What is the value of y?

This topic has expert replies
Moderator
Posts: 7187
Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:43 pm
Followed by:23 members

What is the value of y?

by BTGmoderatorDC » Sat May 18, 2019 8:01 am

Timer

00:00

Your Answer

A

B

C

D

E

Global Stats

What is the value of y?

(1) x^2 - y^2 = 5
(2) x and y are each positive integers

OA C

Source: Veritas Prep

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2621
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:17 am
Location: Montreal
Thanked: 1090 times
Followed by:355 members
GMAT Score:780

by Ian Stewart » Sat May 18, 2019 9:58 am

Timer

00:00

Your Answer

A

B

C

D

E

Global Stats

Each statement is clearly insufficient alone. Using both, from Statement 1 we can factor since we have a difference of squares:

(x + y)(x - y) = 5

From Statement 2, x+y and x-y are both integers, and if x and y are each positive integers, x+y is greater than 1. Since x+y is also clearly a factor of the prime number 5 from the equation above, x+y must equal 5 (since that's the only factor of 5 greater than one), and x-y must therefore equal 1, so we have two simple linear equations we can solve (x = 3 and y =2). The answer is C.
For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com

ianstewartgmat.com