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If x and y are integer, what is the remainder when x^2 + y^2 is divided by 5?

(1) When x-y is divided by 5, the remainder is 1 --> \(x-y=5q+1\), so \(x-y\) can be 1, 6, 11, ... Now, \(x=2\) and \(y=1\) (\(x-y=1\)) then \(x^2+y^2=5\) and thus the remainder is 0, but if \(x=3\) and \(y=2\) (\(x-y=1\)) then \(x^2+y^2=13\) and thus the remainder is 3. Not sufficient.

(2) When x+y is divided by 5, the remainder is 2 --> \(x+y=5p+2\), so \(x+y\) can be 2, 7, 12, ... Now, \(x=1\) and \(y=1\) (\(x+y=2\)) then \(x^2+y^2=2\) and thus the remainder is 2, but if \(x=5\) and \(y=2\) (\(x+y=7\)) then \(x^2+y^2=29\) and thus the remainder is 4. Not sufficient.

(1)+(2) Square both expressions: \(x^2-2xy+y^2=25q^2+10q+1\) and \(x^2+2xy+y^2=25p^2+20p+4\) --> add them up: \(2(x^2+y^2)=5(5q^2+2q+5p^2+4p+1)\) --> so \(2(x^2+y^2)\) is divisible by 5 (remainder 0), which means that so is \(x^2+y^2\). Sufficient.

Answer: C.

Hope it's clear.


Hi Bunuel,

When you squared each term, why did you make X=5 and Y=1 in the first expression and X=5 and Y=2 in the second expression? I don't understand what indicated that.

Not following you... Which part are you talking about?


How did you get the following: (1)+(2) Square both expressions: x2−2xy+y2=25q2+10q+1x2−2xy+y2=25q2+10q+1 and x2+2xy+y2=25p2+20p+4x2+2xy+y2=25p2+20p+4 --> add them up: 2(x2+y2)=5(5q2+2q+5p2+4p+1)2(x2+y2)=5(5q2+2q+5p2+4p+1) --> so 2(x2+y2)2(x2+y2)

How did x^2 turn into 25Q^2?
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How did you get the following: (1)+(2) Square both expressions: x2−2xy+y2=25q2+10q+1x2−2xy+y2=25q2+10q+1 and x2+2xy+y2=25p2+20p+4x2+2xy+y2=25p2+20p+4 --> add them up: 2(x2+y2)=5(5q2+2q+5p2+4p+1)2(x2+y2)=5(5q2+2q+5p2+4p+1) --> so 2(x2+y2)2(x2+y2)

How did x^2 turn into 25Q^2?

\(x-y=5q+1\) --> \((x-y)^2=(5q+1)^2=25q^2+10q+1\)

\(x+y=5p+2\) --> \((x+y)^2=(5p+2)^2=25p^2+20p+4\)
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I have an easier method derived from Remainder concept stated by veritas prep

Statement I. (x-y)^ 2 = X^2 + y^2 - 2xy and gives remainder as 1. Not Suffcient

Statement II. (X+y) ^2 = X^2 + y^2 + 2xy and gives remainder as 4. Not Suffcient

Statements combined.
(x-y)^ 2 = X^2 + y^2 - 2xy = Remainder 1
add: (X+y) ^2 = X^2 + y^2 + 2xy = Remainder 4

We get = X^2 + y^2 = both remainder added 1 + 4 = 5

Hence Remainder will be 0.


The concept used is that

remainder from two numbers can be multiplied or added and then divided by divisor again to get the new remainder.

eg 26*68/3 = remainder 2* remainder 2, hence we get remainder 4/3, hence final remainder 1.

Same with addition when adding numbers add the remainders.
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You know that 2(x^2+y^2)= (x-y)^2 + (x+y)^2.

How did you come to this equation? I cannot understand how the first part of equation equals the second part. Would be happy if anyone explains for a non-quant person )
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Question to Bunuel:

Please tell me, how in 2 minutes, looking at the question for the first time in my life, I can decifer that I shoud firstly square both equations, then ADD them and only then I will see that it can be divided by 5 too. where is the key to start such calculation? there is no time to do different approaches.

We know that \(x-y=5q+1\) and \(x+y=5p+2\) and we need to find the remainder when \(x^2 + y^2\) (\(x\) squared plus \(y\) squared ) is divided by 5, so we need to get some expression, from these two, where \(x\) and \(y\) are squared and add up. Squaring and adding seems to be the best way to proceed.

Hope it's clear.


Thanks for the explanation. I have another question. In this problem we get 0 as a remainder, but what if the remainder would be non-zero positive integer. We know that the remainders may not be the same when x+y and x^2 + y^2 are divided by 5. So this technique wont work, right? What approach is best to follow in that occasion?
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How will you approach this question
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