BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Polynomials

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 158
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:49 pm
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:3 members

Polynomials

by tonebeeze » Tue Apr 26, 2011 3:02 pm
I got this problem correct, however I am interested in reviewing the different approaches to solving this problem. Thanks!

What is the value of (x-y)^4?

1. The product of x and y is 7

2. x and y are integers

OA = C
Top
Source: — Data Sufficiency |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1255
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:08 pm
Location: St. Louis
Thanked: 312 times
Followed by:90 members

by Tani » Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:02 pm
Since you can have positive and negatives or fractions, the first statement gives you an infinite number of pairs of values for X and Y, as long as their product is seven.
The second is also useless on its own.

However if the product of x and y is seven and they have to be integers then we are looking at 1 and 7 or -1 and -7. Their sum will either be -6 or +6 = either will give you the same value for 6^4.
Tani Wolff
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1