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MODULUS

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Manager
Status: Retaking next month
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Joined: 05 Mar 2011
Posts: 211

Kudos [?]: 179 [0], given: 42

Location: India
Concentration: Marketing, Entrepreneurship
GMAT 1: 570 Q42 V27
GPA: 3.01
WE: Sales (Manufacturing)

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14 Mar 2012, 18:45
Lets say,

$$|a - c| = 4$$ . If c>a then we can surely say that c-a=4.

What about the inverse. If say we know that c-a=4 & c>a. How do we approach |a - c| = 4??

This may be a very simple question?? Pls help.

Kudos [?]: 179 [0], given: 42

Manager
Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 93

Kudos [?]: 349 [0], given: 22

Location: India
Concentration: Technology, Strategy
GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V36
GPA: 3.2
WE: Information Technology (Computer Software)

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15 Mar 2012, 07:15
A modulus is actually an absolute value.
In this case it says that absolute value of |a-c| is 4. It depends upon two conditions.
It will be written as:
a-c = 4 , if a>c
a-c = -4, if c>a.
c>a is just one of the conditions of the modulus and hence for the inverse you need other condition also, and with that you can approach |a-c| = 4.
Hope it helps.

Kudos [?]: 349 [0], given: 22

Veritas Prep GMAT Instructor
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15 Mar 2012, 10:58
GMATPASSION wrote:
Lets say,

$$|a - c| = 4$$ . If c>a then we can surely say that c-a=4.

What about the inverse. If say we know that c-a=4 & c>a. How do we approach |a - c| = 4??

This may be a very simple question?? Pls help.

I am not sure I understand what you are asking but this is what I gathered:

If you know that c-a=4 & c>a, then you can say that |a - c| = 4.
If distance between c and a is 4 then distance between a and c is also 4. Keep in mind that mod represents distance. It doesn't matter where you measure it from.
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Kudos [?]: 17771 [0], given: 235

Joined: 29 Mar 2012
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Kudos [?]: 527 [0], given: 23

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25 May 2012, 04:40
VeritasPrepKarishma wrote:
GMATPASSION wrote:
Lets say,

$$|a - c| = 4$$ . If c>a then we can surely say that c-a=4.

What about the inverse. If say we know that c-a=4 & c>a. How do we approach |a - c| = 4??

This may be a very simple question?? Pls help.

I am not sure I understand what you are asking but this is what I gathered:

If you know that c-a=4 & c>a, then you can say that |a - c| = 4.
If distance between c and a is 4 then distance between a and c is also 4. Keep in mind that mod represents distance. It doesn't matter where you measure it from.

Hi,

A visual representation on number line would be

----------a------c--------
----------c------a--------
The distance between a & c is 4 units.

Also, since mod is always positive, whenever one opens a modulus the value should come out as positive.
So, if c>a implies c-a>0
therefore, |a-c| or |c-a| = c-a

Kudos [?]: 527 [0], given: 23

Re: MODULUS   [#permalink] 25 May 2012, 04:40
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