01 Choose the correct statement about (R={(1,2),(2,1),(2,3),(3,2)}) on (A={1,2,3}).
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. It is symmetric
Explanation: A relation on a set is reflexive only when every element is related to itself. Here, pairs such as (1,1), (2,2), and (3,3) are missing, so the relation is not reflexive. It is symmetric when each pair has its reversed pair in the relation. The reverse of (1,2) is (2,1), and the reverse of (2,3) is (3,2); all required reverse pairs are present.
It is not antisymmetric because both (1,2) and (2,1) occur even though 1 and 2 are different, and similarly for 2 and 3. It is also not an equivalence relation because an equivalence relation must be reflexive, symmetric, and transitive. For example, (1,2) and (2,3) are present, but (1,3) is absent, so transitivity fails. Thus option B is correct.