Is the positive integer N a perfect square?
(1) The number of distinct factors of N is even.
(2) The sum of all distinct factors of N is even.
OAD
Please explain.
Many thanks in advance.
Kavin
Is the positive integer N a perfect square
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- GMATGuruNY
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As Brent notes below, the GMAT generally constrains problems about factors to POSITIVE FACTORS.
I believe that the following reflects the intent of the problem:
1, 4, 9, 16, 81.
Statement 1: The number of distinct factors of N is even.
Factors of 1 = 1.
Factors of 4 = 1,2,4 = 3.
Factors of 9 = 1,3,9 = 3.
Factors of 16 = 1,2,4,8,16 = 5.
Factors of 81 = 1,3,9,27,81 = 5.
The results above indicate that a perfect square has an ODD number of distinct factors.
Since N has an EVEN number of distinct factors, N is NOT a perfect square.
SUFFICIENT.
Statement 2: The sum of all distinct factors of N is even.
Sum of the factors of 1 = 1.
Sum of the factors of 4 = 1+2+4 = 7.
Sum of the factors of 9 - 1+3+9 = 13.
Sum of the factors of 16 = 1+2+4+8+16 = 31.
Sum of the factors of 81 = 1+3+9+27+81 = 121.
The results above indicate that the sum of the factors of a perfect square is ODD.
Since the sum of the distinct factors of N is EVEN, N is NOT a perfect square.
SUFFICIENT.
The correct answer is D.
I believe that the following reflects the intent of the problem:
Since the statements deal with even versus odd, let's list a few even and a few odd perfect squares:Needgmat wrote:Is the positive integer N a perfect square?
(1) The number of distinct positive factors of N is even.
(2) The sum of all distinct positive factors of N is even.
1, 4, 9, 16, 81.
Statement 1: The number of distinct factors of N is even.
Factors of 1 = 1.
Factors of 4 = 1,2,4 = 3.
Factors of 9 = 1,3,9 = 3.
Factors of 16 = 1,2,4,8,16 = 5.
Factors of 81 = 1,3,9,27,81 = 5.
The results above indicate that a perfect square has an ODD number of distinct factors.
Since N has an EVEN number of distinct factors, N is NOT a perfect square.
SUFFICIENT.
Statement 2: The sum of all distinct factors of N is even.
Sum of the factors of 1 = 1.
Sum of the factors of 4 = 1+2+4 = 7.
Sum of the factors of 9 - 1+3+9 = 13.
Sum of the factors of 16 = 1+2+4+8+16 = 31.
Sum of the factors of 81 = 1+3+9+27+81 = 121.
The results above indicate that the sum of the factors of a perfect square is ODD.
Since the sum of the distinct factors of N is EVEN, N is NOT a perfect square.
SUFFICIENT.
The correct answer is D.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Thu Aug 04, 2016 7:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Statement 1: The number of distinct factors of N is even.
For any positive integer perfect square, the number of distinct factors is always odd.
Take 16 for example. Here are the distinct factors, 1, 16, 2, 8, 4.
The reason the number of distinct factors of a perfect square is always odd is that you always have pairs of factors, such as 1 and 16, that multiply to the integer, along with a single factor, in this case the 4, that squares to the integer. A set of factors that includes pairs + a single number always has an odd number of factors.
So N must not be a perfect square.
Sufficient.
Statement 2: The sum of all distinct factors of N is even.
Given that from Statement 1 we already know that N is not a perfect square, and given that the statements of an official GMAT question always agree, the easiest hack for this statement is to just prove that the factors of a perfect square cannot add up to an even number.
I am sure that there is some formal proof that could be used, but in the two minutes available maybe just using some examples would be the way to go.
Let's try 16
Factors: 1, 16, 2, 8, 4
1 + a bunch of even numbers: odd
4: 1, 2, 4
Odd again.
Try an odd number, 9.
1, 3, 9.
Hmm. The odd ones will always have an odd number of odd factors. So those factors will always add up to an odd number. So N is definitely not an odd square.
Try another even one, 36.
1, 36, 2, 18, 3, 12, 4, 9.
Three odds and four evens add up to an odd number.
Last one, 100.
1, 100, 2, 50, 4, 25, 5, 20, 10.
3 odds and the rest even add up to an odd number.
That's enough for me.
Sufficient.
The correct answer is D.
For any positive integer perfect square, the number of distinct factors is always odd.
Take 16 for example. Here are the distinct factors, 1, 16, 2, 8, 4.
The reason the number of distinct factors of a perfect square is always odd is that you always have pairs of factors, such as 1 and 16, that multiply to the integer, along with a single factor, in this case the 4, that squares to the integer. A set of factors that includes pairs + a single number always has an odd number of factors.
So N must not be a perfect square.
Sufficient.
Statement 2: The sum of all distinct factors of N is even.
Given that from Statement 1 we already know that N is not a perfect square, and given that the statements of an official GMAT question always agree, the easiest hack for this statement is to just prove that the factors of a perfect square cannot add up to an even number.
I am sure that there is some formal proof that could be used, but in the two minutes available maybe just using some examples would be the way to go.
Let's try 16
Factors: 1, 16, 2, 8, 4
1 + a bunch of even numbers: odd
4: 1, 2, 4
Odd again.
Try an odd number, 9.
1, 3, 9.
Hmm. The odd ones will always have an odd number of odd factors. So those factors will always add up to an odd number. So N is definitely not an odd square.
Try another even one, 36.
1, 36, 2, 18, 3, 12, 4, 9.
Three odds and four evens add up to an odd number.
Last one, 100.
1, 100, 2, 50, 4, 25, 5, 20, 10.
3 odds and the rest even add up to an odd number.
That's enough for me.
Sufficient.
The correct answer is D.
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As it is currently worded, the answer to this question is E.Is the positive integer N a perfect square?
(1) The number of distinct factors of N is even.
(2) The sum of all distinct factors of N is even.
The answer WOULD be D, if we changed "distinct factors" to "POSITIVE distinct factors."
When asking questions about factors (aka divisors), the GMAT typically restricts the discussion to POSITIVE factors/divisors. If we don't specify such a restriction, then we must also consider negative factors.
From the Official Guide:
So, for example, the -2 is a factor of 6 since 6 = (-2)(-3)An integer is any number in the set {. . . -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .}.
If x and y are integers and x ≠0, then x is a divisor (factor) of y provided that y = xn for some integer n. In this case, y is also said to be divisible by x or to be a multiple of x.
For example, 7 is a divisor or factor of 28 since 28 = (7)(4), but 8 is not a divisor of 28 since there is no integer n such that 28 = 8n.
No onto the question....
----------------------------------------
Target question: Is the positive integer N a perfect square?
Statement 2: The number of distinct factors of N is even
There are infinitely many values of N that satisfy this condition. Here are two:
Case a: N = 3. The distinct factors of N are {-3, -1, 1, 3}. As you can see, there is an even number of distinct factors of N. In this case N is NOT a perfect square
Case b: N = 4. The distinct factors of N are {-4, -2, -1, 1, 2, 4}. As you can see, there is an even number of distinct factors of N. In this case N IS perfect square
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, statement 1 is NOT SUFFICIENT
Statement 2: The sum of all distinct factors of N is even
There are infinitely many values of N that satisfy this condition. Here are two:
Case a: N = 3. The distinct factors of N are {-3, -1, 1, 3}, so the sum = (-3) + (-1) + 1 + 3 = 0. The sum of the distinct factors = 0, which is EVEN. In this case N is NOT a perfect square
Case b: N = 4. The distinct factors of N are {-4, -2, -1, 1, 2, 4}, so the sum = (-4) + (-2) + (-1) + 1 + 2 + 4 = 0. The sum of the distinct factors = 0, which is EVEN. In this case N IS a perfect square
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, statement 2 is NOT SUFFICIENT
Statements 1 and 2 combined
In both cases, I showed that N COULD equal 3 or 4.
So, when we combine the statements, N COULD still equal 3 or 4.
3 is NOT a perfect square, and 4 IS a perfect square.
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, the combined statements are NOT SUFFICIENT
Answer = E
Cheers,
Brent
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What official problems turn on negative factors?Brent@GMATPrepNow wrote:If we don't specify such a restriction, then we must also consider negative factors.
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Good point. I don't know of any such questions.Matt@VeritasPrep wrote:What official problems turn on negative factors?Brent@GMATPrepNow wrote:If we don't specify such a restriction, then we must also consider negative factors.
Likewise, I've never seen an official question that didn't restrict factors to positive factors. Have you seen any?
The bigger question might be, "Would the test-makers ever create a question that requires the test-taker to consider the possibility that a factor can be negative?" Unless we can decisively answer "no," then I think my point has some merit. That said, I'm happy to be convinced otherwise
Cheers,
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