Number Properties

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 54
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:58 am
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:1 members

Number Properties

by sparkle6 » Thu Sep 22, 2011 10:56 pm
If Z^n = 1, what is the value of z?

1) n is a nonzero integer

2) z > 0


[spoiler]OA: C, but how is 1 sufficient? Can't Z be -1 if n is an even power?[/spoiler]

Legendary Member
Posts: 966
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 8:06 am
Thanked: 230 times
Followed by:21 members

by shankar.ashwin » Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:41 pm
1) Z can be -1 or 1 (depending on powers) Hence Insufficient
2) Z could be 1 or any number raised to power 0 (Insufficient)

Together you know z is 1. Hence C
sparkle6 wrote:If Z^n = 1, what is the value of z?

1) n is a nonzero integer

2) z > 0


[spoiler]OA: C, but how is 1 sufficient? Can't Z be -1 if n is an even power?[/spoiler]

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
Followed by:1268 members
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:35 am
sparkle6 wrote:If Z^n = 1, what is the value of z?
1) n is a nonzero integer
2) z > 0

[spoiler]OA: C, but how is 1 sufficient? Can't Z be -1 if n is an even power?[/spoiler]
Before we examine the two statements, let's take some time to draw some conclusions about z and n if we are told that z^n = 1.

If z^n = 1, there are 3 possible cases:
case a: z=any number and n=0
case b: z=1 and n=any number
case c: z=-1 and n=any even integer

Statement 1: n is a nonzero integer
This rules out case a, which leaves us with cases b (z=1) and c (z=-1)
As such, statement 1 is not sufficient

Statement 2: z > 0
This rules out case c, which leaves us with cases a (z=any positive number) and b (z=1)
As such, statement 2 is not sufficient

Statements 1 & 2:
When we combine the statements, we can rule out cases a and c, leaving us with only case b (z=1)
As such, the statements combined are sufficient and the answer is C

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image