Is the value of x equal to the value of y?

Individual value of x and y is not equal. If we assume any value of x and y for stm1, result will be equal but not individual value. thanks.

I'm surprised that almost 50% of users got this question wrong!

First statement is absolutely useless. |x-y| = |y-x| is true for any values of x and y: both LHS and RHS are the distances between x and y, so no surprise that they are equal.

Second statement also does not give us much - it implies that none of them is 0.

Together, the same story, nothing to determine whether x = y or not. For example, consider x = y = 1 and x = 1 and y = 2.

Answer: E.

Bunuel , I am badly struggling with Modulus/absoulate value questions ... I completed Mgmat book for same topic also went through gmat club book for this topic ... but accuracy is damn low .. I freak out whenever i see this Mod sign .. please suggest something !!

Try practicing easy modulus questions first and post doubts you'll have:
Sub-600 PS absolute value questions
Sub-600 DS absolute value questions

Also check Absolute Value Tips and articles on modulus in our Important Topics Directory.

Hope it helps.

Hi adityadon,

Absolute Value questions (Modulus questions) are relatively rare on the GMAT - you'll probably see the concept just once or twice on Test Day, so you don't have to worry too much about it. Most Absolute Value questions can be solved by TESTing VALUES or by doing a bit of 'brute force' arithmetic, so dealing with this category using complex mathematics is not a good idea (and is NEVER necessary).

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

The strategy you should use on absolute value questions is totally level-dependent. If you're just aiming for an average Quant score, testing values should be fine - on easier questions it often works, and it's often fast. But if you're aiming for a high Quant score, you'll be seeing harder questions on test day, and on hard absolute value questions, testing numbers will either take far too long, or will simply not get you the answer. There are two mathematical approaches that can be used. The 'distance approach', the approach Bunuel used above to solve this question in 5 seconds, is most often the best approach. The 'cases method', which is what most people learn in school, can always be used, but it's often very awkward, so is best avoided unless strictly necessary. But it is necessary on occasion - I've seen a small number of real GMAT questions where the cases method is the only way to get an answer, so test takers aiming for Q51 scores probably should know how to use it.

Hi adityadon,

As you continue to study, you should take full advantage of these Forums. If you come across any additional Absolute Value questions that give you trouble (or any other types of questions, for that matter), then you should post them here. I'm sure the group will show you every possible way to approach the question.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

St1. |x-y| is equal to |y-x| by definition. INSUFF

St.2 only know that none of x and y or both are not equal to 0.INSUFF

st1+st2. INSUFF

E