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If the integer x is greater than 1, does x = 2?

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by buckrich » Thu Jan 27, 2011 8:41 pm
If the integer x is greater than 1, does x = 2?

A) x is evenly divisible by exactly two positive integers.
B) The sum of any two distinct positive factors of x is odd.


The answer and explanation are below but I'm missing something because 4 and 2 could be any two distinct factors and are not odd. Anyone?


Solution:
(A) This tells us that x is prime (it's actually the definition of a prime number)
So, x could equal 2, but it could also equal 3, 5, 7 etc --> INSUFFICIENT
(B) Factor sum is odd. So, x could equal 2 (1+2=3) or x could equal 4 (1+2+4=7)--> INSUFFICIENT

(A&B): (A) tells us that x is a prime number. Now most prime numbers (except 2) are odd, which means the two factors will be odd (1 and the prime number itself), so the sum of the factors will always be even (e.g., x=7 --> factors are 1 and 7 --> sum=8)
However, the two factors of 2 (1 and 2) add to be an odd number (3). So, x must equal 2, which means(A)&(B) are sufficient.
Answer = C
[spoiler][/spoiler]
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:24 pm
buckrich wrote:If the integer x is greater than 1, does x = 2?

A) x is evenly divisible by exactly two positive integers.
B) The sum of any two distinct positive factors of x is odd.

[spoiler][/spoiler]
Statement 1: x is evenly divisible by exactly two positive integers.
Tells us that x is prime.
No way to determine whether x=2.
Insufficient.

Statement 2: The sum of any two distinct positive factors of x is odd.
Tells us that x cannot have 2 distinct odd factors (because their sum would be even), nor can it have 2 distinct even factors (because their sum also would be even).
Thus, x can have only 1 one odd factor and only 1 even factor.
Only one integer works: x = 1*2 = 2.
Any other integer greater than 1 will have either 2 odd factors, 2 even factors, or both.
Sufficient.

The explanation is incorrect. x=4 does not satisfy statement 2 because the sum of 2 of its factors is even: 2+4 = 6.
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by cyrwr1 » Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:32 am
(1) tells us evenly divisible --->> NOT EVEN, but prime with 2 factors: 1 and itself. insufficient
(2)Sum of any two factors = odd ---> all the sum of two factors =odd so only 2 works as 1+2=3. enough
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