GMAT Questionbank | GMAT Inequalities Q4

This GMAT quant practice question is a data sufficiency question in Inequalities. Concept: Rule of Indices (Laws of exponents). A GMAT 700 level data sufficiency sample question.

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This data sufficiency problem consists of a question and two statements, labeled (1) and (2), in which certain data are given. You have to decide whether the data given in the statements are sufficient for answering the question. Using the data given in the statements, plus your knowledge of mathematics and everyday facts (such as the number of days in a leap year or the meaning of the word counterclockwise), you must indicate whether -

1. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
2. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.
3. BOTH statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked.
4. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked.
5. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data specific to the problem are needed.

Numbers

All numbers used are real numbers.

Figures

A figure accompanying a data sufficiency question will conform to the information given in the question but will not necessarily conform to the additional information given in statements (1) and (2)

Lines shown as straight can be assumed to be straight and lines that appear jagged can also be assumed to be straight

You may assume that the positions of points, angles, regions, etc. exist in the order shown and that angle measures are greater than zero.

All figures lie in a plane unless otherwise indicated.

Note

In data sufficiency problems that ask for the value of a quantity, the data given in the statement are sufficient only when it is possible to determine exactly one numerical value for the quantity.

Question 4: Is a < b?

Statement 1: a^b < b^a
Statement 2: \\frac{a}{b}) > 1

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Video Explanation

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Explanatory Answer | GMAT Inequalities DS

Step 1: Decode the Question Stem

Q1. What kind of an answer will the question fetch?
The question is an "IS" question. For "is" questions, the answer is "YES" or "NO".

Q2. When is the data sufficient?
The data is sufficient if we are able to answer a CONCLUSIVE YES or a CONCLUSIVE NO from the information in the statements.
If using the information in the statement(s), we arrive at an answer that is sometimes yes and sometimes no, the data is not sufficient.

Q3. When is the answer yes?
The answer is yes when a < b.

Q4. When is the answer no?
The answer is no when a ≥ b.
Note that the answer is no both when a > b and when a = b.

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Step 2: Evaluate Statement 1 ALONE

Statement 1: a^b < b^a

Approach: Counter Example
Example: Now, if a = 1, b = 100 a^b < b^a and a < b.
If we can think of one example where a^b < b^a such that a > b, we can say this statement is insufficient.

Counter Example: If we take "b" as a negative number this could be very easily accomplished (especially if "a" were an even number).
Let us say b = -2 and a = 2.
2^(-2) < (-2)², but 2 > -2; essentially, a > b
A counter example exists.
Hence, statement 1 is not sufficient.
Eliminate answer options A and D.

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Step 3: Evaluate Statement 2 ALONE

Statement 2: \\frac{a}{b}) > 1

Approach: Counter Example
If a, b are both positive, then \\frac{a}{b}) > 1 implies a > b.
If both are negative, it means the opposite.

Example: a = 5, b = 3, a > b and satisfies this condition \\frac{a}{b}) > 1.
Counter Example: if a = -5, b = -3, a < b and these values also satisfy this condition \\frac{a}{b}) > 1.

Counter example exists.
We are not able to find a conclusive answer using statement 2.
Hence, statement 2 is not sufficient.
Eliminate answer option B. Choices narrow down to C or E.

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Step 4: Evaluate Statements TOGETHER

Statements: a^b < b^a and \\frac{a}{b}) > 1

If \\frac{a}{b}) is greater than 1, then either both are positive or both are negative.
If both are positive then a has to be greater than b.
An example for a^b < b^a is easy to find.
Say, a = 10 and b = 2 satisfies both statements and a > b.
So, we can establish that the statements together are not sufficient if we can find one example where aand b are both negative such that a < b and a^b < b^a.

If we take "a" as an even number and "b" as an odd number, we should be through.
Let a = -4 and b = -3
(-4)^(-3) < (-3)^(-4)
Negative numbers with odd powers are negative and negative numbers with even powers are positive. Negative numbers are lesser than positive numbers.
This example satisfies both the statements and in this case, a < b.

A Counter example exists.
Hence, statements together are NOT sufficient.
Eliminate answer option C.

Choice E is the correct answer.