All GMAT Math Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #32 : Dsq: Understanding Functions
Let and be functions, the domain of both of which is the set of real numbers. Let .
True or false:
Statement 1: The range of is the set
Statement 2: The range of is the set
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
, so we need to determine whether .
From Statement 1 alone, since the range of is - that is, the set of all positive numbers, then regardless of the value of ,
.
Therefore, Statement 1 alone yields an affirmative answer to the question.
From Statement 2 alone, regardless of the value or , , but we do not know the value or range of values of . Statement 2 alone is unhelpful.
Example Question #33 : Dsq: Understanding Functions
Is a given relation a function?
Statement 1: The domain of the relation is .
Statement 2: The range of the relation is .
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
The two statements together do not prove or disprove the relation to be a function.
The relations defined by the sets of points
.
and
have the domain and range given in the statements, but the former is a function, since each domain element is matched with exaclty one element, and the latter is not a function, since domain element 1 is matched with two different range elements.
Example Question #862 : Data Sufficiency Questions
A relation comprises ten ordered pairs. Is it a function?
Statement 1: Its domain is .
Statement 2: The line passes through its graph twice.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
If Statement 1 alone is assumed, then, since there are only six domain elements and ten points in the relation, at least one of the domain elements must match with more than one range element. This forces the relation to not be a function.
If Statement 2 alone is assumed, then, since is a vertical line that passes through the graph twice, the relation fails the vertical line test and is therefore not a function.
Example Question #2981 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning
Define and to be functions. Does have an inverse?
Statement 1: has an inverse.
Statement 2: has an inverse.
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
. This defintion will come into play here.
A function has an inverse if and only if it is "one-to-one" - that is, if
if and only if .
Assume statement 1 only.
if and only if . However, since it is not known whether has an inverse, it is possible for with either or . Transitively, it is possible for with either or .
Assume Statement 2 only.
if and only if . But it is possible for with or - and, subsequently, with or . Transitively, it is possible for with either or .
Assume both statements are true. Then
if and only if , and if and only if . Transitively,
if and only if .
Therefore,
if and only if , and, subsequently, has an inverse.
The two statements together - but neither alone - lead to an answer.
Example Question #2982 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning
Define and to be functions on the real numbers. Does have an inverse?
Statement 1: does not have an inverse.
Statement 2: does not have an inverse.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
Examine these two examples.
Example 1: Let
Neither function has an inverse, since both functions pair all values with the same value, namely, 1.
does not have an inverse, since it pairs all values with the same value, namely, 0.
Therefore, and have no inverse, and has no inverse.
Example 2: Let and .
has no inverse, since and - that is, pairs at least two values with the same value.
has no inverse, since and ; that is, pairs at least two values with the same value.
is the identity function, which has itself as an inverse.
This demonstrates that, if and do not have inverses, it is possible for to have an inverse or to not have an inverse. Therefore, the two statements together are inconclusive.
Example Question #2983 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning
Define and to be functions on the set of real numbers. Does have an inverse?
Statement 1: has an inverse.
Statement 2: has an inverse.
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
Examine these two examples.
Example 1: and .
can be proved to have an inverse as follows:
Switch the variables:
Therefore, has an inverse; a smiliar proof shows that has an inverse .
, which can be similarly be shown to have inverse
.
Example 2: and .
Again, and can be shown to have inverses, and .
. However,
.
This function has no inverse, since this function pairs multiple values of with the same value of , 0.
In both cases, both and have inverses, but in one case, has an inverse, and in the other case, does not. The two statements together are inconclusive.
Example Question #2984 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning
Is a given relation a function?
Statement 1: The line passes through its graph infinitely many times.
Statement 2: The line passes through its graph infinitely many times.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
If Statement 1 alone is assumed, then, since is a vertical line that passes through the graph of the relation more than once, the relation fails the vertical line test, and the relation can be proved to not be a function.
However, there is no restriction on how many times a horizontal line such as can pass through the graph of a relation for it to be or not to be a function. Statement 2 proves nothing either way.
Example Question #2985 : Gmat Quantitative Reasoning
Is a given relation a function?
Statement 1: Two of its ordered pairs have -coordinate .
Statement 2: Two of its ordered pairs have -coordinate .
Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.
EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.
Statement 1 alone disproves that the relation is a function, since in a function, no -coordinate can be paired with two -coordinates. However, statement 2 alone does not prove or disprove the relation to be a function, since it is permissible for two -coordinates to be paired with the same -coordinate.
Example Question #41 : Dsq: Understanding Functions
The volume of a right circular cylinder is ; the radius of its base is .
Give the height of the cylinder.
The volume of a right circular cylinder, given base with radius and given height , is
.
Setting and :
Example Question #47 : Dsq: Understanding Functions
The volume of a right circular cylinder is ; its height is .
Give the radius of a base of the cylinder.
The volume of a right circular cylinder, given base with radius and given height , is
.
Setting and :