May be or may not be
n^2 = 25 then n=5 hence int
n^2 = 3 then n=sqrt(3) hence not an int
BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course
Redeem
Featured Course
Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand
Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.
- 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
- 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
- 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
- 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
- 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
- TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
- 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
- OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
- Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
- MBA Admissions Consulting now available
- 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
- 200,000+ students served
- 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★
5.0
(559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start
then $127/mo
If n^2 is interger is n an interger
Source: Beat The GMAT — Data Sufficiency |
Well, netigen is answering the question that I think you were asking. However, the actual question asked was if n is an integer, is n^2 an integer.
The answer to that is YES. n^2 means that you are multiplying n * n. Since n is an integer, n^2 is always an integer. Look at any examples you want, but that is the definition.
Your original question is one of the tricks that you see on some GMAT questions.
Now, back to what netigen explained, and is good to know in general, if n is an integer, there is no guarantee that sqrt(n) is an integer. If n is a perfect square (1, 4, 16, 25, 36...), then sqrt(n) is an integer. If not, then it is some decimal. Namely:
sqrt(3) ~1.7 and sqrt (2) ~ 1.4
The answer to that is YES. n^2 means that you are multiplying n * n. Since n is an integer, n^2 is always an integer. Look at any examples you want, but that is the definition.
Your original question is one of the tricks that you see on some GMAT questions.
Now, back to what netigen explained, and is good to know in general, if n is an integer, there is no guarantee that sqrt(n) is an integer. If n is a perfect square (1, 4, 16, 25, 36...), then sqrt(n) is an integer. If not, then it is some decimal. Namely:
sqrt(3) ~1.7 and sqrt (2) ~ 1.4
Thanks guys!
Your explanation is simple and I agree with that but OG explanation is wierd. OG 11 DS Q 146
Your explanation is simple and I agree with that but OG explanation is wierd. OG 11 DS Q 146
