📘 Maths Notes: Chapter 1 - Relations
and Functions
(Class 12, NCERT - CBSE Board)
🔹 Chapter Title & Key Topics
Chapter 1: Relations and Functions
This chapter deals with the concepts of relations and functions, which are fundamental in set theory
and mathematical analysis.
Key Topics Covered:
1. Relations
Cartesian Product of Sets
Definition of Relations
Types of Relations (Reflexive, Symmetric, Transitive, Equivalence)
2. Functions
Definition of Functions
Types of Functions (One-One, Many-One, Onto, Into)
Composition of Functions
Invertible Functions
3. Binary Operations (Introduction and Basics only)
🔹 Definitions & Theorems
1. Cartesian Product of Sets
If A and B are two non-empty sets, then the Cartesian product of A and B, denoted by A × B,
is the set of all ordered pairs (a, b) where a ∈ A and b ∈ B.
A × B = {(a, b)∣a ∈ A, b ∈ B}
If A has m elements and B has n elements, then
∣A × B∣ = m × n
Example: If A = {1, 2} and B = {a, b}, then
A × B = {(1, a), (1, b), (2, a), (2, b)}
2. Definition of Relation
A relation R from a set A to a set B is a subset of the Cartesian product A × B.
It is represented as:
R⊆A×B
Example: Let A = {1, 2, 3} and B = {4, 5}. A possible relation R from A to B could be:
R = {(1, 4), (2, 5)}
3. Types of Relations
✅ Reflexive Relation
A relation R on a set A is reflexive if:
∀a ∈ A, (a, a) ∈ R
Example: On set A = {1, 2, 3}, relation R = {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (1,2)} is reflexive.
✅ Symmetric Relation
A relation R on a set A is symmetric if:
(a, b) ∈ R ⇒ (b, a) ∈ R, ∀a, b ∈ A
Example: If (1,2) ∈ R, then (2,1) ∈ R for symmetry.
✅ Transitive Relation
A relation R on A is transitive if:
(a, b) ∈ R and (b, c) ∈ R ⇒ (a, c) ∈ R
Example: If (1,2) ∈ R and (2,3) ∈ R, then (1,3) ∈ R.
✅ Equivalence Relation
A relation R is an equivalence relation if it is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive.
4. Definition of Function
A function f from a set A to a set B is a rule that assigns each element of A to exactly one element
of B.
Denoted as:
f :A→B
Example: If A = {1, 2, 3} and B = {4, 5, 6}, then a function can be:
f = {(1, 4), (2, 5), (3, 6)}
5. Types of Functions
✅ One-One (Injective) Function
A function f is one-one if different elements in A have different images in B.
Mathematically,
f (a1 ) = f (a2 ) ⇒ a1 = a2
✅ Onto (Surjective) Function
A function f: A → B is onto if every element in B has at least one preimage in A.
✅ Bijective Function
A function that is both one-one and onto is called a bijective function.
6. Composition of Functions
If f: A → B and g: B → C, then the composition (g ∘ f): A → C is defined as:
(g ∘ f )(x) = g(f (x))
7. Invertible Function
A function f: A → B is invertible if there exists a function g: B → A such that:
g(f (x)) = x, ∀x ∈ A
🔹📌 Important Formulas Box
✅ Number of elements in Cartesian Product:
∣A × B∣ = ∣A∣ × ∣B∣
✅ Total Number of Relations from A to B:
2∣A×B∣
✅ Total Number of Functions from A to B:
∣B∣∣A∣
🔹📝 Practice Questions (with Hints)
1. Find A × B if A = {1, 2} and B = {a, b, c}.
(Hint: Use Cartesian Product formula.)
2. Prove that R = {(x, x²) | x ∈ R} is a function.
(Hint: Check if each input has a unique output.)
3. Determine if R = {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (1,2), (2,3)} is reflexive, symmetric, or transitive.
(Hint: Check conditions of reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity.)
4. Find the inverse of f(x) = 2x + 3.
(Hint: Solve for x in terms of y.)
5. Show that the function f(x) = x³ is bijective.
(Hint: Check injectivity and surjectivity.)
6. If f(x) = x² and g(x) = x + 1, find (f ∘ g)(x).
(Hint: Apply composition formula.)
7. Find whether f(x) = 3x - 5 is one-one.
(Hint: Different inputs should give different outputs.)
8. Show that f(x) = sin x is neither one-one nor onto in R.
(Hint: Find two different values giving the same output.)
9. Find the total number of functions from A = {1,2} to B = {a,b,c}.
(Hint: Use function formula.)
10. Prove that the relation R = {(1,1), (2,2), (3,3)} on {1,2,3} is an equivalence relation.
