Math Problem Statement

If two sets A and B have 10 elements in common between them, find the number of elements common in the sets A × B and B × A.

Solution

The question asks:

If two sets AA and BB have 10 elements in common between them, find the number of elements common in the sets A×BA \times B and B×AB \times A.

Let’s break down the solution.

  1. Understanding Cartesian Products:

    • A×BA \times B represents the Cartesian product of sets AA and BB. It consists of ordered pairs (a,b)(a, b) where aAa \in A and bBb \in B.
    • Similarly, B×AB \times A consists of ordered pairs (b,a)(b, a) where bBb \in B and aAa \in A.
  2. Elements in Common Between A×BA \times B and B×AB \times A:

    • The only way an element from A×BA \times B will match an element in B×AB \times A is if it is of the form (a,a)(a, a), where aa is in both AA and BB.
    • Since AA and BB have 10 elements in common, these 10 elements form pairs (a,a)(a, a) in both A×BA \times B and B×AB \times A.
  3. Result:

    • Therefore, there will be exactly 10 such pairs (a,a)(a, a) that are common in both A×BA \times B and B×AB \times A.

Final Answer:

The number of elements common in the sets A×BA \times B and B×AB \times A is 10.

Would you like a detailed explanation of Cartesian products or related examples?

Here are some related questions you might explore:

  1. What is the general formula for the number of elements in a Cartesian product A×BA \times B if AA and BB are finite sets?
  2. How would the solution change if AA and BB had different numbers of common elements?
  3. Can there be elements common to A×BA \times B and B×AB \times A if AA and BB have no elements in common?
  4. What is the difference between A×BA \times B and B×AB \times A in terms of ordered pairs?
  5. How would this problem extend if there were three sets AA, BB, and CC with shared elements?

Tip: In set theory, elements in the Cartesian product A×BA \times B depend heavily on the order of the sets, so reversing the order typically changes the set composition unless it’s a set of identical pairs like (a,a)(a, a).

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Set Theory
Cartesian Product
Common Elements in Sets

Formulas

Cartesian Product: A × B = {(a, b) | a ∈ A and b ∈ B}

Theorems

Intersection of Sets

Suitable Grade Level

High School (Grades 10-12)