What is a positive number in GMAT

[joshi.komal]

Hi All,

What is the definition of positive number in GMAT.
For eg in OG 11 Quant. Review Probelem Solving Q 122.

I chose the answer as A but the correct answer is D.

The explanation says that for 2s = 2u + 2v to be positive, s > v must be true

I am confused !!! and need clarification about what should actually be done when they specify the constraint as positive. From the answer I feel it is any number >0 and so if the number is zero it is not positive.

Thanks
Komal

[sankruth]

Hi All,

What is the definition of positive number in GMAT.
For eg in OG 11 Quant. Review Probelem Solving Q 122.

I chose the answer as A but the correct answer is D.

The explanation says that for 2s = 2u + 2v to be positive, s > v must be true

I am confused !!! and need clarification about what should actually be done when they specify the constraint as positive. From the answer I feel it is any number >0 and so if the number is zero it is not positive.

Thanks
Komal

Zero is neither negative nor positive. Only numbers greater than zero are positive. Hope that helps!

[simplyjat]

You have mis-interpreted the question, it says "if s,u and v are positive integers and 2s = 2u + 2v"... what should be true.... clearly s > v & s > u

[erjamit]

but what if both u and v are zeros, in that case s = u = v,
The explanation states that 0 is not a positive integer. Can anyone clarify.

[Stuart@KaplanGMAT]

0 is neither positive nor negative.

Numbers to the left of 0 on the number line are negative.

Numbers to the right of 0 on the number line are positive.

[II]

Guys,

When reading this question, which approach will you adopt in answering it? Plugging numbers ? other approaches ? Which approach is the most efficient to deal with this question ...

If s, u, and v are positive integers and 2s = 2u + 2v, which of the following must be true:
I) s = u
II) u ≠ v
III) s > u

A) None (B) I only (C) II only (D) III only (E) II and III

Thanks.

[erjamit]

Hi,

I won't plug numbers here.
If s, u, and v are positive integers it implies s,u,v > 0

2s = 2u + 2v => s = u + v => s > u and s > v. Is all what I can infer from the statement.

When you add two positive numbers, the result is always greater than the two numbers being added.

Thanks
Amit