Q.Is the given relation a function? Give reasons for your answer.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →A relation is a function if every input maps to exactly one output. Check whether any element in the domain appears twice with different outputs: (i) not a function (3 maps to both 9 and 11);
(ii),
(iii),
(iv),
(v) are all functions.
The heart of the function concept is single-valuedness: each input must produce exactly one output. Think of a function as a reliable machine—feed it the same input, and it must always return the same result. If an input could yield two different outputs, the relation breaks this contract and fails to be a function.
The quickest diagnostic is to scan the domain (the set of first coordinates). If any domain element appears in two different ordered pairs with different second coordinates, the relation is not a function. If every domain element appears with a unique output—or the same output repeated—it passes.
(i)
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List the domain elements: . Notice that appears twice.
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Check the outputs for : The pair says " maps to ," while says " maps to ."
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Verdict: The input is assigned two different outputs. This violates the definition of a function.
A common mistake is to think that repeated outputs (like appearing for both and ) disqualify a function. They don't! Many inputs can share the same output. Only repeated inputs with different outputs break functionality.
Conclusion for (i): is not a function.
(ii)
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Understand the rule: Every real number is paired with itself. For instance, , , all belong to .
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Check uniqueness: Each in the domain appears in exactly one pair, , so there is no ambiguity about the output.
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Verdict: Every input has a single, well-defined output (itself).
Conclusion for (ii): is a function (the identity function on ).
(iii)
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Understand the rule: Each positive integer is paired with its reciprocal . For example, , , , and so on.
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Check uniqueness: For any given , there is exactly one value . No positive integer appears twice in the domain with different outputs.
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Verdict: Each input determines a unique output.
Conclusion for (iii): is a function.
(iv)
- Understand the rule: Each positive integer is paired with its square. For instance, , , , , etc. …
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