GMAT Math : GMAT Quantitative Reasoning

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1271 : Problem Solving Questions

 is defined to be the greatest integer less than or equal to .

Define 

Evaluate 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Example Question #1271 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

Evaluate .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 

 

 

Example Question #1272 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

For any real , define .

For what value or values of  would  ?

Possible Answers:

No such value of  exists.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

For such an  to exist, it must hold that .

Take the square root of both sides:

 or 

 

Case 1:

 

Case 2:

Example Question #1273 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

Define an operation  on the set of real numbers as follows:

Evaluate .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First, evaluate  by substituting :

Second, evaluate  in the same way.

Example Question #1274 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

Define an operation  as follows:

For any real  , .

For what value or values of  is it true that  ?

Possible Answers:

No such value of  exists.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Substitute  into the definition, and then set the expression equal to 0 to solve for :

 

Example Question #1275 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

Consider the function .

State whether this function is even, odd, or neither, and give the reason for your answer.

Possible Answers:

 is odd because it is a polynomial of degree 3.

 is not odd, because there exists at least one value of  for which  ;  is not even, because there exists at least one value of  for which .

 is even because  for each value of  in the domain.

 is odd because  for each value of  in the domain.

 is even because it is a polynomial of degree 3.

Correct answer:

 is not odd, because there exists at least one value of  for which  ;  is not even, because there exists at least one value of  for which .

Explanation:

A function is odd if and only if  for each value of  in the domain; it is even if and only if  for each value of  in the domain. To disprove a function is odd or even, we need only find one value of  for which the appropriate statement fails to hold. 

Consider :

 

 

, so  is not an odd function; , so  is not an even function.

 

 

Example Question #1276 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

 

.

Evaluate .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First we evaluate . Since the parameter is negative, we use the first half of the definition of :

; since the parameter here is again negative, we use the first half of the definition of :

Therefore, .

Example Question #1277 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

 is defined to be the greatest integer less than or equal to .

Define  .

Evaluate .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 

Example Question #1278 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning

If  and , what is ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

We start by finding g(2):

Then we find f(g(2)) which is f(4): 

Example Question #55 : Functions/Series

Define two real-valued functions as follows:

Determine .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 by definition.  is piecewise defined, with one defintion for negative values of the domain and one for nonnegative values. However,  is nonnegative for all real numbers, so the defintion for nonnegative numbers, , is the one that will always be used. Therefore,

 for all values of .

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