always transitive but not necessarily
symmetric
8. The relation R on the set of complex numbers defined by z₁ R z₂ ⟺ |z₁| = |z₂| is: (a) reflexive only (b) an
equivalence relation whose classes are concentric circles centered at origin (c) symmetric only (d) not well defined
9. Let A = {1,2,3}. The number of relations on A which are reflexive and transitive but NOT symmetric is best obtained
by: (a) direct enumeration since totals are small (b) 2^9 − 2^6 (c) 2^6 − 2^3 (d) There is no such relation
10. A relation R is defined on ℤ × ℤ (ordered pairs of integers) by (a,b) R (c,d) ⟺ a + d = b + c. This relation is: (a)
reflexive but not symmetric (b) an equivalence relation (c) symmetric but not transitive (d) neither reflexive nor
transitive

Section B: One or More Correct Answers (Q11–Q16)

11. Let A = {1,2,3} and let R be a relation on A. Which of the following statements are TRUE? (a) If R is symmetric and
antisymmetric, R ⊆ Identity relation (b) The void relation on A is transitive (c) The void relation on A is reflexive (d)
The universal relation A×A is an equivalence relation
12. Which of the following relations on ℝ are equivalence relations? (a) xRy ⟺ x = y (b) xRy ⟺ |x| = |y| (c) xRy ⟺
x ≤ y (d) xRy ⟺ x − y ∈ ℤ
13. For the relation R = {(a,b) : a,b ∈ ℕ, a | b} on ℕ, which properties hold? (a) Reflexive (b) Symmetric (c)
Antisymmetric (d) Transitive
14. Let A be a nonempty finite set with n(A) = n. Which of the following counting formulas are correct? (a) Total
relations on A = 2^(n²) (b) Reflexive relations on A = 2^(n²−n) (c) Symmetric relations on A = 2^(n(n−1)/2) (d)
Reflexive+Symmetric relations on A = 2^(n(n−1)/2)
15. If R is an equivalence relation on set A, which statements must be true? (a) Distinct equivalence classes are
disjoint (b) Every element belongs to exactly one equivalence class (c) The union of all equivalence classes equals A (d)
The number of equivalence classes always equals n(A)
16. Consider relations on the set of all triangles in a plane. Which are equivalence relations? (a) 'is similar to' (b) 'is
congruent to' (c) 'has the same area as' (d) 'shares at least one vertex with'
Page 17
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Section C: Integer / Numerical Type (Q17–Q22)

17. Let A = {1,2,3,4}. Find the number of relations on A that contain the identity relation and are symmetric. (Answer
is an integer.)
18. Find the number of equivalence relations on the set {1,2,3,4} that have exactly 2 equivalence classes.
19. Let A = {1,2,3,4,5}. R is defined as aRb ⟺ a and b leave the same remainder when divided by 3. Find the number
of elements in R (as a set of ordered pairs).
20. If a set A has 4 elements, find the number of relations on A that are reflexive, symmetric, but NOT transitive. (Hint:
total reflexive+symmetric minus those that are also transitive — i.e. equivalence relations.)
21. Find the minimum number of ordered pairs that must be added to R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2)} on A = {1,2,3} to
make R symmetric.
22. The number of equivalence relations on a 4-element set is the Bell number B(4). Find B(4).

Section D: Comprehension / Assertion-Reason (Q23–Q25)

Comprehension: Let A = {1,2,3,4,5,6}. Define a relation R on A by aRb ⟺ (a−b) is divisible by 3. Answer the
following:
23. R is an equivalence relation on A. True or False? Justify briefly.
24. Find all the equivalence classes formed by R on A.
25. Assertion-Reason:
Assertion (A): Every reflexive and symmetric relation on a finite set is automatically transitive.
Reason (R): Reflexive and symmetric relations always correspond to a partition of the set.
Choose: (a) Both A and R are true, R is the correct explanation of A (b) Both A and R are true, R is NOT the correct
explanation of A (c) A is true, R is false (d) Both A and R are false

Page 18
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

8. CHALLENGE EXERCISE (10 Very Difficult Problems)

Note
These problems are deliberately at the outer edge of the syllabus difficulty and combine Relations with
counting/combinatorics, number theory, or careful case analysis. Recommended only after mastering Exercises 1–3.

1. Let A = {1,2,3,...,10}. Find the number of relations R on A that are reflexive and symmetric and additionally satisfy: if
(a,b) ∈ R and a ≠ b, then |a − b| ≤ 2 is NOT required (i.e. no adjacency restriction) — but R must contain at least one
non-diagonal pair. Find the count.
2. How many equivalence relations can be defined on the set A = {1,2,3,4,5} such that the equivalence class of 1 has
exactly 3 elements?
3. Let A = {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}. A relation R is defined by aRb ⟺ a and b have the same number of divisors. Determine
the number of equivalence classes and list the sizes of each class.
4. Prove or disprove: If R is a relation on a finite set A such that R is symmetric and transitive, and the domain of R
equals A, then R must be reflexive (and hence an equivalence relation).
5. Let A = ℤ. Define R by aRb ⟺ a² ≡ b² (mod 4). Find the equivalence classes and determine how many distinct
classes exist.
6. A relation R is defined on the power set P(A) of a set A with n(A) = 3 by X R Y ⟺ X ⊆ Y. Determine whether R is
reflexive, symmetric, antisymmetric, transitive. Then find the total number of ordered pairs (X,Y) in R.
7. Let A = {1,2,...,n}. Find, in terms of n, the number of equivalence relations on A in which every equivalence class has
size exactly 1 or exactly 2 (i.e. the partition uses only singletons and pairs). Evaluate for n = 6.
8. Let R and S be relations on a set A (finite, |A| = n) such that R is an equivalence relation and S is defined by S = R ∪
{(x₀,y₀),(y₀,x₀)} for some fixed x₀,y₀ in different equivalence classes of R. Determine precisely how many pairs must be
added to S to convert it into an equivalence relation, in terms of the sizes of the two classes merged.
9. A relation R on ℕ × ℕ is defined by (a,b) R (c,d) ⟺ ad = bc. Prove R is an equivalence relation, and interpret the
equivalence classes in terms of a familiar number system.
10. Let A be the set of all 2×2 matrices with real entries. Define M₁ R M₂ ⟺ det(M₁) = det(M₂). Show R is an
equivalence relation and argue whether the equivalence classes are finite, countably infinite, or uncountable in size.

Page 19
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

9. PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS (JEE-STYLE)

The following are previous-year style questions reconstructed in the spirit of actual JEE Main / Advanced papers,
testing the exact concepts historically emphasized in this chapter.

JEE Main Style

1. [JEE Main pattern] Let R = {(x,y) : x, y ∈ ℤ, x² + y² ≤ 8}. Determine which of the following is true about R: (a) R is
reflexive but not symmetric (b) R is symmetric but not reflexive (c) R is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive (d) R is
neither reflexive, symmetric, nor transitive.
2. [JEE Main pattern] Let A = {1,2,3}. Then the number of equivalence relations containing (1,2) is: (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d)
4.
3. [JEE Main pattern] Let R be the relation on the set of all lines in a plane defined by 'l₁ R l₂ iff l₁ is parallel to l₂'. Then R
is: (a) reflexive only (b) symmetric only (c) equivalence relation (d) transitive only.
4. [JEE Main pattern] The relation R on the set {1,2,3,4} defined by R = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(1,2),(2,1)} is: (a)
reflexive, symmetric but not transitive (b) an equivalence relation (c) reflexive, transitive but not symmetric (d) only
symmetric.
5. [JEE Main pattern] Let n(A) = 3. The number of binary relations on A that are reflexive and symmetric but not
transitive is: (a) 3 (b) 0 (c) 8 (d) cannot be determined.

JEE Advanced Style

1. [JEE Advanced pattern] Let A = {1,2,3,4} and R be a relation on A given by R = {(1,2),(2,3),(1,4)}. Let R' be the
smallest equivalence relation on A containing R. Then the number of elements in R' is _____ (integer answer).
2. [JEE Advanced pattern] Consider all relations R on the set {1,2,3} which are symmetric. If exactly one of the
following statements about R is always true, identify which: (I) R must be reflexive (II) R may or may not be reflexive
(III) R must be transitive (IV) R is never transitive.
3. [JEE Advanced pattern, Multiple Correct] Let A = {1,2,3,4} and define R₁ = {(a,b): a ≡ b (mod 2)}, R₂ = {(a,b): a ≡ b
(mod 4)}. Which of the following are true? (a) R₁ is an equivalence relation (b) R₂ is an equivalence relation (c) R₁ ∩ R₂
is an equivalence relation (d) R₁ ∪ R₂ is an equivalence relation.
4. [JEE Advanced pattern] The number of equivalence relations on the set {1,2,3,4} that are finer than (contained in)
the universal relation but coarser than (containing) the identity relation, having EXACTLY 3 equivalence classes, is
_____ (integer answer).

Page 20
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

10. DETAILED SOLUTIONS

Solutions to Exercise 1 (Basic)

1. A×B = {(1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4)}; B×A = {(3,1),(3,2),(4,1),(4,2)}. Clearly the pairs differ (e.g. (1,3) ∈ A×B but (1,3) ∉ B×A) ⟹
A×B ≠ B×A.
2. n(A×B) = 4×3 = 12. Total relations from A to B = 2^12 = 4096.
3. Identity relation on A={a,b,c}: I_A = {(a,a),(b,b),(c,c)}.
4. For x=1: y=2; x=2: y=4; x=3: y=6. R = {(1,2),(2,4),(3,6)}. Domain = {1,2,3}, Range = {2,4,6}.
5. Pairs (x,y) ∈ ℕ×ℕ with x+y=10: R = {(1,9),(2,8),(3,7),(4,6),(5,5),(6,4),(7,3),(8,2),(9,1)}.
6. Yes. R = A×A contains every possible pair, including all (a,a), so it is reflexive (also symmetric and transitive — it's the
universal relation).
7. Example: On A={1,2,3}, R={(1,2),(2,1)}. Symmetric (both directions present) but not reflexive since (1,1) ∉ R.
8. Example: On A={1,2,3}, R={(1,2),(2,3),(1,3)}. Transitive (only chain 1→2→3 needs 1→3, which is present) but not
symmetric since (2,1) ∉ R.
9. The void relation R=∅ on nonempty A: NOT reflexive (no (a,a) pairs present), but vacuously symmetric and vacuously
transitive (there are no pairs to violate either condition).
10. An equivalence relation is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive simultaneously. Example: 'has the same number of sides
as' on the set of all polygons — clearly reflexive, symmetric, transitive.
11. Identity relation I_A = {(1,1),(2,2),(3,3)}. Universal relation A×A = {(1,1),(1,2),(1,3),(2,1),(2,2),(2,3),(3,1),(3,2),(3,3)} — all 9
pairs.
12. n(A)=2 ⟹ A×A has 4 elements ⟹ 2^4 = 16 relations. As 2×2 boolean matrices, all 16 combinations of the 4 cells (each
0 or 1).
13. Reflexive ✓ (all (a,a) present). Symmetric ✓ ((1,2) and (2,1) both present). Transitive: only nontrivial chain
(1,2)&(2,1)⟹need(1,1)✓ present; (2,1)&(1,2)⟹need(2,2)✓ present. So R IS an equivalence relation.
14. R = {(1,1),(2,0.5),(3,0.333...),(4,0.25),(5,0.2)} — but restricting to the given roster, Domain = {1,2,3,4,5}, Range = {1, 1/2,
1/3, 1/4, 1/5}.
15. R = {(1,2),(1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4),(3,4)}. Not reflexive since (1,1) ∉ R (a<a is false for all a).
16. Reflexive: a=a ✓ for all a. Symmetric: a=b ⟹ b=a ✓. Transitive: a=b, b=c ⟹ a=c ✓. Hence R (equality) is an
equivalence relation — in fact the finest possible one (equivalence classes are singletons).
17. Not symmetric in general biological sense as commonly tested: if x is a sister of y, y need not be a sister of x (y could be
male, i.e., a brother) — so this relation is NOT symmetric unless restricted to only female siblings, illustrating a common
'real-life' equivalence-relation trap.
18. n=3: reflexive relations = 2^(n²−n) = 2^(9−3) = 2^6 = 64.
19. n=3: symmetric relations = 2^(n(n+1)/2) = 2^6 = 64.
20. n(A)=2, n(B)=5 ⟹ n(A×B)=10 ⟹ number of relations = 2^10 = 1024.
21. Not a function from ℕ to ℕ in the 'each element of domain has unique image' sense when read as a mapping x→y since
it's typically presented as y↦x=y² (multiple y give same or non-natural x); more precisely, as stated, some x (non-perfect
squares) have NO y ∈ ℕ ⟹ fails totality ⟹ NOT a function on all of ℕ.
22. f = {(1,2),(2,3),(3,4),(4,5)}: every element of A={1,2,3,4} has exactly one image in B, and all images lie in B ⟹ f IS a
function.
23. Domain = {1,3,4}, Range = {2,5,7}.

Page 21
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

24. Example: On A = {1,2,3}, R = {(1,2)}. Not reflexive ((1,1)∉R), not symmetric ((2,1) ∉R), not transitive is vacuously true
here since there's no chain to violate — so choose R={(1,2),(2,3)} instead: not reflexive, not symmetric ((2,1),(3,2) ∉R), and
not transitive since (1,2),(2,3)∈R but (1,3)∉R.
25. 'Is the reciprocal of' on nonzero reals: xRy ⟺ y = 1/x. Symmetric: if y=1/x then x=1/y ✓ Symmetric. Reflexive: x = 1/x
⟺ x²=1 ⟺ x=±1 only — NOT true for all x, so NOT reflexive in general.
26. Reflexive: a≤a ✓. Symmetric: a≤b does NOT imply b≤a (unless a=b) ⟹ NOT symmetric. Transitive: a≤b, b≤c ⟹ a≤c ✓
Transitive. So R is reflexive & transitive but not symmetric (a partial order, not equivalence relation).
27. A={2,3,4}, B={3,4,5,6}. Check divisibility: 2|4 ✓, 2|6 ✓, 3|3 ✓, 3|6 ✓, 4|4 ✓. R = {(2,4),(2,6),(3,3),(3,6),(4,4)}.
28. Reflexive: every triangle is congruent to itself ✓. Symmetric: if T₁≅T₂ then T₂≅T₁ ✓. Transitive: if T₁ ≅T₂ and T₂ ≅T₃ then
T₁≅T₃ ✓ (corresponding sides/angles match through the chain). Hence an equivalence relation.
29. Total relations on A (n=4) = 2^16 = 65536. Relations containing the FIXED pair (1,2): the remaining 15 cells are free ⟹
2^15 = 32768 relations contain (1,2).
30. No — a function requires each input to map to EXACTLY one output. Here both 1 and 3 map to 'a', which is fine (that
doesn't break the function property — multiple inputs CAN share an output), and each of 1,2,3 has exactly one arrow out.
This diagram DOES represent a valid function from {1,2,3} to {a,b}. (Common trap: students wrongly think shared outputs
break the function definition — they do not; only multiple outputs from ONE input, or a missing output, would break it.)

Page 22
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Solutions to Exercise 2 (JEE Main Level)

1. Ans: (A) 64. n=3: reflexive count = 2^(n²−n) = 2^6 = 64.
2. Ans: (A) 8. Reflexive+Symmetric on n=3: 2^(n(n−1)/2) = 2^3 = 8.
3. Ans: (B). This is the unit-circle-of-radius-2 relation. For x=0, y=±2 (two outputs for one input) ⟹ not a function. Domain
requires 4−x²≥0 ⟹ x∈[−2,2]; by symmetry range = [−2,2] too.
4. Ans: (A). 'a differs from b by 3' typically means b = a+3 for a,b ∈ ℕ, i.e. pairs like (1,4),(2,5),(3,6),... — matching option
(A).
5. Ans: (A). All diagonal pairs (1,1)..(4,4) present ⟹ reflexive. (1,2)&(2,3)⟹(1,3) is present ⟹ transitive holds for this
chain (no other chains exist). Symmetric fails since (2,1)∉R. Hence reflexive & transitive but not symmetric.
6. Ans: (B) 5. Number of equivalence relations on a 3-element set = Bell number B(3) = 5.
7. Ans: (B). Reflexive ✓ (1,1),(2,2),(3,3) present. Symmetric ✓ (1,2)&(2,1), (2,3)&(3,2), (1,3)&(3,1) all present in pairs.
Transitive: (1,2)&(2,3)⟹(1,3)✓ present; all other chains check out similarly. Hence R is an equivalence relation (in fact the
universal relation on {1,2,3}).
8. Ans: (C). a−b even: reflexive (a−a=0 even), symmetric (a−b even ⟹ b−a even), transitive (sum of two even numbers is
even) ⟹ equivalence relation (this is 'congruence mod 2').
9. Ans: (B). Divisibility is reflexive (a|a) and transitive (a|b, b|c ⟹ a|c) but not symmetric (2|4 but 4∤2, for a≠b) ⟹
reflexive & transitive only.
10. Ans: (B) 6. R={(1,2),(2,3),(3,4),(4,5),(5,6)} contains none of the 6 diagonal pairs (1,1)...(6,6). All 6 must be added for
reflexivity.
11. Ans: (C). R={(1,2)} on {1,2,3}: transitive vacuously true (no chain a→b→c to violate) ⟹ Transitive only (not reflexive,
not symmetric since (2,1) missing).
12. Ans: (D) 5. Number of equivalence relations on a 3-set = Bell(3) = 5, and the question asks the maximum count of
DISTINCT equivalence relations possible, which is exactly 5.
13. Ans: (C). R = equality relation on A: reflexive, symmetric, transitive ⟹ equivalence relation.
14. Ans: (C). 'Both even or both odd' partitions A into 2 classes (evens, odds); reflexive, symmetric, transitive ⟹
equivalence relation.
15. Ans: (C). The smallest equivalence relation on any set A is the identity relation {(a,a): a∈A}.
16. Ans: (D). R={(1,2),(2,3),(3,4),(4,5),(5,6)}: not reflexive (no (a,a)), not symmetric ((2,1)∉R), not transitive ((1,2),(2,3) ∈R
but (1,3)∉R) ⟹ none of the three properties hold.
17. Ans: (B). Perpendicularity: symmetric (if l₁⊥l₂ then l₂⊥l₁) but a line is never perpendicular to itself (not reflexive), and if
l₁⊥l₂, l₂⊥l₃ then l₁∥l₃ NOT l₁⊥l₃ (not transitive) ⟹ symmetric only.
18. Ans: (B). Reflexive relations count = 2^(n²−n), matching the standard formula.
19. Ans: (B) 24. One-one functions from a 3-element set to a 4-element set = ⁴P₃ = 4×3×2 = 24.
20. Ans: (B). Primes < 10: {2,3,5,7}. Cubes: 2³=8, 3³=27, 5³=125, 7³=343 ⟹ Range = {8,27,125,343}.
21. Ans: (B). a+b even ⟺ a,b same parity — this partitions A into evens & odds; reflexive (a+a=2a even), symmetric
(a+b=b+a), transitive (same parity is transitive) ⟹ equivalence relation.
22. Ans: (C). Only the diagonal pairs (a,a) present ⟹ Identity relation.
23. Ans: (B) R∩S. Intersection of two equivalence relations is always an equivalence relation (Theorem 5); union need not
preserve transitivity.
24. Ans: (A) 2. Reflexive+symmetric relations containing both (1,2)&(2,1) on A={1,2,3}: diagonal fixed present (3 cells), pair
{(1,2),(2,1)} forced IN, remaining independent symmetric pair is {(1,3),(3,1)} vs {(2,3),(3,2)} — 2 free symmetric pairs ⟹ 2² =
4. Correct answer: (B) 4.
25. Ans: (A) [−3,3]. Need 9−x² ≥ 0 ⟹ x² ≤ 9 ⟹ x ∈ [−3,3].

Page 23
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

26. Ans: (B). x≥y: reflexive (x≥x), transitive (x≥y,y≥z⟹x≥z), but not symmetric (x≥y does not imply y≥x unless x=y) ⟹
reflexive & transitive but not symmetric.
27. Ans: (B). Total relations = 2^6=64 (from A(2) to B(3)); total functions = 3²=9; relations that are NOT functions = 64−9 =
matches form 2⁶−3²... but formula requested is in exponent form: total relations from A(m=2) to B(n=3) is 2^(mn)=2⁶, and
functions A→B count is nᵐ=3². So non-function relations = 2⁶ − 3², i.e. option (A).
28. Ans: (C). 'Same birthday as': reflexive (same day as self), symmetric, transitive (if x,y share a day and y,z share that day,
so do x,z) ⟹ equivalence relation.
29. Ans: (B) 8. |a−b|=1 pairs on {1,...,5}: (1,2),(2,1),(2,3),(3,2),(3,4),(4,3),(4,5),(5,4) ⟹ 8 ordered pairs.
30. Ans: (A) 384. Total relations on a 3-set = 2^9 = 512 (each of the 9 cells free). Relations with ALL 3 diagonal cells = 1
(fixed) and remaining 6 off-diagonal free = 2^6 = 64; similarly relations with NO diagonal cells present = 2^6 = 64. Relations
with SOME but not all diagonal pairs = 512 − 64 − 64 = 384.

Page 24
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Solutions to Exercise 3 (JEE Advanced Level)

Section A
1. Ans: (a) 1. Partitions of {1,2,3,4} with 1,2 together but 1,3 in DIFFERENT blocks: 1,2 must share a block not containing 3.
Options: {{1,2},{3},{4}}, {{1,2},{3,4}}, {{1,2,4},{3}}. That's 3 valid partitions, so recount: total partitions with 1,2 together =
partitions of remaining {3,4} attached freely = Bell-type count = 5 (matching partitions of a 3-'super-element' set {[12],3,4},
i.e., B(3)=5); of these, those where 3 joins the {1,2} block must be excluded (that would put 1,3 together). Excluding the
single partition {{1,2,3},{4}} and {{1,2,3,4}} (both put 1,3 together) from the 5, leaves 3. Correct answer: (c) 3.
2. Ans: (c). Check a=1,b=2: 1−4=1−2 ⟹ −3=−1, false, so (1,2) excluded appropriately by the defining equation itself (it only
includes pairs actually satisfying the algebraic condition or a=b). Simplify a²−b²=a−b ⟹ (a−b)(a+b−1)=0 ⟹ a=b or a+b=1.
For a,b∈ℕ (≥1), a+b=1 has no solution with both ≥1 except boundary cases; so effectively R reduces to a=b only ⟹ R is the
identity relation ⟹ reflexive, symmetric, transitive ⟹ an equivalence relation. Answer: (c).
3. Ans: (c) 3. Elements of {1,...,6} grouped by remainder mod 3: remainder 0: {3,6}; remainder 1: {1,4}; remainder 2: {2,5}. 4
has remainder 1, so its class = {1,4}, which has 2 elements — recheck: class containing 4 is {1,4}, size 2, not 3. Correct
answer: (b) 2.
4. Ans: (b). x−y∈ℚ: reflexive (x−x=0∈ℚ), symmetric (x−y∈ℚ⟹y−x=−(x−y)∈ℚ), transitive (x−y,y−z∈ℚ⟹(x−y)+
(y−z)=x−z∈ℚ, sum of rationals is rational) ⟹ equivalence relation.
5. Ans: (a) 5. R={(1,2),(2,3)} forces 1,2,3 into one class via transitive/symmetric closure: need (2,1),(3,2) [symmetric, 2 pairs],
(1,3),(3,1) [transitivity closure, 2 pairs], and (1,1),(2,2),(3,3) [reflexive, 3 pairs] — total new pairs = 2+2+3 = 7, but (1,2),(2,3)
already present so don't recount. Let's recount precisely: Final equivalence relation must be {1,2,3}×{1,2,3} (all 9 pairs, since
1,2,3 merge into one class) restricted to A={1,2,3}. Total pairs needed = 9; already have 2; must add 7. Correct answer: (c) 7.
6. Ans: (a). Symmetric relations total 2^(n(n+1)/2); of these, reflexive+symmetric ones number 2^(n(n−1)/2). So symmetric-
but-not-reflexive = 2^(n(n+1)/2) − 2^(n(n−1)/2), matching option (a).
7. Ans: (b). R₁∪R₂ inherits reflexivity and symmetry directly (union of reflexive is reflexive; union of symmetric is symmetric)
— but transitivity is NOT guaranteed since a chain could jump between R₁ and R₂ without a direct connecting pair in the
union. Hence (b): always reflexive & symmetric, but not necessarily transitive.
8. Ans: (b). |z₁|=|z₂| is clearly reflexive, symmetric, transitive (equality of real numbers |z|) ⟹ equivalence relation;
classes = circles |z|=r for each r≥0, centered at origin.
9. Ans: (a). With only 3 elements, it's fastest and safest to directly enumerate/verify small cases rather than rely purely on a
general formula, since reflexive+transitive-but-not-symmetric relations don't have a single closed form as clean as the
equivalence-relation counts.
10. Ans: (b). Reflexive: a+b=b+a ✓ trivially. Symmetric: a+d=b+c ⟹ c+b=d+a i.e. (c,d)R(a,b) form c+b=d+a ⟺ same
equation rearranged ✓. Transitive: (a,b)R(c,d) & (c,d)R(e,f): a+d=b+c and c+f=d+e. Adding: a+d+c+f = b+c+d+e ⟹ a+f=b+e
⟹ (a,b)R(e,f) ✓. Hence equivalence relation (this is the standard construction of integers as equivalence classes of pairs of
naturals!).

Section B (Multiple Correct)

11. Ans: (a), (b), (c). (a) True — if R symmetric & antisymmetric, (a,b)∈R⟹(b,a)∈R (symmetric) and (b,a)∈R ⟹a=b
(antisymmetric), forcing R⊆Identity. (b) True — vacuously transitive (no pairs to violate). (c) True — vacuously reflexive is
FALSE actually for nonempty A (needs every (a,a) present, and ∅ has none) — so (c) is actually FALSE for A≠∅. Correct final
selection: (a) and (b) only.
12. Ans: (a), (b), (d). (a) equality: reflexive, symmetric, transitive ✓ equivalence. (b) |x|=|y|: reflexive, symmetric, transitive
✓ equivalence. (c) x≤y: not symmetric ✗. (d) x−y∈ℤ: reflexive (0∈ℤ), symmetric (−(integer) is integer), transitive (sum of
integers is integer) ✓ equivalence. Correct: (a),(b),(d).
13. Ans: (a), (c), (d). Divisibility a|b: reflexive ✓ (a|a), symmetric ✗ (2|4 but 4∤2), antisymmetric ✓ (a|b & b|a ⟹ a=b for
positive naturals), transitive ✓. Correct: (a),(c),(d).

Page 25
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

14. Ans: (a), (b). Both formulas 2^(n²−n) [reflexive] and 2^(n(n−1)/2) [reflexive+symmetric] are correct standard results. (c)
is WRONG — symmetric alone is 2^(n(n+1)/2), not 2^(n(n−1)/2) (that's for reflexive+symmetric). (d) is actually correct as
stated (reflexive+symmetric = 2^(n(n−1)/2)) — so correct set is (a),(b),(d).
15. Ans: (a), (b), (c). All three are core properties of a partition induced by an equivalence relation. (d) is false — the number
of classes can be anywhere from 1 to n(A), not fixed at n(A).
16. Ans: (a), (b). Similarity and congruence are classic equivalence relations on triangles (reflexive, symmetric, transitive). (c)
'same area': also reflexive/symmetric/transitive actually — but is it in the answer key? Since equal-area is indeed an
equivalence relation too (equality of a real number, area), (c) should ALSO be included. (d) 'shares a vertex': not transitive
(T1,T2 share vertex A; T2,T3 share vertex B≠A; T1,T3 may share nothing) ⟹ excluded. Correct: (a),(b),(c).

Section C (Integer Type)

17. Ans: 64. Relations containing the identity relation AND symmetric: diagonal forced present (4 cells), remaining n(n−1)/2
= 6 symmetric off-diagonal pairs free ⟹ 2^6 = 64.
18. Ans: 7. Partitions of a 4-element set into exactly 2 non-empty blocks: this is the Stirling number of the second kind S(4,2)
= 7.
19. Ans: 9. A={1,2,3,4,5}, remainders mod 3: 1→1, 2→2, 3→0, 4→1, 5→2. Classes: {3}(rem0), {1,4}(rem1), {2,5}(rem2).
Ordered pairs in R = sum of (size²) for each class = 1² + 2² + 2² = 1+4+4 = 9.
20. Ans: 49. Reflexive+symmetric relations on a 4-element set = 2^(n(n−1)/2) = 2^6 = 64. Of these, equivalence relations
(also transitive) = Bell(4) = 15. Reflexive+symmetric-but-not-transitive = 64 − 15 = 49.
21. Ans: 1. R={(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2)} on {1,2,3}. For symmetry, (2,1) must be added since (1,2) is present but (2,1) is not. No
other pair is asymmetric. Minimum pairs to add = 1.
22. Ans: 15. Bell number B(4) = 15 (standard combinatorial value: partitions of a 4-set).

Section D (Comprehension / Assertion-Reason)

23. True. Reflexive: a−a=0, divisible by 3 ✓. Symmetric: 3|(a−b) ⟹ 3|(b−a) ✓. Transitive: 3|(a−b), 3|(b−c) ⟹ 3|(a−c) (sum
of multiples of 3) ✓. Hence R is an equivalence relation.
24. Classes by remainder mod 3 on A={1,...,6}: Remainder 0: {3,6}; Remainder 1: {1,4}; Remainder 2: {2,5}. These 3 classes
partition A.
25. Ans: (d) Both A and R are false. Counterexample to A: R={(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2),(2,1),(2,3),(3,2)} on {1,2,3} is reflexive and
symmetric, but (1,2),(2,3)∈R while (1,3)∉R, so transitivity fails — A is false. R is also false: only a FULL equivalence relation
(reflexive+symmetric+transitive) corresponds to a partition; reflexive+symmetric alone does not guarantee this.

Page 26
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

Solutions to Challenge Exercise

1. n=10: Reflexive+symmetric relations = 2^(n(n−1)/2) = 2^45. Excluding the single relation with NO non-diagonal pairs (the
pure identity relation), count with at least one non-diagonal pair = 2^45 − 1.
2. We need equivalence relations on a 5-set where [1] has exactly 3 elements. Choose 2 more elements to join 1 (from
remaining 4): C(4,2)=6 ways to fix the block containing 1. The remaining 2 elements must be partitioned among themselves:
Bell(2)=2 ways (either {both together} or {both separate}). Total = 6 × 2 = 12.
3. Divisor counts for 1–9: d(1)=1, d(2)=2, d(3)=2, d(4)=3, d(5)=2, d(6)=4, d(7)=2, d(8)=4, d(9)=3. Group by divisor count: {1}
(count1), {2,3,5,7} (count2), {4,9} (count3), {6,8} (count4). So 4 equivalence classes with sizes 1, 4, 2, 2.
4. TRUE — proof: Let a ∈ A. Since domain(R) = A, there exists some b ∈ A with (a,b) ∈ R. By symmetry, (b,a) ∈ R also. Now
(a,b) ∈ R and (b,a) ∈ R; applying transitivity to the chain a→b→a gives (a,a) ∈ R. Since a ∈ A was arbitrary, (a,a) ∈ R for
every a ∈ A, i.e. R is reflexive. Hence R is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive — an equivalence relation.
5. a² ≡ b² (mod 4): squares mod 4 are only 0 or 1 (since even²≡0, odd²≡1 mod 4). So classes: {even integers} (square≡0) and
{odd integers} (square≡1). Exactly 2 distinct equivalence classes.
6. R (subset relation) on P(A), n(A)=3, so |P(A)|=8: Reflexive ✓ (X⊆X always). Symmetric ✗ (X⊆Y doesn't imply Y ⊆X unless
X=Y). Antisymmetric ✓ (X⊆Y & Y⊆X ⟹ X=Y). Transitive ✓ (X⊆Y⊆Z⟹X⊆Z). Total ordered pairs (X,Y) with X⊆Y: for each of
the 3 elements of A, independently it's in {neither X nor Y}, {only Y}, or {both X,Y} (can't be in X but not Y) — 3 choices per
element ⟹ 3^3 = 27 pairs.
7. This counts partitions using only blocks of size 1 or 2 — equivalent to choosing a partial matching on n elements
(unmatched elements are singleton blocks). Formula: Σ over k pairs, n!/(k! · 2^k · (n−2k)!) for k=0 to floor(n/2). For n=6: k=0:
1; k=1: 6!/(1!·2·4!)=15; k=2: 6!/(2!·4·2!)=45; k=3: 6!/(3!·8·0!)=15. Total = 1+15+45+15 = 76.
8. Let the two original equivalence classes (containing x₀ and y₀ respectively) have sizes p and q. Merging them into a single
class of size p+q requires that ALL cross pairs between the two former classes become related: originally 0 cross pairs
existed; the merged class needs all p·q ordered pairs in one direction PLUS q·p in the other (already counted, since ordered
pairs run both ways) — total ordered pairs needed in the merged block = (p+q)² pairs total in that block, versus p²+q² pairs
that existed before (within each separate class) — so pairs to be added = (p+q)² − p² − q² = 2pq.
9. (a,b)R(c,d) ⟺ ad=bc. Reflexive: ab=ba ✓ always. Symmetric: ad=bc ⟹ cb=da (just rearranging, same equation) ✓.
Transitive: ad=bc and cf=de ⟹ multiply: ad·cf = bc·de ⟹ adcf = bcde ⟹ (dividing by common cd, assuming c,d≠0) af=be
⟹ (a,b)R(e,f) ✓. Hence equivalence relation. Interpretation: (a,b) represents the fraction a/b, and this relation exactly
captures when two fractions are equal — equivalence classes correspond precisely to the positive rational numbers ℚ⁺.
10. det(M₁)=det(M₂): reflexive, symmetric, transitive (equality of real numbers) ⟹ equivalence relation. Each equivalence
class = {M ∈ set of 2×2 real matrices : det(M) = k} for a fixed real k. Since infinitely many matrices share any given
determinant value (e.g. all matrices [[k,0],[0,1]] scaled variably, or more generally a 3-dimensional family of matrices satisfy
ad−bc=k for fixed k, as one of the 4 entries can be solved leaving 3 free parameters), each equivalence class is
UNCOUNTABLY infinite (a 3-dimensional continuum within ℝ⁴).

Solutions to Previous Year Style Questions

JEE Main Style
1. Ans: (b). Symmetric: x²+y²≤8 is unchanged when x,y are swapped ⟹ symmetric ✓. Reflexive would require x²+x²≤8 i.e.
x²≤4 for EVERY integer x in the relevant set — but e.g. x=3 gives (3,3): 9+9=18>8, so (3,3) ∉R ⟹ NOT reflexive (fails for
large |x|). Hence R is symmetric but not reflexive.
2. Ans: (c) 3. As derived in Challenge solution 1's style reasoning: equivalence relations on {1,2,3} containing (1,2)
correspond to partitions with 1,2 in the same block: {{1,2},{3}} and {{1,2,3}} — that's 2 partitions, so recheck — the two-
element analysis (as in Example 14 of the solved examples) confirms exactly 2. Correct answer: (b) 2.
3. Ans: (c). Parallelism (with the convention a line is parallel to itself) is reflexive, symmetric, transitive ⟹ equivalence
relation.

Page 27
 Relations and Functions | JEE Main + Advanced Module

4. Ans: (b) an equivalence relation. R={(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(1,2),(2,1)}. Reflexive ✓ (all four diagonal pairs present).
Symmetric ✓ ((1,2) and (2,1) both present). Transitive: the only nontrivial chain is (1,2)&(2,1) ⟹ requires (1,1), present;
and (2,1)&(1,2) ⟹ requires (2,2), present. All conditions hold, so R is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive — an equivalence
relation.
5. Ans: (a) 3. Reflexive+symmetric relations on a 3-set = 2^(n(n−1)/2) = 2^3 = 8. Of these, the ones that are ALSO transitive
are exactly the equivalence relations, and the number of equivalence relations on a 3-set = Bell(3) = 5. So
reflexive+symmetric-but-NOT-transitive = 8 − 5 = 3.

JEE Advanced Style

1. Ans: 16. R={(1,2),(2,3),(1,4)} on A={1,2,3,4}. The relation graph connects 1−2, 2−3, 1−4, so 1,2,3,4 all lie in ONE connected
component (1 connects to 2, which connects to 3; 1 also connects to 4). Hence the smallest equivalence relation containing
R merges ALL of 1,2,3,4 into a single class ⟹ R' = A×A, with 4²=16 elements.
2. Ans: (II) R may or may not be reflexive. A symmetric relation places no constraint on the diagonal — some symmetric
relations are reflexive (e.g. identity), others are not (e.g. ∅ on a nonempty set), so (II) is correct; and symmetric relations
need NOT be transitive (e.g. R={(1,2),(2,1)} on {1,2,3} is symmetric, not transitive since (1,2)&(2,1) doesn't force any new
pair beyond (1,1),(2,2) — actually here transitivity would additionally require those diagonal pairs; without them R is not
transitive), confirming (IV)-type behavior is also possible — but the single universally 'always true' statement among the
four is (II).
3. Ans: (a), (b), (c). R₁ (mod 2 equivalence, i.e. same parity) is reflexive/symmetric/transitive ⟹ equivalence relation. R₂
(mod 4 equivalence) similarly ⟹ equivalence relation. R₁∩R₂: intersection of two equivalence relations is always an
equivalence relation (Theorem 5) ⟹ true. R₁∪R₂: union need not be transitive — e.g. 1 R₁ 3 (both odd, mod 2 same) is in R₁,
and separately check a chain via R₂ that R₁ alone wouldn't cover, illustrating potential transitivity failure in the union ⟹ (d)
is generally false. Correct: (a),(b),(c).
4. Ans: 6. Number of ways to partition a 4-element set into exactly 3 non-empty blocks = Stirling number of the second kind
S(4,3) = 6.

Page 28