There were 5 candidates (Alexa, Bill, Charlie, Dan, and Ernie) vying for student council,
and 100 total votes were cast. Everyone received at least one vote, and no two
candidates received the same number of votes. Alexa won the election with 40 votes,
Bill came in 2nd, Charlie in 3rd, Dan in 4th, and Ernie in last.
1. What is the greatest number of votes that Bill could have received? What is the
least number?
2. What is the greatest number of votes that Charlie could have received? What is
the least number?
3. What is the greatest number of votes that Dan could have received? What is
the least number?
4. What is the greatest number of votes that Ernie could have received? What is
the least number?
5. If Bill received 25 votes, did Charlie get at least 13 votes?
6. If Charlie received 12 votes, did Dan get at least 5 votes?
Please assist with above problems.
There were 5 candidates (Alexa, Bill, Charlie, Dan, and Erni
This topic has expert replies
-
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2016 12:46 am
GMAT/MBA Expert
- Brent@GMATPrepNow
- 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
Please post only one question per thread. Otherwise things can become pretty complicated when there are discussions on multiple questions.
Cheers,
Brent
Cheers,
Brent
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
This also feels a little more LSAT-y. In general, try to post actual GMAT questions, or questions that test concepts in a GMAT-like way.
-
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
Let's break these into separate responses.
To minimize Bill, we'll maximize everybody else. In this case, B + C + D + E = 60, as before, but we want B = C + 1, C = D + 1, and D = E + 1. Unfortunately this gives us a non-integer value of B (B = 16.5), so we'll round up: B = 17.
To maximize Bill, we'll minimize everybody else. There are 60 votes for B, C, D, and E, and we need B < 40. If we make B = 39, we can make C = 8, D = 7, and E = 6. Success! We met the conditions, and Bill got as close to Alexa as possible.What is the greatest number of votes that Bill could have received? What is the
least number?
To minimize Bill, we'll maximize everybody else. In this case, B + C + D + E = 60, as before, but we want B = C + 1, C = D + 1, and D = E + 1. Unfortunately this gives us a non-integer value of B (B = 16.5), so we'll round up: B = 17.
-
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
We've got B + C + D + E = 60, with B > C > D > E. To maximize Charlie, we'll minimize everybody else. That means Bill needs to be as close to Charlie as possible:What is the greatest number of votes that Charlie could have received? What is
the least number?
B = C + 1
and D and E need to be as small as possible (let's start with D = 2, E = 1).
Then we have (C + 1) + C + 2 + 1 = 60, or C = 28. This checks out: B = 29, C = 28, D = 2, E = 1.
To minimize Charlie, we need to maximize Bill and get Charlie as close to 0 as possible. We'll make B = 39. That leaves us with C + D + E = 21. To get C as far down as we can, we'll put it next to D and E, or C = D + 1 = E + 2. That gives us C = 8, D = 7, and E = 6, which checks out.
-
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
To maximize Dan, we minimize everybody else. That means we want B, C, and D as close as possibleWhat is the greatest number of votes that Dan could have received? What is
the least number?
B = C + 1 = D + 2
and E = 1.
That gives us
(D + 2) + (D + 1) + D + 1 = 60. That makes D not an integer, so we round down, and find D = 18. (To see that D can't be 19, realize that if D is 19, C must be ≥ 20 and B ≥ 21, which forces E ≤ 0, which isn't allowed.)
To minimize Dan, we maximize B and C. Since B + C + D + E = 60, and E must be ≥ 1, we'll say E = 1, D = 2, and B + C = 57. This works with many combinations (e.g. B = 29, C = 28), so D = 2 is fine. Obviously D can't = 1, as this would force E = 0, so D = 2 is the minimum.
-
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
Same idea as above. To maximize, minimize everyone else:What is the greatest number of votes that Ernie could have received? What is
the least number?
B = C + 1 = D + 2 = E + 3
so (E + 3) + (E + 2) + (E + 1) + E = 60, or E = 13.5. Obviously this must be an integer, so we round down, and find E = 13. (If E = 14, we'd have D ≥ 15, C ≥ 16, and B ≥ 17, which is too big.)
To minimize, use any of the E = 1 cases we've used in the previous responses.
-
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
Suppose that C < 13.If Bill received 25 votes, did Charlie get at least 13 votes?
We know B + C + D + E = 60. B = 25, so C + D + E = 35. If C < 13, then our max is C = 12, D = 11, E = 10. But 12 + 11 + 10 < 35, so this is impossible. Hence C ≥ 13.
-
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
Algebraically, this is B + C + D + E = 60 and C = 12.If Charlie received 12 votes, did Dan get at least 5 votes?
From this we have
B + D + E = 48.
Suppose D < 5. Our max for D + E then is 4 + 3, which forces B = 41. But B must be less than 40, since Alexa's 40 votes were more than whatever Bill's tally is, so B = 41 is impossible.
Hence D ≥ 5.
-
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
... and I think these questions are fine! They're posted as exercises to get you thinking about logic and min/max's, so they don't LOOK like GMAT problems, but the concepts they test could absolutely appear on the test. They don't seem all that LSATy to me - the LSAT doesn't do arithmetic, does it? - unless that test has changed a bit in the last two years. (I haven't kept tabs on it!)
-
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2016 12:46 am
- DavidG@VeritasPrep
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2663
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
- Location: Boston, MA
- Thanked: 1153 times
- Followed by:128 members
- GMAT Score:770
Here are a couple of official questions that tests the min/max concept:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/six-countries-t33874.html
and
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-av ... 75647.html
https://www.beatthegmat.com/six-countries-t33874.html
and
https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-prep-av ... 75647.html
- GMATGuruNY
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 15539
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: New York, NY
- Thanked: 13060 times
- Followed by:1906 members
- GMAT Score:790
When you post a problem, please include the answer choices.
We can PLUG IN THE ANSWERS, which represent the least number of votes that B could have received.
To MINIMIZE the votes for B, we must MAXIMIZE the votes for C, D and E, bearing in mind that no two candidates may receive the same number of votes.
Since the correct answer must be the least viable option, start with the smallest answer choice.
When the correct answer is plugged in, the four vote tallies for B, C, D and E will sum to 60 or more.
A: 12+11+10+9 = 42
B: 15+14+13+12 = 54
C: 16+15+14+13 = 58
Since only two more votes are needed to reach the threshold of 60, the next largest answer choice is viable.
The correct answer is D.
Since Alexa wins 40 of the 100 votes, the remaining 60 votes must be won by B, C, D and E.There were 5 candidates (Alexa, Bill, Charlie, Dan, and Ernie) vying for student council, and 100 total votes were cast. Everyone received at least one vote, and no two candidates received the same number of votes. Alexa won the election with 40 votes, Bill came in 2nd, Charlie in 3rd, Dan in 4th, and Ernie in last. What is the least number of votes that Bill could have received?
A. 12
B. 15
C. 16
D. 17
E. 18
We can PLUG IN THE ANSWERS, which represent the least number of votes that B could have received.
To MINIMIZE the votes for B, we must MAXIMIZE the votes for C, D and E, bearing in mind that no two candidates may receive the same number of votes.
Since the correct answer must be the least viable option, start with the smallest answer choice.
When the correct answer is plugged in, the four vote tallies for B, C, D and E will sum to 60 or more.
A: 12+11+10+9 = 42
B: 15+14+13+12 = 54
C: 16+15+14+13 = 58
Since only two more votes are needed to reach the threshold of 60, the next largest answer choice is viable.
The correct answer is D.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3