Q.If P={x:x<3, x∈N}, Q={x:x≤2, x∈W}. Find (P∪Q)×(P∩Q), where W is the set of whole numbers.
Concept understanding — Cartesian Product
Cartesian Product: From Intuition to Definition
Imagine you're ordering a pizza. You have two choices to make: the size (Small, Medium, Large) and the topping (Cheese, Pepperoni, Veggie). How many different pizzas can you order?
You can pair each size with each topping:
- Small + Cheese, Small + Pepperoni, Small + Veggie
- Medium + Cheese, Medium + Pepperoni, Medium + Veggie
- Large + Cheese, Large + Pepperoni, Large + Veggie
That's 3×3=9 possible pizzas. What you just did — systematically pairing every element of one set with every element of another — is the Cartesian product in action.
The Intuition
The Cartesian product is a way to combine two sets to create a new set of ordered pairs. The order matters: (Small, Cheese) is different from (Cheese, Small) — one is a pizza order, the other is nonsense.
Think of it like a multiplication table for sets. If set A has m items and set B has n items, their Cartesian product has m×n items.
The name comes from René Descartes, who used this idea to create the coordinate plane — every point (x,y) on a graph is an element of the Cartesian product of the x-axis and y-axis.
The Precise Definition
Let A and B be two sets. The Cartesian product of A and B, written A×B, is the set of all ordered pairs (a,b) where a is from A and b is from B.
A×B={(a,b)∣a∈A and b∈B}
The vertical bar means "such that." So read it as: "The set of all ordered pairs (a, b) such that a belongs to A and b belongs to B."
Key Properties to Remember
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Order matters: A×B is generally not the same as B×A. For example, if A={1,2} and B={x,y}:
- A×B={(1,x),(1,y),(2,x),(2,y)}
- B×A={(x,1),(x,2),(y,1),(y,2)}
These are different sets because the pairs are ordered differently.
-
Size formula: If ∣A∣=m and ∣B∣=n, then ∣A×B∣=m×n. This holds even if one set is empty — then the product is empty.
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Empty set: A×∅=∅ and ∅×B=∅. You can't form any pairs if one set has nothing to contribute.
A common mistake: thinking A×B contains all possible combinations of elements from A and B without caring about order. But (a,b) and (b,a) are different pairs unless a=b. Always treat ordered pairs as distinct based on position.
Examples to Cement the Idea
Example 1: A={1,2}, B={3,4}
A×B={(1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4)}
Four pairs, as expected (2×2=4).
Example 2: A={a}, B={1,2,3}
A×B={(a,1),(a,2),(a,3)}
Three pairs — every element of B gets paired with the single element of A.
Example 3: A={0,1}, B={0,1}
A×B={(0,0),(0,1),(1,0),(1,1)}
This is the set of all possible 2-bit binary strings — a foundation for computer science.
Why This Matters
The Cartesian product is the mathematical backbone of:
- Coordinate geometry: Every point (x,y) in the plane is from R×R.
- Database tables: A table's rows are elements of the Cartesian product of its column domains.
- Probability: All possible outcomes of two independent events form a Cartesian product.
- Functions: A function from A to B is a subset of A×B with special properties.
The Cartesian product is not commutative (A×B=B×A in general), but it is associative: (A×B)×C can be thought of as A×B×C, the set of ordered triples. This extends naturally to any number of sets.
Quick Check for Yourself
If A={1,2} and B={2,3}, what is A×B? What is B×A? Are they the same?
Answer: A×B={(1,2),(1,3),(2,2),(2,3)}; B×A={(2,1),(2,2),(3,1),(3,2)}. They share only (2,2) — the rest are different because the order of coordinates is swapped.
The Cartesian product of two sets is introduced at the very start of the NCERT Class 11 Mathematics chapter on Relations and Functions, and "Cartesian product of sets definition and examples" is a commonly searched foundational topic for CBSE board and JEE Main preparation. This concept also underlies coordinate geometry and the formal definition of a function, both of which are frequently tested in "relations and functions important questions".
Concept: Cartesian Product — the set of all ordered pairs where the first element comes from the first set and the second from the second set.
Step 1: List the elements of P and Q.
P={x:x<3, x∈N}={1,2} (natural numbers start at 1).
Q={x:x≤2, x∈W}={0,1,2} (whole numbers include 0).
Step 2: Find P∪Q and P∩Q.
P∪Q={0,1,2}
P∩Q={1,2}
Step 3: Form the Cartesian product.
(P∪Q)×(P∩Q)={0,1,2}×{1,2}
List all ordered pairs: (0,1),(0,2),(1,1),(1,2),(2,1),(2,2)
The set is {(0,1),(0,2),(1,1),(1,2),(2,1),(2,2)}.
(P∪Q)×(P∩Q)={0,1,2}×{1,2}={(0,1),(0,2),(1,1),(1,2),(2,1),(2,2)} — 6 ordered pairs.
List the sets. Using the Indian convention N={1,2,3,…} and W={0,1,2,3,…}:
- P={x:x<3, x∈N}={1,2}
- Q={x:x≤2, x∈W}={0,1,2}
Union and intersection:
P∪Q={0,1,2},P∩Q={1,2}
Cartesian product — first element from {0,1,2}, second from {1,2}:
(P∪Q)×(P∩Q)={(0,1),(0,2),(1,1),(1,2),(2,1),(2,2)}
This has ∣P∪Q∣×∣P∩Q∣=3×2=6 pairs, as expected.
(P∪Q)×(P∩Q)={(0,1),(0,2),(1,1),(1,2),(2,1),(2,2)}.
Showing the 12 most recent of 27 on this concept.
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If A={1,2} and B={3,4,5} then number of relations from A to B is(a) 6(b) 36(c) 32(d) 64
›Reveal solutionSolution
A relation from A to B is any subset of A×B; with ∣A×B∣=6, there are 26=64 subsets, hence 64 relations.
A relation from A to B is defined as any subset of the Cartesian product A×B. Here ∣A∣=2 and ∣B∣=3, so ∣A×B∣=2×3=6. The total number of subsets of a set with 6 elements is 26=64. Since every subset of A×B is a valid relation (including the empty relation and the full relation), the total number of relations from A to B is 26=64.
✓Final answer(d) 64.
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Let A={1,2} and B={3,4}, then the number of relations from set A to set B will be:(a) 4(b) 24(c) 2(d) 1
›Reveal solutionSolution
The number of relations from a set A to a set B is 2∣A∣⋅∣B∣, since every relation is a subset of A×B.
Given A={1,2}, B={3,4}, so ∣A∣=2, ∣B∣=2.
A×B has ∣A∣×∣B∣=2×2=4 ordered pairs: (1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4).
A relation from A to B is defined as any subset of A×B (including the empty relation and the full relation). Since A×B has 4 elements, the number of its subsets is 24.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (b) 24 (which equals 16 relations).
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Write True/False: If Cartesian product of two sets A and B is A×B={(p,q),(p,r)}, then A={p,q,r}.
›Reveal solutionSolution
In A×B={(p,q),(p,r)}, A is the set of first coordinates and B is the set of second coordinates; here A={p}, not {p,q,r}.
Every ordered pair (x,y)∈A×B has x∈A and y∈B.
Here both ordered pairs (p,q) and (p,r) have first component p, so the set of first components — which is exactly A — is A={p}.
The second components are q and r, so B={q,r}.
The claim that A={p,q,r} is therefore incorrect.
✓Final answerFalse (the correct value is A={p}).
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.A={1,2},B={3}⇒A×B=(a) {1,2,3}(b) {(1,3),(2,3),(1,2)}(c) {(1,3),(2,3)}(d) {(1,2),(3,1)}
›Reveal solutionSolution
A×B={(1,3),(2,3)}.
For sets A and B, A×B={(a,b):a∈A,b∈B} — every element of A is paired, in order, with every element of B.
Here A={1,2} and B={3}. Pairing each element of A with the only element of B: (1,3) and (2,3).
So A×B={(1,3),(2,3)}.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (c) {(1,3),(2,3)}.
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If A={a,b},B={c,d} then the number of relations from A to B=(a) 8(b) 16(c) 32(d) 64
›Reveal solutionSolution
The number of relations from A to B is 2∣A×B∣=24=16.
A relation from A to B is defined as any subset of the Cartesian product A×B. If A has m elements and B has n elements, A×B has mn elements, and a set with mn elements has 2mn subsets.
Here A={a,b} has 2 elements and B={c,d} has 2 elements, so A×B has 2×2=4 elements. The number of relations (subsets) is 24=16.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (b) 16.
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If A = {1, 2} and B = {3, 4}, then A × B is:(a) {3, 4, 6, 8}(b) {3, 8}(c) {(1, 3), (1, 4), (2, 3), (2, 4)}(d) None of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
A×B is the set of all ordered pairs (a,b) with a∈A, b∈B.
Given A={1,2} and B={3,4}.
Pair each element of A with every element of B:
1→(1,3),(1,4)
2→(2,3),(2,4)
So A×B={(1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4)}, which has ∣A∣×∣B∣=2×2=4 elements, matching option (c).
✓Final answerA×B={(1,3),(1,4),(2,3),(2,4)} — option (c).
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markQ.If A={x,y,z} and B={1,2}, write the number of relations from A to B.
›Reveal solutionSolution
A relation from A to B is any subset of A×B; with ∣A∣=3 and ∣B∣=2, ∣A×B∣=6, so there are 26=64 relations.
A={x,y,z} has 3 elements, B={1,2} has 2 elements.
A×B has 3×2=6 ordered pairs. A relation from A to B is defined as any subset of A×B, so the total number of possible relations is 26=64.
✓Final answerThe number of relations from A to B is 64.
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If set A has 3 elements and set B={3,4,5}, then number of elements in (A×B) will be —(a) 8(b) 9(c) 10(d) 6
›Reveal solutionSolution
If A has m elements and B has n elements, then A×B has mn elements.
The Cartesian product A×B consists of all ordered pairs (a,b) with a∈A and b∈B. Since A has 3 elements and B={3,4,5} has 3 elements, each of the 3 choices for the first coordinate can be paired with each of the 3 choices for the second coordinate, giving 3×3=9 ordered pairs.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (b) 9.
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Let A = {x, y, z} and B = {1, 2}, then number of relations from A into B will be:(a) 6(b) 9(c) 24(d) 64
›Reveal solutionSolution
A relation from A to B is any subset of A×B; with ∣A∣=3,∣B∣=2, there are 23×2=64 subsets.
A relation from set A to set B is defined as any subset of the Cartesian product A×B.
∣A∣=3 (elements x,y,z), ∣B∣=2 (elements 1,2).
So ∣A×B∣=3×2=6.
The number of subsets of a set with 6 elements (i.e. the number of possible relations) is 26=64.
✓Final answerNumber of relations from A to B = 26=64 — option (d).
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If n((A×B)∩(A×C))=8 and n(B∩C)=2 then n(A) is:(a) 8(b) 6(c) 16(d) 4
›Reveal solutionSolution
Using (A×B)∩(A×C)=A×(B∩C), we get n(A)=4.
For sets, (A×B)∩(A×C)=A×(B∩C), so
n((A×B)∩(A×C))=n(A)×n(B∩C).
We are given this equals 8, and n(B∩C)=2, so
n(A)×2=8 ⇒ n(A)=4.
✓Final answern(A)=4 — option (d).
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If R is a relation on a finite set A having n elements, then the number of relations on A is:(a) 2n(b) 2n2(c) n2(d) nn.
›Reveal solutionSolution
The number of relations on a set of n elements is 2n2.
A relation R on set A is defined as any subset of the Cartesian product A×A. Since A has n elements, A×A has n×n=n2 ordered pairs. The number of subsets of a set with n2 elements is 2n2 (by the subset-counting rule). Each such subset is a valid relation on A (including the empty relation and the universal relation).
✓Final answerThe correct option is (b) 2n2 — since relations on A are subsets of A×A, which has n2 pairs.
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If A={a,b,c} and B={p,q,r}, then n(A×B)=(a) 8(b) 5(c) 29(d) 9
›Reveal solutionSolution
The Cartesian product's size is the product of the two sets' sizes: 3×3=9.
The Cartesian product A×B consists of all ordered pairs (a,b) where a∈A and b∈B. For each of the n(A) choices of a, there are n(B) choices of b, giving:
n(A×B)=n(A)⋅n(B)
Here A={a,b,c} has 3 elements and B={p,q,r} has 3 elements, so:
n(A×B)=3×3=9
✓Final answer(d) 9.
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