Set S consists of even number of integers. Is the median of set S negative?
1. Exactly half of all elements of set S are positive
2. The biggest negative element of set S is -1
[spoiler]OA: C
However I chose B.
Wow!!!. as I am typing I realize my mistake. Stmt said that "biggest negative element" is -1 NOT "biggest element".
Damn!!!. I fell in the trap. Cant click the "back" button .
[/spoiler]
Is median of set S negative?
This topic has expert replies
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 621
- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:13 pm
- Thanked: 33 times
- Followed by:4 members
-
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:14 am
can you explain this?rajataga wrote: if both the statements are taken together, the median will always be non-negative.
Also, how would statement 2 be rephrased? I took it to mean "-1 is the smallest number in the set"... since -1 is the biggest negative number so the value of any bigger negative number would be less than -1. Is that wrong?
-
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 5:14 am
can you explain this?rajataga wrote: if both the statements are taken together, the median will always be non-negative.
Also, how would statement 2 be rephrased? I took it to mean "-1 is the smallest number in the set"... since -1 is the biggest negative number so the value of any bigger negative number would be less than -1. Is that wrong?
-
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 259
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:30 pm
- Thanked: 16 times
I am still confused
lest say set consist of 2 umbers and taking both statement 1 and 2
S = {-1,1}
in this case median = (-1+1)/2 = 0
case 2:
S={-1,-2,4,5}
median = (-2+4)/2 = 1
am I missing any thing ??
lest say set consist of 2 umbers and taking both statement 1 and 2
S = {-1,1}
in this case median = (-1+1)/2 = 0
case 2:
S={-1,-2,4,5}
median = (-2+4)/2 = 1
am I missing any thing ??
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2467
- Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:14 pm
- Thanked: 331 times
- Followed by:11 members
Amit,S = {-1,1}
in this case median = (-1+1)/2 = 0
case 2:
S={-1,-2,4,5}
median = (-2+4)/2 = 1
Good question.
In both cases its not negative. 0 is non positive and non negative.
We can surely answer the question "Is the median of set S negative" with a NO.
If the question was Is the median of the set positive then the answer would have been E IMO since 0 is non positive ; anything else would be positive. The difference in wording is subtle but there in lies the beauty of these testmakers...
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Cramya
-
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 259
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:30 pm
- Thanked: 16 times
Thanks again buddy...
All the time I was thinking "0" is non negative. But not sure why I picked "E"
All the time I was thinking "0" is non negative. But not sure why I picked "E"
-
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 527
- Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:14 am
- Location: Atlanta
- Thanked: 17 times
for both, 0 cannot be one of the numbers because case i) half of the numbers are positive integer. 0 is not positive nor negative...
therefore it must be {-2,-1,1,2} or some number larger than 1, in which case it is still a sufficient no.
therefore it must be {-2,-1,1,2} or some number larger than 1, in which case it is still a sufficient no.
Target scores: 50Q 45V