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

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

Greatest Number

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Source: — Problem Solving |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3835
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:00 pmFollowed by: 523 members
Location: Milpitas, CA
Thanked: 1854 times
GMAT Score:770

by Anurag@Gurome » Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:40 pm
Deleted
Last edited by Anurag@Gurome on Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., MBA
GMAT Expert, Admissions and Career Guidance
Gurome, Inc.
1-800-566-4043 (USA)

Join Our Facebook Groups
GMAT with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/272466352793633/
Admissions with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/461459690536574/
Career Advising with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/360435787349781/
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 385
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:02 pmFollowed by: 6 members
Thanked: 62 times

by user123321 » Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:47 am
modified:should be A

say for example, we know that 4/3 is greater than 5/4 & 5/4 is greater than 6/5...
so likewise,if numerator and denominator for a set of numbers has same difference, the number with less numerator or denominator is the largest among them.

user123321
Last edited by user123321 on Thu Jan 05, 2012 6:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
Just started my preparation :D
Want to do it right the first time.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:37 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 3 times

by sk8legend408 » Thu Jan 05, 2012 5:59 am
Since the difference between each of the answer choice's numerators and denominators is three, you have to choose the lowest of the numbers because that will yield the greatest answer. The higher number you divide by with the same difference, 3, the lower the answer will be.

All answer choices except A are over 1,880,000 so the answer is A since it is the smallest number.

You can even check with a calculator to confirm.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 385
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:02 pmFollowed by: 6 members
Thanked: 62 times

by user123321 » Thu Jan 05, 2012 6:07 am
sk8legend408 wrote:Since the difference between each of the answer choice's numerators and denominators is three, you have to choose the lowest of the numbers because that will yield the greatest answer. The higher number you divide by with the same difference, 3, the lower the answer will be.

All answer choices except A are over 1,880,000 so the answer is A since it is the smallest number.

You can even check with a calculator to confirm.
silliest mistake i did. thanks.

user123321
Just started my preparation :D
Want to do it right the first time.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jan 05, 2012 6:28 am
karthikpandian19 wrote:Which of the following numbers is the greatest?
A.
1876455/1876452
B.
1883449/1883446
C.
1883456/1883453
D.
1883459/1883456
E.
1883494/1883491
Scanning the answer choices A-B-C-D-E, note the following:
Both the numerator and the denominator keep increasing.
In each case, numerator - denominator = 3.

Plug in easier numbers that follow the same pattern:

A: 4/1 = 4
B: 5/2 = 2.5
C: 6/3 = 2
D: 7/4 = 1.75
E: 8/5 = 1.6

The greatest value is A.

When you don't know what number property rule is being tested:

1. PLUG IN EASIER NUMBERS.
2. LOOK FOR A PATTERN.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1665
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:04 pmFollowed by: 70 members
Thanked: 165 times

by karthikpandian19 » Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:17 pm
The question is correct

OA is A
Anurag@Gurome wrote:
karthikpandian19 wrote:Which of the following numbers is the greatest?
A.
1876455/1876452
B.
1883449/1883446
C.
1883456/1883453
D.
1883459/1883456
E.
1883494/1883491
Can you check the question once again? It doesn't seem to be correct.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3835
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:00 pmFollowed by: 523 members
Location: Milpitas, CA
Thanked: 1854 times
GMAT Score:770

by Anurag@Gurome » Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:20 pm
karthikpandian19 wrote:The question is correct

OA is A
Got it Karthik, the question is correct. Thanks.
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., MBA
GMAT Expert, Admissions and Career Guidance
Gurome, Inc.
1-800-566-4043 (USA)

Join Our Facebook Groups
GMAT with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/272466352793633/
Admissions with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/461459690536574/
Career Advising with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/360435787349781/
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:06 amFollowed by: 2 members
Location: Washington, DC
Thanked: 6 times
GMAT Score:500

by Rastis » Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:23 am
GMATGuruNY,

How did you choose the numbers that you plugged in? I do not understand.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 1084
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 2:33 pmFollowed by: 21 members
Thanked: 158 times

by pemdas » Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:27 am
my dear friend, this question as well as many others which will be tested on GMAT do not need solution as long as you know two simple rules which proceed from the theory of large numbers; I incidentally derived the rules for myself recently

Rule 1: whenever you compare large numbers in a numerator and a denominator, if the numerator is less than the denominator this number will be tending to the value of 1/2. The larger the numbers in the numerator and the denominator the closer the number to the value of 1/2.

Rule 2: whenever you compare large numbers in a numerator and a denominator, if the numerator is greater than the denominator this number will be extended from the value of 1/2. The less the numbers in the numerator and the denominator the farther the number from the value of 1/2.

Now look at your answer choices and decide in one single click (like 10-15 second of screening numbers) and mark the correct A.

I also agree simplifying and picking good numbers is good strategy for GMAT, as Mitch explains, but here there's more convenient method rooted in the theory of large numbers.

[spoiler]You could google this theory as well, but it's very complicated and has implications of probability theory.[/spoiler]


karthikpandian19 wrote:Which of the following numbers is the greatest?
A.
1876455/1876452
B.
1883449/1883446
C.
1883456/1883453
D.
1883459/1883456
E.
1883494/1883491
Success doesn't come overnight!
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:06 amFollowed by: 2 members
Location: Washington, DC
Thanked: 6 times
GMAT Score:500

by Rastis » Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:35 am
pemdas,

Your explanation went way over my head. Is there a different way of explaining it? I'm probably more confused now than I was before.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:37 am
Rastis wrote:GMATGuruNY,

How did you choose the numbers that you plugged in? I do not understand.
The problem offers messy numbers to test a basic number property rule.
To determine what rule is being tested, I plugged in easier numbers that follow the same pattern as the messy numbers given in the problem.
The basic question is this:

If a,b,c,d and e are positive integers such that a<b<c<d<e, which of the following is greatest?

A. (a+3)/a
B. (b+3)/b
C. (c+3)/c
D. (d+3)/d
E. (e+3)/e

Plugging in a=1, b=2, c=3, d=4, d=5 results in the following:
A: 4/1 = 4
B: 5/2 = 2.5
C: 6/3 = 2
D: 7/4 = 1.75
E: 8/5 = 1.6

The greatest answer choice is A.

The easier numbers show the rule that is being tested:
If x<y<0 and c>0, then:
(x+c)/x > (y+c)/y

An alternate approach to the problem above would be to rewrite all of the answer choices in the form (x+c)/x:
A. 1876455/1876452
(1876452 + 3)/1876452
1 + 3/1876452

B. 1883449/1883446
(1883446 + 3)/1883446
1 + 3/1883446

C. 1883456/1883453
(1883453 + 3)/1883453
1 + 3/1883453

D. 1883459/1883456
(1883456 + 3)/1883456
1 + 3/1883456

E. 1883494/1883491
(1883491 + 3)/1883491
1 + 3/1883491

Comparing the answer choices:
The only difference is the fraction being added to 1.
Since the denominator increases as we proceed from A to E -- while the numerator stays the same -- the resulting fractions keep getting smaller.
Thus, the greatest answer choice is A.

Here are two other problems in which I plugged in easier numbers in order to determine the number property rule being tested:

https://www.beatthegmat.com/og-12-proble ... 00085.html

https://www.beatthegmat.com/matdfhfg-t83392.html
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:06 amFollowed by: 2 members
Location: Washington, DC
Thanked: 6 times
GMAT Score:500

by Rastis » Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:41 am
I'm sorry but I just cannot grasp the logic in this. I think this will be one of those problems that I'll just guess on...if I even get to that level of question. Thanks though.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pmFollowed by: 1906 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:00 am
Rastis wrote:I'm sorry but I just cannot grasp the logic in this. I think this will be one of those problems that I'll just guess on...if I even get to that level of question. Thanks though.
Let's focus on the last approach that I offered.

If we divide 3 by ever increasing numbers, the resulting quotients keep getting smaller:
3/1 = 3
3/2 = 1.5
3/100 = .03
In other words, if the numerator stays the same, but the denominator INCREASES, the resulting fraction gets SMALLER.

Onto answer choices A and B.
In each case:
Numerator = denominator + 3.
Bearing this is mind, let's substitute (denominator +3) for each numerator, then simplify:

A. 1876455/1876452
(1876452 + 3)/1876452
1876452/1876452 + 3/1876452
1 + 3/1876452

B. 1883449/1883446
(1883446 + 3)/1883446
1883446/1883446 + 3/1883446
1 + 3/1883446

Just as 3/2 > 3/100 , so too 3/1876452 > 3/1883446.
In each case, the numerator stays the same, while the denominator INCREASES.
The result is a SMALLER fraction.
Thus, A > B.

Does this help?
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:06 amFollowed by: 2 members
Location: Washington, DC
Thanked: 6 times
GMAT Score:500

by Rastis » Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:09 am
Not really. The numbers that you have put together are just confusing me even more. I think even if I could understand how you you derived the answer, I could never have thought to use that type of logic. :(
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply