Verified Solution • 2025–26 Session moderate

QJEEM20Ma00bc: JEE Main 2020 Mathematics - Class 11 JEEM20Ma00bc Solution: For a suitably chosen real constant a, let a function, be…

For a suitably chosen real constant a, let a

function, f:R−{−a}→Rf:R - \left\{ { - a} \right\} \to R be defined by

f(x)=a−xa+xf(x) = {{a - x} \over {a + x}} . Further suppose that for any real number x≠−ax \ne - a and f(x)≠−af(x) \ne - a ,

(fof)(x) = x. Then f(−12)f\left( { - {1 \over 2}} \right) is equal to :

Multiple Choice Options

  • A 13{1 \over 3}
  • B –3
  • C −13- {1 \over 3}
  • D 3

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

Given, f(x)=a−xa+xf(x) = {{a - x} \over {a + x}}

and (fof)(x) = x

⇒\Rightarrow f(f(x)) = a−f(x)a+f(x){{a - f\left( x \right)} \over {a + f\left( x \right)}} = x

⇒\Rightarrow a−(a−xa+x)a+(a−xa+x){{a - \left( {{{a - x} \over {a + x}}} \right)} \over {a + \left( {{{a - x} \over {a + x}}} \right)}} = x

⇒\Rightarrow a2+ax−a+xa2+ax+a+x{{{a^2} + ax - a + x} \over {{a^2} + ax + a + x}} = x

⇒\Rightarrow (a2 – a) + x(a + 1) = (a2 + a)x + x2(a – 1)

⇒\Rightarrow a(a – 1) + x(1 – a2) – x2(a – 1) = 0

⇒\Rightarrow a = 1

∴\therefore f(x) = 1−x1+x{{1 - x} \over {1 + x}}

So, f(−12)f\left( { - {1 \over 2}} \right) = 1+121−12{{1 + {1 \over 2}} \over {1 - {1 \over 2}}} = 3

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