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Somehow people didn't get the fact that I wanted the readers (aka the people) to solve this problem and leave their answers as comments.... I wouldn't have posted this problem if it didn't hold something more interesting than an obvious solution
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The fules to answer the rollowing question are simple :
Say 1 if you think 'A' alone is sufficient to answer the question
Say 2 if you think 'B' alone is sufficient to answer the question
Say 3 if you think both 'A' and 'B' are needed to answer the question
Say 4 if you think either 'A' or 'B' can be used to answer the question
Say 5 if you think neither 'A' and 'B' can be used to answer the question (data insufficiency)
Ok here is the question :
Is 'n' even?
A) 2n is even
B) 3n is even
where, A and B are standalone, true facts.
8 comments:
Say 2
Say 2 [Me too]
I say 4
Any statement can be used to answer this question, even tho none are needed.
consider A)2n is even
so, can it be used to answer the question "is n even?" Yes it can be used. The answer is "Can't say"
consider B)3n is even
n has to be even in this case. So the answer is can option B be used to answer the question "is n even?" Yes it can, and the answer is "Yes n is even"
(Is this right?)
Tanks for your answers :)
@karan : "Can't say" isn't an option...Dealin only with Yes here... Can you say "Yes, n is even" based on A and B?
The answer is 5...Data Insufficiency
Cos what if 3n = 4 and n = 4/3 ??
:)
You guys see??
isnt "even" and "odd" only applicable to "whole" numbers???
@girish :
Bravo Bravo amigo!!
You've seen thru it :D
This was a question in one of the GMAT practice tests and the software gave the above reasoning ( n = 4/3 case) as the reason for the answer to be 5.
So the answer should be 2, but is reported as 5...
Excuse me, i think i agree the answer's 5. The GMAT math test starts off with 'unless otherwise told all numbers are real numbers'
so if the question's basic premise does not restrict to whole numbers, then it need not be.
well of course i recog your argument of 'well hell, the whole idea of even/odd itself is irrelevant without knowing its a whole num'....well, i dunno about that.
btw Murali:
The answer we are looking for need not be 'Yes its even', it can also be 'no its not'. Only it cant be 'cant say'
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