MCQMediumJEE 2025Arithmetic Progression (AP)

JEE Mathematics 2025 Question with Solution

Let A={1,6,11,16,}A = \{1, 6, 11, 16, \ldots\} and B={9,16,23,30,}B = \{9, 16, 23, 30, \ldots\} be the sets consisting of the first 20252025 terms of two arithmetic progressions. Then n(AB)n(A \cup B) is

  • A

    38143814

  • B

    40274027

  • C

    37613761

  • D

    40034003

Answer

Correct answer:C

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given:

  • A={1,6,11,16,}A = \{1, 6, 11, 16, \ldots\} contains the first 20252025 terms of an arithmetic progression.
  • B={9,16,23,30,}B = \{9, 16, 23, 30, \ldots\} contains the first 20252025 terms of another arithmetic progression.

Find: n(AB)n(A \cup B).

Use the counting formula

n(AB)=n(A)+n(B)n(AB)n(A \cup B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A \cap B)

So we only need to find the number of common terms.

The general terms are

A: Tn=1+(n1)5=5n4B: Tn=9+(n1)7=7n+2\begin{aligned} A:&\ T_n = 1 + (n-1)\cdot 5 = 5n - 4 \\ B:&\ T_n = 9 + (n-1)\cdot 7 = 7n + 2 \end{aligned}

For a common term, solve

5n4=7m+25n - 4 = 7m + 2

which gives

5n7m=65n - 7m = 6

Hence the common terms form the arithmetic progression

16,51,86,16, 51, 86, \ldots

with common difference 3535.

The last term of set AA is

520254=101215\cdot 2025 - 4 = 10121

Therefore the common terms must satisfy

16+(k1)351012116 + (k-1)\cdot 35 \le 10121

So

(k1)1010535(k-1) \le \frac{10105}{35}

which gives

k289k \le 289

Thus

n(AB)=289n(A \cap B) = 289

Now apply the union formula:

n(AB)=2025+2025289=3761n(A \cup B) = 2025 + 2025 - 289 = 3761

Therefore, the correct option is C.

Congruence Method

Given: the elements of AA satisfy x1(mod5)x \equiv 1 \pmod{5} and the elements of BB satisfy x2(mod7)x \equiv 2 \pmod{7}.

Find: the number of elements in ABA \cup B.

First note that

A=B=2025|A| = |B| = 2025

The largest term of AA is

520254=101215\cdot 2025 - 4 = 10121

and the largest term of BB is

72025+2=141777\cdot 2025 + 2 = 14177

For xABx \in A \cap B,

x1(mod5),x2(mod7)x \equiv 1 \pmod{5}, \qquad x \equiv 2 \pmod{7}

Let

x=2+7tx = 2 + 7t

Then

2+7t1(mod5)2 + 7t \equiv 1 \pmod{5}

so

7t4(mod5)7t \equiv 4 \pmod{5}

Since 72(mod5)7 \equiv 2 \pmod{5},

2t4(mod5)2t \equiv 4 \pmod{5}

Hence

t2(mod5)t \equiv 2 \pmod{5}

So write

t=2+5st = 2 + 5s

Therefore

x=2+7(2+5s)=16+35sx = 2 + 7(2 + 5s) = 16 + 35s

Now count those common terms that lie in both finite sets:

16+35s1012116 + 35s \le 10121

Thus

s101211635=1010535=288+2535s \le \frac{10121 - 16}{35} = \frac{10105}{35} = 288 + \frac{25}{35}

Hence s=0,1,2,,288s = 0,1,2,\ldots,288, so the number of common terms is

AB=289|A \cap B| = 289

Finally,

n(AB)=A+BAB=2025+2025289=3761n(A \cup B) = |A| + |B| - |A \cap B| = 2025 + 2025 - 289 = 3761

Therefore, the value of n(AB)n(A \cup B) is 37613761, so the correct option is C.

Common mistakes

  • A common mistake is to add 2025+20252025 + 2025 and stop at 40504050. This is wrong because common elements are counted twice. Use n(AB)=n(A)+n(B)n(AB)n(A \cup B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A \cap B) instead.

  • Students often find the common difference of ABA \cap B incorrectly as 1212 by combining 55 and 77. This is wrong because common terms repeat with difference equal to lcm(5,7)=35\operatorname{lcm}(5,7) = 35.

  • Another mistake is to use the larger endpoint 1417714177 while counting common terms. This is wrong because a common term must belong to both sets, so it cannot exceed the smaller maximum value, which is 1012110121.

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