gig92 wrote:GMATGuruNY wrote:hja379 wrote:If x and y are positive integers, what is the value of x ?
(1) x, y, and xy are distinct perfect squares less than 100.
(2) x<5
OA after discussion.
Statement 1: x, y and xy are distinct perfect squares less than 100.
x=1 is not possible because then xy = y, which does not satisfy the condition that y and xy be different values.
y=1 is not possible because then xy = x, which does not satisfy the condition that x and xy be different values.
The following combinations work:
x=4, y=9, xy = 4*9 = 36.
x=9, y=4, xy = 9*4 = 36.
Since x=4 and x=9 each satisfy statement 1, insufficient.
Statement 2: x<5.
x could be any integer between 0 and 5.
Insufficient.
Statements 1 and 2 together:
Since x=1 does not satisfy statement 1, and x=4 is the only other perfect square less than 5, we know that x=4.
Sufficient.
The correct answer is
C.
@Mitch
It seems that 1 is a perfect square:
https://www.tutorvista.com/math/is-1-a-perfect-square
https://www.math.com/school/subject1/les ... 1L9DP.html
https://www.mathsisfun.com/square-root.html
What did I miss..?
The smallest perfect square is 1.
But statement 1 states that x, y and xy are
distinct (meaning different) perfect squares. In order for xy to be distinct from x and y, neither x=1 nor y=1 can be used. To illustrate:
If x=1 and y=4, then xy = 1*4 = 4.
Since y and xy are the same value, the combination above does not satisfy the condition that x, y and xy be distinct perfect squares.
If y=1 and x=4, then xy = 4*1 = 4.
Since x and xy are the same value, the combination above does not satisfy the condition that x, y and xy be distinct perfect squares.
Hope the explanation above clarifies why x=1 cannot be used in statement 1.
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