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by nafiul9090 » Wed May 30, 2012 5:19 pm
A Farey sequence of order n is the sequence of fractions
between 0 and 1 which, when in lowest terms, have
denominators less than or equal to n, arranged in order of
increasing size. For example, the Farey sequence of order
3 is: {0, 1/3, 1/2 , 2/3 , 1}. Is sequence S a Farey sequence?
(1) Sequence S has fewer than 10 elements.
(2) The second element of sequence S is 1/5 .


how to solve this question?

totally lost
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by Anurag@Gurome » Wed May 30, 2012 8:17 pm
nafiul9090 wrote:A Farey sequence of order n is the sequence of fractions
between 0 and 1 which, when in lowest terms, have
denominators less than or equal to n, arranged in order of
increasing size. For example, the Farey sequence of order
3 is: {0, 1/3, 1/2 , 2/3 , 1}. Is sequence S a Farey sequence?
(1) Sequence S has fewer than 10 elements.
(2) The second element of sequence S is 1/5 .


how to solve this question?

totally lost
(1) Sequence S has fewer than 10 elements.
Now S can be any sequence, so this is clearly NOT sufficient.

(2) The second element of sequence S is 1/5.
This means that there is a Farey sequences with 1/5 as the second element in it but there can be other such sequences also which has 1/5 as the second element.
No definite answer; NOT sufficient.

Combining (1) and (2), 1/5 as the second element of a Farey sequence, the sequence should be of order 5: {0�1, 1�5, 1�4, 1�3, 2�5, 1�2, 3�5, 2�3, 3�4, 4�5, 1�1}, which has 11 elements, so the sequence which has fewer than 10 elements and has the second element equal to 1/5 cannot be a Farey sequence; SUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is C.

I don't expect this question as a GMAT type question.
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., MBA
GMAT Expert, Admissions and Career Guidance
Gurome, Inc.
1-800-566-4043 (USA)

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by fskilnik@GMATH » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:03 pm
nafiul9090 wrote:A Farey sequence of order n is the sequence of fractions between 0 and 1 which, when in lowest terms, have denominators less than or equal to n, arranged in order of increasing size.
For example, the Farey sequence of order 3 is: {0, 1/3, 1/2 , 2/3 , 1}.
Is sequence S a Farey sequence?

(1) Sequence S has fewer than 10 elements.
(2) The second element of sequence S is 1/5 .
Important:

1. "Fractions between 0 and 1" must (and will) be considered as "fractions between 0 and 1, both included" so that the example given satisfies the definition presented.
2. The { } notation will always denote here a finite sequence. (In other words, the order of the elements presented is relevant.)
$$S\,\,\mathop = \limits^? \,\,{\rm{Farey}}$$
$$\left( 1 \right)\,\,\,\left\{ \matrix{
\,{\rm{Take}}\,\,S = \left\{ {0;{1 \over 3};{1 \over 2};{2 \over 3};1} \right\}\,\,\,\,\, \Rightarrow \,\,\,\left\langle {{\rm{YES}}} \right\rangle \,\,\,\,\,\,\left( {{\rm{given}}} \right)\,\, \hfill \cr
\,{\rm{Take}}\,\,S = \left\{ {0;1;{1 \over 3};{1 \over 2};{2 \over 3}} \right\}\,\,\,\,\, \Rightarrow \,\,\,\left\langle {{\rm{NO}}} \right\rangle \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\left( {{\rm{wrong}}\,\,{\rm{order}}} \right)\, \hfill \cr} \right.$$
$$\left( 2 \right)\,\,\left\{ \matrix{
\,{\rm{Take}}\,\,S = \left\{ {0;{1 \over 5};{2 \over 5};{3 \over 5};{4 \over 5};1;{1 \over 4};{2 \over 4} = {1 \over 2};{3 \over 4};{1 \over 3};{2 \over 3}} \right\}\,\,\,\,\, \Rightarrow \,\,\,\left\langle {{\rm{NO}}} \right\rangle \,\,\,\,\,\left( {{\rm{wrong}}\,\,{\rm{order, }}\,{\rm{although}}\,\,{1 \over 5}\,\,{\rm{IS}}\,\,{\rm{the}}\,{\rm{ second}}\,\,{\rm{here!}}} \right)\,\, \hfill \cr
\,{\rm{Take}}\,\,S = \left\{ {0;{1 \over 5};{2 \over 5};{3 \over 5};{4 \over 5};1;{1 \over 4};{2 \over 4} = {1 \over 2};{3 \over 4};{1 \over 3};{2 \over 3}} \right\}\,\,{\rm{but}}\,\,{\rm{rewritten}}\,\,\,{\rm{in}}\,\,{\rm{increasing}}\,\,\,{\rm{order}}\,\,\, \Rightarrow \,\,\,\left\langle {{\rm{YES}}} \right\rangle \,\,\,\,\left( {{1 \over 5}\,\,{\rm{WILL}}\,\,{\rm{BE}}\,\,{\rm{the}}\,\,{\rm{second!}}} \right)\,\, \hfill \cr} \right.$$
$$\left( {1 + 2} \right)\,\,\,\left\langle {{\rm{NO}}} \right\rangle \,\,\,\,\,\left( {{1 \over 5} \in \,\,S\,\,{\rm{Farey}}\,\,\,\, \Rightarrow \,\,\,{\rm{S}}\,\,{\rm{has}}\,\,{\rm{more}}\,\,{\rm{than}}\,\,{\rm{10}}\,\,{\rm{elements}}!} \right)$$

This solution follows the notations and rationale taught in the GMATH method.

Regards,
Fabio.

P.S.: In approximately 2012 (when I was very active in this forum), I made a really good friendship with the great Anurag (in exchanging comments from posts).
He was an extraordinary expert who could correct us, or be corrected by us (experts or not), without taking his ego into the matter.
If anyone who still has contact with him read this post, please send to him my very best wishes. Thank you!
Fabio Skilnik :: GMATH method creator ( Math for the GMAT)
English-speakers :: https://www.gmath.net
Portuguese-speakers :: https://www.gmath.com.br
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