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Re: ­The class teacher divided 100 pencils between five students, A, B, C, [#permalink]
Expert Reply
anish777 wrote:
Hi chetan2u
2A+B = 100
lets assume A-B = 32
Then A=B+32
2(B+32) + B = 100
3B = 36 => B=12
why is this not possible ?

­A in this case becomes 12+32 = 44.
Thus, C+D+E should also be 44. But C cannot be more than 12 as B is greater than or equal to C.
So Maximum value of C+D+E = 12+12+12 = 36, which is not equal to A or 44.
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Re: ­The class teacher divided 100 pencils between five students, A, B, C, [#permalink]
chetan2u wrote:
chetan2u wrote:
­The class teacher divided 100 pencils amongst five students, A, B, C, D and E. The number of pencils received by A is equal to the sum of the pencils received by the three students, C, D and E. It is also known \(a \geq b \geq c\geq d \geq e\), where a, b, c, d and e are pencils received by A, B, C, D and E respectively.

On the basis of the information provided, select for Max A-B, the maximum difference between the number of the pencils received by A and  the number of the pencils received by B, and select for Min the least number of the pencils that B could have got. Make only two selections, one in each column.

 

We know a = c+d+e, and a+b+c+d+e = 100 or a+b+a = 100, that is 2a+b=100

Max A-B: We are looking into the difference of the two largest numbers, that is a-b. To make it the largest, we have to make a the largest possible and b the smallest possible.
The smallest value of b will be when it is equal to c, and c is also least possible.
Now, c+d+e = a
For c to be least, let it be equal to d and e, so c+c+c = a or \(c=\frac{a}{3}\).
Therefore, a+b+(c+d+e) = 100 or a+c+(a) = 100..........\(2a+\frac{a}{3}=100.......7a=300.....a=42.89\)
As a is an integer, the maximum value of a is 42.
Value of b = 42+b+42 = 100.......b=16
Max A-B = 42-16 = 26

Max B: We know 2a+b = 100, so to get maximum value of b, we have to minimize a. 
Let b be equal to a, then 3a = 100 and a = 33.33
If a = 33, then b becomes 100-2*33 or 34, making b>a.
So a = 34, and b = 100-2*34 or 32.

­Hi chetan,
Why can't here we put minimum value of b as a/3 = 42/3 = 14. why we are putting a max. in 2a + b = 100 to find b?
Thanks in Advance
GMAT Club Bot
Re: ­The class teacher divided 100 pencils between five students, A, B, C, [#permalink]
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