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MBA.Aspirant
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Ian Stewart
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I don't understand the question. What is the point of mentioning x at all here if x isn't part of the expression we need to evaluate?MBA.Aspirant wrote:If x is an integer which is less than or equal to |x|, then |-2.4| + |4.4| =
In any case the absolute value of -2.4 is equal to 2.4, so
|-2.4| + |4.4| = 2.4 + 4.4 = 6.8
edit: I think, in the first part of the question, they are trying to define |x| as the 'floor function' (that is, the function which produces the closest integer to x which is less than or equal to x). If that's the case, the wording is horrible. To avoid confusion with absolute value, we should use a different notation - square brackets, for example. Then if the question were to ask:
For any number x, [x] is defined to be equal to the closest integer to x which is less than or equal to x. What is the value of [-2.4] + [4.4] ?
In that case, [4.4] is equal to 4, and [-2.4] is equal to -3 (and not -2, since it must equal to an integer which is *less* than -2.4), and [-2.4] + [4.4] = -3 + 4 = 1.
But I can't tell what the intention of the question is because the wording and the notation are both ambiguous.
For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com
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Thanks Ian for your help. The OP had the question exactly as you wrote it, in [x], but when I asked him about it he said it's absolute value. So I'm guessing the original question was talking about the floor function.
