Question:easy

A function \(f: N \to N\), (\(N\): set of natural numbers) defined by \(f(x) = x^2 + x + 1\) is

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Solve \(f(a)=f(b)\) to test one-one. Check whether 1 or 2 is ever an output to test onto.
Updated On: Oct 1, 2026
  • one-one and onto
  • one-one but not onto
  • many-one and onto
  • many-one but not onto
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Use monotonic growth.
For $x \geq 1$, the derivative $f'(x)=2x+1$ is positive. So $f$ is strictly increasing on the naturals. A strictly increasing function never repeats a value, so it is one-one.

Step 2: Look at the range.
The outputs are $3, 7, 13, 21, \ldots$. The smallest value is $f(1)=3$. The numbers 1 and 2 are in the codomain but are not in the range.

Step 3: Conclude.
The range is a proper subset of $N$, so $f$ is not onto. Together with one-one, this matches option 2.

Step 4: Cross check with small values.
Take $f(1)=3$, $f(2)=7$, $f(3)=13$, $f(4)=21$. The outputs are all different and they keep growing, which agrees with one-one. The values 1 and 2 never appear. So option 1 (onto) and options 3 and 4 (many-one) all fail.

Final Answer:
One-one but not onto. \[ \boxed{\text{Option 2}} \]
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