Mathematics · Sets and Relations

JEE Main 2026 — 21 January, Morning Shift — Question 3

The number of relations, defined on the set {a,b,c,d}\{\mathrm{a}, \mathrm{b}, \mathrm{c}, \mathrm{d}\}, which are both reflexive and symmetric, is equal to:

  1. Option A:

    256

  2. Option B:

    16

  3. Option C:

    1024

  4. Option D:

    64

    Correct

Answer: D

Step-by-step solution

For a set with nn elements, the number of relations that are both reflexive and symmetric is 2n(n−1)22^{\frac{n(n-1)}{2}}. Here, n=4n = 4, so 4×32=6\frac{4 \times 3}{2} = 6. Thus, the number of such relations is 26=642^{6} = 64. Hence, the correct option is D.

Answer key and solution verified before publishing.

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Exam
JEE Main 2026
Subject
Mathematics
Chapter
Sets and Relations
Topic
Number of Relations
The number of relations, defined on the set \ a , b , c , d \ , which… | JEE Main 2026 PYQ with Solution · DhiX AI