conceptual one

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conceptual one

by PAB2706 » Fri Jun 05, 2009 6:50 am
If x, y, and z are integers, and x < y < z, is z – y = y – x?

(1) The mean of the set {x, y, z, 4} is greater than the mean of the set {x, y, z}.
(2) The median of the set {x, y, z, 4} is less than the median of the set {x, y, z}.
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

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by DanaJ » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:08 am
What you're actually trying to establish if the distance between z and y is equal to the distance between y and x.
z - y = y - x
z + x = 2y

1. tells you that 4 is greater than z, y and x. IMHO there's no other info to be obtained from this one.

2. the median of set {x, y, z} will of course be the middle value, or y.
The median of set {x, y, z, 4} cannot be established, since we don't know what the position of 4 is: is it greater than z? is is between y and z? We don't know.

But put both together to get that the median of set {x, y, z, 4} will be the average of the two middle values, y and z.
This means that y (the median of the smaller set) > (y + z)/2 (the median of the bigger set).

y > (y + z)/2
2y > y + z
y > z - contradicts the original assumption that x < y < z.

I might be missing something here... Maybe you guys can shed some light on this...

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by bluementor » Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:01 pm
The question is really asking if x, y and z are evenly spaced.

statement 1:
The mean of the set {x, y, z, 4} is greater than the mean of the set {x, y, z}.

(x+y+z+4)/4 > (x+y+z)/3
3x + 3y + 3z + 12 > 4x + 4y + 4z
x + y + z < 12

if x=1, y=2, z=3, then x, y and z are evenly spaced. YES.
if x=1, y=2, z=4, then x, y and z are not evenly spaced. NO.

statement 2: The median of the set {x, y, z, 4} is less than the median of the set {x, y, z}.

let's say the median of the set {x, y, z, 4} = M.

the median of set {x, y, z} must be y, since x<y<z.

we don't know where 4 is positioned relative to x, y and z. we could have either one of these 3 cases:

case 1: x <= 4 <= z

in this case, M = (4+y)/2, and from statement 2 we have:

(4+y)/2 < y
4+y < 2y
y > 4

we still have insufficient info to answer the question stem. insufficient.

case 2: 4 < x

in this case, M = (x+y)/2, and from statement 2 we have:

(x+y)/2 < y
x + y < 2y
y > x

we know already know this from the question stem. insufficient.

case 3: 4 > z

in this case, M = (y+z)/2, and from statement 2 we have:

(y+z)/2 < y
z + y < 2y
z < y

this case is not possible since we know that z must be greater than y.

hence, statement 2 on its own is insufficient.

both statements together:


x + y + z < 12

4 < y (from case 1)

since y>4, the the minimum possible value for y is 5. if y = 5, then z must be at least 6. so now we have y + z = 11, which means x must 0 or less (in order to satisfy statement 1). clearly, x, y and z are not evenly spaced. sufficient.

choose C.


I hope I didnt miss anything.

-BM-

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by PAB2706 » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:04 am
BM tht is coool.....this was one of the 700-800 level questions tht i got on my mgmat test....i got the answer right but i just marked it bcos of a hunch...

nd yes the answer is C..

cool approach.

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by yogami » Sun Jun 07, 2009 12:24 am
Thats the thing. I took exactly the same approach with this one but that was because I am doing manhattan stuff too. When you do manhattan you know that you need to be careful with every single question. But when you are doing GMATPrep or PowerPrep or actual GMAT and if this kind of a question comes at the end of the test, or at a point where your mind is tired then you might just chose a B or an E. This tells me that I need to approach every test I take, no matter how hard or easy with the
"manhattan-level" mindset. The problem with this mindset is that you might spend a little bit of an extra time on 400-500 level DS questions.
200 or 800. It don't matter no more.

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by DanaJ » Sun Jun 07, 2009 4:46 am
That's a really nice approach, BM! Didn't think of that one... Guess I only picked case 3...