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Source: — Problem Solving |

by Anurag@Gurome » Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:47 pm
ruplun wrote:In GMAT , is sqaure root of a integer is considered positive always? and if x^2 = 9y^2 , what is the value of x , please do let me know
You are right, the sqaure root of an integer is considered positive.
Last edited by Anurag@Gurome on Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by ruplun » Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:12 pm
but we can write x^2 - 9y^2 = (x+3y)(x-3y)=0, in that case values is, 3y,-3y...which is correct?
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by Ian Stewart » Sat Apr 30, 2011 10:48 am
The above post is not correct; a positive number has two square roots. The square roots of 4 are 2 and -2, because 2^2 and (-2)^2 are both equal to 4. However, when you see the 'square root symbol' (√), by definition that produces only the non-negative square root of what is underneath. So if you see something like √4, that is equal to 2 (and never to -2).

You might look at pg. 114 of OG12 ('every positive number n has two square roots, one positive and the other negative, but √n denotes the positive number whose square is n').
For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com

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by edvhou812 » Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:41 pm
I got x=3y for the answer. Can someone confirm or correct?
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