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Are x and y both positive?

Expert replies
by alex.gellatly » Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:49 pm
Are x and y both positive?
See attachment.

Thanks!
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A useful website I found that has every quant OG video explanation:

https://www.beatthegmat.com/useful-websi ... tml#475231
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by Anurag@Gurome » Sat Aug 04, 2012 2:59 am
(1) 2x - 2y = 1
x and y both positive means that point (x, y) is in the first quadrant.
2x - 2y = 1 implies y = x - 1/2, and it's an equation of a line and the question asks whether this line is only in first quadrant, which is not possible; NOT sufficient.

(2) x/y > 1
x and y have the same sign. But we don't know whether they are both positive or both negative; NOT sufficient.

Combining (1) and (2), 2x - 2y = 1 implies x = y + 1/2
x/y > 1 implies (x - y)/y > 0
Substituting the value of x, 1/y > 0 implies y is positive and since x = y + 1/2, so x is also positive; SUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is C.

You can also refer to Rahul's post: https://www.beatthegmat.com/are-x-and-y- ... tml#319368
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:29 am
Are X and Y both positive ?

(1) 2x - 2y = 1
(2) x / y > 1
Statement 1: 2x-2y = 1.
2(x-y) = 1.
x-y = 1/2.
x = y + 1/2.
It's possible that y=1/2 and x=1.
It's possible that y=0 and x=1/2.
Since in the first case x and y are both positive and in the second case x and y are not both positive, insufficient.

Statement 2: x/y > 1.
It's possible that x=2 and y=1, since 2/1 > 1.
It's possible that x=-2 and y=-1, since (-2)/(-1) > 1.
Since in the first case x and y are both positive and in the second case x and y are not both positive, insufficient.

Statements 1 and 2 combined:
Statement 1: x = y + 1/2.
Statement 2: x/y > 1.
Substituting for x in the inequality:
(y + 1/2)/y > 1.
1 + 1/(2y) > 1.
1/(2y) > 0.
Thus, y>0.
Since y>0 and x = y + 1/2, we know that x>1/2.
Sufficient.

The correct answer is C.

First take-away:
The approach above combined two techniques: algebra and plugging in values.
Many DS questions are best solved using a combination of these two techniques.

Second take-away:
Given an equation with 2 variables (such as x = y + 1/2) and an inequality with the same 2 variables (such as x/y > 1), use the equation to substitute for one of the variables in the inequality.
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