DS princeton - pls clarify the off. explanation

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by simplyjat » Sun Jun 01, 2008 7:58 pm
That is the intentional gotcha here...

Statement 1 says xy = y^2. and you interpreted it as x = y and this particular interpretation is wrong. xy = y^2 can be true even when y = 0 and in that case x may not be equal to y
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by imranme318 » Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:18 am
XY=Y^2 ===>XY=Y*Y or -Y*-Y so X=+-Y

X^2=Y^2===>+-X=+-Y ....So Both statements are required here to answer....!

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by Ian Stewart » Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:51 pm
imranme318 wrote:XY=Y^2 ===>XY=Y*Y or -Y*-Y so X=+-Y

X^2=Y^2===>+-X=+-Y ....So Both statements are required here to answer....!
This isn't right. If x*y = y*y, then we can divide by y if y is not zero. In that case x=y; otherwise y=0. There is no reason to concern yourself with the possibility that x = -y; that will *not* be true except when x=0 *and* y=0.