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Bunuel
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Bunuel
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Bunuel
For any integers x and y, min(x,y) and max(x,y) denote the minimum and the maximum of x and y, respectively. For example, min(5,2)=2 and max(5,2)=5. For the integers a and b, what is the value of max(a,b)?


(1) a > b --> max(a, b) = a but since we don't know the numerical value of a, then this statement is not sufficient.

(2) ab = −1. Since a and b are integers, then a = 1 and b = -1 or vise-versa. In any case, max(a, b) = 1. Sufficient.

Answer: B.

Similar questions to practice:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/max-x-y-is-d ... 28330.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/for-any-inte ... 94998.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/for-any-inte ... 61903.html

Hope it helps.

Hello Bunuel
I've one question here:-
for 2) even this is the possibility, a = -1/2 and b = 2 or a = -2 and b = 1/2. Here also we don't have definite value for a or b. Then this statement must not be sufficient?

Notice that the function is given to be defined for integers only.
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For any integers x and y, min(x,y) and max(x,y) denote the minimum and the maximum of x and y, respectively. For example, min(5,2)=2 and max(5,2)=5. For the integers a and b, what is the value of max(a,b)?


(1) a > b

(2) ab = −1

We need to figure out a definite value, not a variable.

(1) It gives "a" not any numerical value; Insufficient.

(2) \(ab=-1\), that is \(-1*1\), either \(a=-1\) or \(b=-1\) it will not matter as the will take the maximum value that will be definite 1. Sufficeint.

The answer is B
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(1) a > b

While this tells us that max(a,b) = a, we have no idea what the actual value of "a" is. Hence statement 1 is not sufficient to find the value of max(a,b).

(2) ab = -1

Given the condition that -> a and b are integers

The above is only possible if either

-> a = 1; b = -1 OR
-> a = -1; b = 1

In either case, max (a, b) = the max value between -1 and +1 = +1.

So, statement 2 is sufficient to find the value of max(a,b).

Answer: Choice B

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