Q.Show that the Modulus Function f:R→R, given by f(x)=∣x∣, is neither one-one nor onto, where ∣x∣ is x, if x is positive or 0 and ∣x∣ is −x, if x is negative.
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One-One Onto (Bijective) Functions
Picture seating students on chairs so that every student gets a chair, every chair is used, no two students share one and none is left empty. A function that manages this perfect pairing between its domain and codomain is one-one onto, or bijective.
One-one (injective)
f is one-one if different inputs always give different outputs — no two students on one chair. Formally, f(x1)=f(x2)⟹x1=x2 (equivalently x1=x2⟹f(x1)=f(x2)).
f(x)=2x on R is one-one, since 2a=2b⇒a=b. But f(x)=x2 is not: f(2)=f(−2)=4 while 2=−2.
Onto (surjective)
f is onto if every element of the codomain is actually hit — no chair left empty. Formally, for every y in the codomain there is some x with f(x)=y. Here f(x)=2x is onto (take x=y/2), whereas f:R→R, f(x)=x2 is not, since negative values are never outputs.
Both together — bijective
A function that is one-one and onto is bijective: a one-to-one correspondence in which the two sets match up exactly.
One-one and onto are independent properties. f(x)=ex (from R to R) is one-one but not onto; f(x)=x3−x is onto but not one-one. You must verify both.
Why it matters
Only a bijection has a genuine inverse function: because each output comes from exactly one input (one-one) and every codomain element is used (onto), the map can be reversed unambiguously. …
Concept: Relation Properties (One-One and Onto Functions)
Step 1 – One-one (injective) check
For f(x)=∣x∣, two different inputs can give the same output.
Example: f(2)=2 and f(−2)=2, so 2=−2 but f(2)=f(−2).
Hence f is not one-one.
Step 2 – Onto (surjective) check
The codomain is R, but the range of f is only [0,∞) (all non-negative reals). …
The modulus function f(x)=∣x∣ fails to be one‑one because distinct inputs (like 2 and −2) map to the same output, and it fails to be onto because its range is only [0,∞), not all of R.
We need to check two properties: injectivity (one‑one) and surjectivity (onto).
A function is one‑one if different inputs always give different outputs.
A function is onto if every possible output in the codomain is actually reached by some input.
The modulus function takes any real number and returns its non‑negative distance from zero. That single fact is the key to both failures.
- Checking one‑one (injectivity) For f to be one‑one, f(a)=f(b) must imply a=b. Take a=2 and b=−2. Then
f(2)=∣2∣=2,f(−2)=∣−2∣=2.
So f(2)=f(−2) but 2=−2.
This is a direct counterexample: two different numbers give the same output.
Hence f is not one‑one.
A common mistake is to think that because ∣x∣ is “symmetric”, it might still be one‑one on a restricted domain. But on all of R, the symmetry guarantees that every positive number has a negative partner with the same image.
- Checking onto (surjectivity) …
Method: Disproving one-one and onto for an even / absolute-value function
An absolute-value (or even) function collapses opposite inputs together and never produces negative outputs, which breaks both properties — disprove each with a single counterexample.
Steps
Step 1: Break one-one using the symmetry f(−a)=f(a)
Pick any a=0; then ∣−a∣=∣a∣ gives two distinct inputs with equal output, e.g. ∣−2∣=∣2∣=2, so f is not injective.
Step 2: Break onto using the sign restriction …
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Claiming ∣x∣ could be one-one on all of R.
Why it's wrong: the symmetry ∣−a∣=∣a∣ pairs every non-zero input with its negative, e.g. ∣−2∣=∣2∣=2. Correct approach: give one such pair to disprove injectivity.
Mistake 2: Overlooking that ∣x∣ never outputs a negative number. …
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-A1 markMCQQ.The function f:R→R defined by f(x)=x2+1x∀x∈R is (A) One-one and onto (B) Onto but not one-one (C) Neither one-one nor onto (D) One-one but not onto
›Reveal solutionSolution
f(x)=x2+1x is neither one-one nor onto: it takes repeated values because it is not monotonic, and its range is the bounded interval [−1/2,1/2], not all of R. The correct option is (C).
Checking one-one (injectivity)
f′(x)=(x2+1)2(x2+1)−x(2x)=(x2+1)21−x2
This is positive on (−1,1) and negative on (−∞,−1)∪(1,∞), so f increases then decreases — it is not monotonic on R, and since its two turning points f(−1)=−21 and f(1)=21 are different heights, values between them are attained twice.
To confirm algebraically: solving f(x)=y gives yx2−x+y=0. For 0<∣y∣<21, the discriminant 1−4y2>0, so there are two distinct real roots x1,x2 (with x1x2=1, i.e. x2=1/x1). So f repeats values — not one-one.
Checking onto (surjectivity)
The same equation yx2−x+y=0 has a real solution only when the discriminant 1−4y2≥0, i.e. ∣y∣≤21. So the range of f is [−21,21], a proper subset of the codomain R — not onto. …
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-E1 markMCQQ.A function f from the set of natural numbers to integers defined by f(n)={2n−1, when n is odd −2n, when n is even is (A) neither one-one nor onto (B) one-one but not onto (C) onto but not one-one (D) one-one and onto
›Reveal solutionSolution
The function maps odds to non‑negative integers and evens to negative integers, creating a perfect pairing between ℕ and ℤ. It is both one‑one and onto, so the correct option is (D).
We need to decide whether f:N→Z given by
f(n)={2n−1,−2n,n odd,n even
is injective (one‑one) and/or surjective (onto).
The key idea: the function “splits” the natural numbers into two tracks — odds go to non‑negative integers (including 0), evens go to negative integers. If we list the outputs in order of n, we get 0,−1,1,−2,2,−3,3,… — exactly the integers, each appearing exactly once. That suggests a bijection.
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Check one‑one (injectivity)
Suppose f(a)=f(b). We must show a=b.
- If both a,b are odd: 2a−1=2b−1⇒a=b.
- If both a,b are even: −2a=−2b⇒a=b.
- If one is odd and the other even: Then one output is non‑negative (odd case) and the other is negative (even case). They cannot be equal because a non‑negative number equals a negative number only if both are 0. But the odd case gives 0 only when n=1; the even case gives 0 only when n=0, and 0 is not a natural number. So this case never happens. Hence f is one‑one.
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Check onto (surjectivity)
We need every integer k to be hit by some n∈N.
- If k≥0: set n=2k+1 (odd). Then f(n)=2(2k+1)−1=k.
- If k<0: write k=−m with m>0. Set n=2m (even). Then …
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- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-M1 markMCQQ.Let M be the set of all 2×2 matrices with entries from the set R of real numbers. Then the function f:M→R defined by f(A)=∣A∣ for every A∈M is (A) neither one-one nor onto (B) one-one but not onto (C) onto but not one-one (D) one-one and onto
›Reveal solutionSolution
The function is the determinant, which is many-to-one (different matrices can have the same determinant) and surjective onto R (every real number is a determinant of some 2×2 matrix). So it is onto but not one-one — option (C).
Concept & Intuition
We are asked about the function f(A)=∣A∣, where ∣A∣ denotes the determinant of the 2×2 matrix A. The domain is all 2×2 real matrices, and the codomain is all real numbers.
- One‑one (injective) means: if f(A)=f(B) then A=B. But many different matrices can have the same determinant — for instance, swapping rows changes the sign of the determinant, but the matrices are different. So it’s unlikely to be one‑one.
- Onto (surjective) means: every real number r appears as the determinant of some 2×2 matrix. Since we can easily build a matrix whose determinant is any given r, this should be true.
Let’s check both properties carefully.
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Check one‑one (injectivity)
Suppose A=(1001) and B=(20021).
Then ∣A∣=1 and ∣B∣=2⋅21−0=1.
So f(A)=f(B) but A=B. Hence f is not one‑one.
(In fact, infinitely many matrices share the same determinant — any matrix with determinant 1, for example.)
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Check onto (surjectivity)
Take any real number r. We need a 2×2 matrix A with ∣A∣=r.
A simple choice: A=(r001). Then ∣A∣=r⋅1−0=r. …
- COMEDK 2024Set 2024-M1 markMCQQ.Let f:R→R be a function defined by f=ex+e−xe∣x∣−e−x then (A) f is an injection but not a surjection function (B) f is a surjection but not an injection function (C) f is neither an injection nor a surjection (D) f is injection and surjection
›Reveal solutionSolution
The function is not injective (it is even for positive and negative inputs) and not surjective (its range is a proper subset of R), so the correct option is (C).
We are given
f(x)=ex+e−xe∣x∣−e−x,f:R→R.
We need to decide whether f is injective (one-to-one), surjective (onto), both, or neither.
Concept and intuition
The absolute value in the numerator makes the function behave differently for x≥0 and x<0.
- For x≥0, ∣x∣=x, so the numerator becomes ex−e−x, which is 2sinhx. The denominator is ex+e−x=2coshx. So for x≥0, f(x)=tanhx.
- For x<0, ∣x∣=−x, so the numerator becomes e−x−e−x=0. Hence for x<0, f(x)=0.
Thus the function is constant (0) on all negative numbers, and equals tanhx on [0,∞).
This immediately suggests:
- Not injective: many different x<0 give the same output 0, and also f(0)=0 as well.
- Not surjective: tanhx only takes values in [0,1) for x≥0, and 0 for x<0, so the range is [0,1), not all of R.
Step-by-step reasoning
- Simplify the expression piecewise For x≥0: ∣x∣=x, so
f(x)=ex+e−xex−e−x=tanhx.
For x<0: ∣x∣=−x, so
f(x)=ex+e−xe−x−e−x=0.
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Check injectivity
A function is injective if f(a)=f(b) implies a=b.
Take a=−1 and b=−2: both are <0, so f(−1)=0 and f(−2)=0, but −1=−2.
Also f(0)=tanh0=0, so f(0)=f(−1) yet 0=−1.
Hence f is not injective.
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Check surjectivity
A function is surjective if every real number appears as an output. …
- COMEDK 2021Set 2021-B1 markMCQQ.The exponential function f:R→R given by f(x)=ex is (A) injective and surjective (B) neither injective nor surjective (C) injective but not surjective (D) surjective but not injective
›Reveal solutionSolution
f(x)=ex:R→R is injective but not surjective.
Since f′(x)=ex>0 everywhere, f is strictly increasing, so distinct inputs give distinct outputs — it is injective (one-one). However, ex>0 for all x, so the range is (0,∞), which is a proper subset of the codomain R (e …
- KCET 2019Set A-11 markMCQQ.If A={x∣x∈N,x≤5}, B={x∣x∈Z,x2−5x+6=0}, then the number of onto functions from A to B is (A) 2 (B) 23 (C) 30 (D) 32
›Reveal solutionSolution
List the two sets (∣A∣=5, ∣B∣=2), then subtract from the 25 total functions the two that are not onto.
Step 1 — Identify set A.
A={x∣x∈N, x≤5}={1,2,3,4,5} ⇒ ∣A∣=5.
Step 2 — Identify set B.
x2−5x+6=0 ⇒ (x−2)(x−3)=0 ⇒ x=2,3.
Both are integers, so they qualify for x∈Z:
B={2,3} ⇒ ∣B∣=2.
Step 3 — Count all functions A→B.
Each of the 5 elements of A can be sent independently to either of the 2 elements of B:
total functions=25=32.
Step 4 — Remove the ones that are not onto. …
- KCET 2019Set A-11 markMCQQ.On the set of positive rationals, a binary operation ∗ is defined by a∗b=52ab. If 2∗x=3−1 then x= (A) 61 (B) 125 (C) 52 (D) 48125
›Reveal solutionSolution
3−1 means the inverse of 3 under the operation ∗: find the identity e=25, then 3−1=1225, and solve 2∗x=1225.
- Find the identity element e. It must satisfy a∗e=a for all positive rationals a:
52ae=a⟹52e=1⟹e=25
(Check: e∗a=52ea=a too, so ∗ is commutative and e=25 is the two-sided identity.)
- Find 3−1, the inverse of 3 under ∗. It satisfies 3∗3−1=e:
52⋅3⋅3−1=25⟹56⋅3−1=25⟹3−1=1225
- Solve 2∗x=3−1. 52⋅2⋅x=1225⟹54x=1225⟹x=45⋅1225=48125 …
- KCET 2018Set A-11 markMCQQ.If P(n): "22n−1 is divisible by k for all n∈N" is true, then the value of 'k' is (A) 6 (B) 3 (C) 7 (D) 2
›Reveal solutionSolution
22n−1=4n−1 is divisible by 3 for every natural number n (e.g. n=1 gives 3, n=2 gives 15). The only option that divides every term is k=3, option (B).
"P(n) is true for all n∈N" means the divisibility must hold for every natural number, so k must divide 22n−1 for all n. We find such a k by testing small cases and then confirming in general.
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Test n=1.
22(1)−1=4−1=3. So k must divide 3; the only option that does is k=3. (Immediately, k=2, 6 and 7 fail, since none divides 3.)
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Test n=2 as a check.
22(2)−1=16−1=15, and 3∣15. So k=3 still works.
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Confirm for all n.
Since 22n=4n and 4≡1(mod3), we have 4n≡1n=1(mod3), so
4n−1≡0(mod3)
for every n. Thus 3 divides 22n−1 for all natural numbers n. …
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