JEE Advanced Mathematics Assignment:

Greatest Integer, Least Integer, and Modulus

Functions

Part 1: Theory and Concepts

1. Greatest Integer Function (Floor Function)

Definition: The greatest integer function, denoted by [x] or ⌊x⌋, gives the greatest integer less than or
equal to x.

Examples:

• [3.7]=3

• [5]=5

• [−2.3]=−3

• [0.9]=0

Properties:

1. For any integer n, [n]=n.

2. x−1<[x]≤x

3. [x+n]=[x]+n, where n is an integer.

4. [x]+[−x]=0 if x is an integer.

5. [x]+[−x]=−1 if x is not an integer.

6. If [x]=n, then n≤x<n+1.

7. If [f(x)]=n, then n≤f(x)<n+1.

8. If [f(x)]≥n, then f(x)≥n.

9. If [f(x)]≤n, then f(x)<n+1.

Graph: The graph of y=[x] is a step function, with jumps at integer values.

2. Least Integer Function (Ceiling Function)

Definition: The least integer function, denoted by ⌈x⌉, gives the smallest integer greater than or
equal to x.

Examples:

• ⌈3.7⌉=4

• ⌈5⌉=5
 • ⌈−2.3⌉=−2

• ⌈0.9⌉=1

Properties:

1. For any integer n, ⌈n⌉=n.

2. x≤⌈x⌉<x+1

3. ⌈x+n⌉=⌈x⌉+n, where n is an integer.

4. ⌈x⌉+⌈−x⌉=0 if x is an integer.

5. ⌈x⌉+⌈−x⌉=1 if x is not an integer.

6. If ⌈x⌉=n, then n−1<x≤n.

7. If ⌈f(x)⌉=n, then n−1<f(x)≤n.

8. If ⌈f(x)⌉≥n, then f(x)>n−1.

9. If ⌈f(x)⌉≤n, then f(x)≤n.

Relation between GIF and LIF:⌈x⌉=[x] if x is an integer.⌈x⌉=[x]+1 if x is not an integer. Also, ⌈x⌉=−[−x].

3. Modulus Function (Absolute Value Function)

Definition: The modulus function, denoted by ∣x∣, gives the absolute value of x. It is defined as:∣x∣=x
if x≥0∣x∣=−x if x<0

Examples:

• ∣5∣=5

• ∣−5∣=5

• ∣0∣=0

Properties:

1. ∣x∣≥0 for all x∈R.

2. ∣x∣=0⟺x=0.

3. ∣−x∣=∣x∣.

4. ∣xy∣=∣x∣∣y∣.

5. ∣x/y∣=∣x∣/∣y∣ (where y =0).

6. Triangle Inequality: ∣x+y∣≤∣x∣+∣y∣.

7. Reverse Triangle Inequality: ∣∣x∣−∣y∣∣≤∣x−y∣.

8. If ∣x∣=a (a≥0), then x=a or x=−a.

9. If ∣x∣<a (a>0), then −a<x<a.

10. If ∣x∣>a (a>0), then x<−a or x>a.

 11. x2=∣x∣2.

12. x2 =∣x∣.

Graph: The graph of y=∣x∣ is a V-shaped graph with its vertex at the origin.

Part 2: Solved Examples

Greatest Integer Function

Solved Example 1: Solve for x: [x]2−5[x]+6=0.Solution: Let y=[x]. The equation becomes y2−5y+6=0.
Factoring the quadratic, we get (y−2)(y−3)=0. So, y=2 or y=3. Case 1: [x]=2. By definition of GIF,
2≤x<3. Case 2: [x]=3. By definition of GIF, 3≤x<4. Combining both cases, the solution for x is x∈[2,4).

Solved Example 2: Find the value of [41]+[41+2001]+[41+2002]+⋯+[41+200199].Solution: The terms

are of the form [41+200k] for k=0,1,…,199. We need to find when the value inside the GIF crosses an
integer.41=0.25. For k=0 to k=149: 41+200k<1. Since k≤149, 200k≤200149=0.745. So,
0.25+0.745=0.995<1. Thus, for k=0,1,…,149, [41+200k]=0. (There are 150 such terms). For k=150: 41
+200150=0.25+0.75=1. So, [41+200150]=[1]=1. For k=151 to k=199: 41+200k>1. The maximum value
is for k=199: 41+200199=0.25+0.995=1.245. So, for k=151,…,199, [41+200k]=1. (There are
199−151+1=49 such terms). The sum is 150×0+1×1+49×1=0+1+49=50.

Least Integer Function

Solved Example 3: Solve for x: ⌈x⌉=3.Solution: By definition of LIF, 3−1<x≤3, which means 2<x≤3. So,
x∈(2,3].

Solved Example 4: Find the domain of the function f(x)=⌈x⌉−2 1.Solution: For f(x) to be defined,
two conditions must be met:

1. The expression under the square root must be non-negative: ⌈x⌉−2≥0⟹⌈x⌉≥2.

2. The denominator cannot be zero: ⌈x⌉−2 =0⟹⌈x⌉−2 =0⟹⌈x⌉ =2. Combining these, we
need ⌈x⌉>2. If ⌈x⌉>2, then ⌈x⌉ can be 3,4,5,…. If ⌈x⌉=3, then 2<x≤3. If ⌈x⌉=4, then 3<x≤4. And so
on. Therefore, x∈(2,∞).

Modulus Function

Solved Example 5: Solve for x: ∣2x−3∣=5.Solution: By the definition of modulus, we have two cases:
Case 1: 2x−3=52x=8x=4 Case 2: 2x−3=−52x=−2x=−1 The solutions are x=4 and x=−1.

Solved Example 6: Solve for x: ∣x−1∣+∣x−2∣=3.Solution: We need to consider critical points where the
expressions inside the modulus become zero, i.e., x=1 and x=2. This divides the number line into
three intervals:Case 1: x<1−(x−1)−(x−2)=3−x+1−x+2=3−2x+3=3−2x=0x=0. (This solution is valid as
0<1)

Case 2: 1≤x<2(x−1)−(x−2)=3x−1−x+2=31=3. (This is false, so no solution in this interval)

Case 3: x≥2(x−1)+(x−2)=32x−3=32x=6x=3. (This solution is valid as 3≥2)

The solutions are x=0 and x=3.

Part 3: Practice Questions

Section A: Easy

Greatest Integer Function

1. Evaluate: a) [5.9] b) [−1.2] c) [π] d) [−e]

2. Find the value of [x] if 3.5≤x<4.1.

3. Solve: [x]=−2.

4. If [x]=0, what is the range of x?

5. Is the statement [x+1]=[x]+1 always true? Justify.

Least Integer Function

6. Evaluate: a) ⌈7.1⌉ b) ⌈−3.8⌉ c) ⌈2 ⌉ d) ⌈−π⌉

7. Find the value of ⌈x⌉ if 2.9<x≤3.5.

8. Solve: ⌈x⌉=1.

9. If ⌈x⌉=0, what is the range of x?

10. Is the statement ⌈x+n⌉=⌈x⌉+n (where n is an integer) always true? Justify.

Modulus Function

11. Evaluate: a) ∣−7∣ b) ∣3−8∣ c) ∣0∣ d) ∣−2×5∣

12. Solve for x: a) ∣x∣=4 b) ∣x−2∣=0 c) ∣x+5∣=−1

13. Find the values of x for which ∣x−3∣<2.

14. Find the values of x for which ∣2x+1∣≥3.

15. If f(x)=∣x−1∣, sketch its graph.

Section B: Medium

Greatest Integer Function

1. Solve: [x2]=4.

2. Find the domain of f(x)=[x]−3 1.

3. If [x]=[2x], find the possible values of x.

4. Solve: [x2−3x+2]=0.

5. Find the number of solutions for [x]2+[x]−2=0.

Least Integer Function

 6. Solve: ⌈x2⌉=2.

7. Find the domain of f(x)=log(⌈x⌉−1).

8. If ⌈x⌉=⌈x/2⌉, find the possible values of x.

9. Solve: ⌈2x−1⌉=3.

10. Find the number of solutions for ⌈x⌉2−4⌈x⌉+3=0.

Modulus Function

11. Solve for x: ∣x−3∣+∣x+2∣=5.

12. Find the range of f(x)=∣x−1∣+∣x−3∣.

13. Solve for x: ∣x2−4x+3∣=∣x−1∣.

14. Find the number of integral solutions to ∣x−1∣<5 and ∣x+2∣≥3.

15. If f(x)=∣x2−5x+6∣, sketch its graph.

Section C: Hard (Important for JEE Advanced)

Greatest Integer Function

1. Solve for x: [x]+[x+1/2]=[2x]. (Hermite's Identity)

2. Find the number of solutions to the equation x2−2x+[x]=0.

3. If f(x)=sin(π[x]), sketch the graph of f(x).

4. Solve for x: [x2]=[x]2.

5. Evaluate limx→2−x2−4x[x].

Least Integer Function

6. Solve for x: ⌈x⌉+⌈x+1/2⌉=⌈2x⌉.

7. Find the domain of f(x)=⌈x⌉+[−x] .

8. Discuss the continuity and differentiability of f(x)=x⌈x⌉.

9. Solve: ⌈log2x⌉=3.

10. Evaluate ∫03⌈x⌉dx.

Modulus Function

11. Solve for x: ∣x−1∣+∣x−2∣+∣x−3∣=6.

12. Find the range of f(x)=∣x−1∣−∣x−2∣.

13. Solve the inequality: ∣x+2∣∣x−1∣<1.

14. Find the values of x for which ∣x2−5x+6∣+∣x2−8x+12∣=0.

 15. Determine the number of solutions to the equation x2−4∣x∣+3=0.

Solutions (for self-checking): check gemini