Subsets and Greatest Integer Function

CAT 2025 Slot 1 · Quantitative Ability · Hard · Functions

This is a hard Quantitative Ability question from the CAT 2025 Slot 1 paper. It tests Functions. The full answer key and a step-by-step explanation are below — try it yourself first, then reveal the solution.

Let 3x63 \le x \le 6 and x2=x2\lfloor x^2 \rfloor = \lfloor x \rfloor^2, where x\lfloor x \rfloor is the greatest integer not exceeding xx. If set SS represents all feasible values of xx, then a possible subset of SS is

  1. A.

    (3, \sqrt{10}) \cup [5, \sqrt{26}) \cup {6}

  2. B.

    [3, \sqrt{10}] \cup [5, \sqrt{26}]

  3. C.

    [3, \sqrt{10}] \cup [4, \sqrt{17}] \cup {6}

  4. D.

    (4, \sqrt{18}) \cup [5, \sqrt{27}) \cup {6}

Answer

A

Explanation

For x=n\lfloor x \rfloor = n where n{3,4,5}n \in \{3, 4, 5\}, we have nx<n+1n \le x < n+1. Then x2=n2\lfloor x \rfloor^2 = n^2. The condition x2=n2\lfloor x^2 \rfloor = n^2 implies: n2x2<n2+1    nx<n2+1n^2 \le x^2 < n^2 + 1 \implies n \le x < \sqrt{n^2 + 1}

  • For n=3n = 3: x[3,10)x \in [3, \sqrt{10})
  • For n=4n = 4: x[4,17)x \in [4, \sqrt{17})
  • For n=5n = 5: x[5,26)x \in [5, \sqrt{26})
  • For x=6x = 6: 36=62=36\lfloor 36 \rfloor = 6^2 = 36, so x=6x = 6 is included.

Hence S=[3,10)[4,17)[5,26){6}S = [3, \sqrt{10}) \cup [4, \sqrt{17}) \cup [5, \sqrt{26}) \cup \{6\}. The set (3,10)[5,26){6}(3, \sqrt{10}) \cup [5, \sqrt{26}) \cup \{6\} is a subset of SS.

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