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Coordinate Geometry Question

Expert replies
by vineeshp » Thu Mar 31, 2011 7:53 am
If ab ≠ 0 and points (-a, b) and (-b, a) are in the same quadrant of the xy-plane, is point (-x, y)
in this same quadrant?
(1) xy > 0
(2) ax > 0

OA is C

I could not solve this in any way. :-(
Experts, Instructors: Please help.
The question is from a tutor in India who has scored 790.
Vineesh,
Just telling you what I know and think. I am not the expert. :)
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by Geva@EconomistGMAT » Thu Mar 31, 2011 8:19 am
A quadrant is a certain configuration of x and y on the positive/negative line.

For example, all of the points in the first quadrant will have a positive x coordinate and a negative y coordinate.
All of the points in the second quadrant will have a negative x and a positive y.
III: negative x, negative y.
IV: Positive x, negative y.

so if the points are in the same quadrant, it means that the x and y coordinates of the two points have the same sign between them. We don't know which quadrant, but we know that
-a and -b are positive or negative together: either both positive or both negative. the same goes for the y coordinates, but it's the same message: a and b have the same sign.
when asking if the point -x,y is in the same quadrant, the question is asking whether -x has the same sign of -a and -b, and whether y has the same sign as a and b: basically, do x and y share the same sign as a and b.

Stat. (1) tells you that x and y share the same sign: either both positive, or both negative.
IS, since you don't know anything about a and b.

Stat. (2) tells you that a and x share the same sign: either both positive or both negative. ALONE, this is insufficient, since we don;t know anything about y; But
combined, we know that a has the same sign as x (stat. (2)), and x in turn has the same sign as y (stat. (1)), so it follows that x and y have the same sign as a (and b, from the question stem). So regardless of which quadrant it is, we know that the point x and y will have the same carachteristics as the other two points, and the answer is a definite "yes". Sufficient.
Geva
Senior Instructor
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by tpr-becky » Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:38 am
I agree with GIVA. This is a negative positive quesiton and the key is to figure out what is implied because (-a,b) and (-b,a) are in the same quadrant. you can do this by picking some numbers or by a clear understanding of the neg/pos. relationship. then you need to understand that you need neg/pos information for both a,b and x,y - because a,b could be either both positive or both negative and then we have to relate x and y to a and b.

1 ) doesn't talke about a and b so can't be sufficient.
2) this relates a to x - says they both have to be the same sign but give no infomation about y and b. so it is not sufficient.

if you combine them you find that both x and y are the same sign and that a and x are the same sign. we already knew that a and b must be the same sign therefor all four numbers have to be the same sign and together it the statements are sufficient.
Becky
Master GMAT Instructor
The Princeton Review
Irvine, CA
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