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Q.Let A={1,2,3}A=\{1,2,3\}, then the number of relations containing (1,2)(1,2) and (1,3)(1,3) which are reflexive and symmetric but not transitive is -

(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 3
(d) 4
Madhya Pradesh MpbseMP Board Higher Secondary 2020MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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Only one reflexive-symmetric relation on {1,2,3}\{1,2,3\} containing (1,2)(1,2) and (1,3)(1,3) fails to be transitive — the answer is (a) 1.

Let A={1,2,3}A=\{1,2,3\} and let RR be a relation on AA that is reflexive and symmetric and contains (1,2)(1,2) and (1,3)(1,3).

Step 1 — Reflexivity forces the diagonal.

Reflexivity requires (1,1),(2,2),(3,3)∈R(1,1),(2,2),(3,3)\in R.

Step 2 — Symmetry forces the reverse pairs.

Since (1,2)∈R(1,2)\in R, symmetry forces (2,1)∈R(2,1)\in R. Since (1,3)∈R(1,3)\in R, symmetry forces (3,1)∈R(3,1)\in R.

So every such RR must contain at least

R0={(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2),(2,1),(1,3),(3,1)}.R_0=\{(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(1,2),(2,1),(1,3),(3,1)\}.

Step 3 — Check transitivity of R0R_0.

(2,1)∈R0(2,1)\in R_0 and (1,3)∈R0(1,3)\in R_0 but (2,3)∉R0(2,3)\notin R_0 — so R0R_0 is not transitive. This gives one valid relation.

Step 4 — Can we add more pairs and still avoid transitivity? …

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