SaidNassar1991
x is a positive integer such as 0<x<22.
Is x a perfect square?
1) x^2+1 is multiple of the seventh prime number
2) x is even
Posted from my mobile deviceI'd like to focus on statement 1 here, the rest of the question is straightforward once we figure out which values of x are viable for statement 1.
Statement 1 translates to: \(x^2 + 1 = 17*i\), where
(i) x is a positive integer between [1, 21], and
(ii) \(i\) is a positive integer. In order to find possible pairings of x and i, we have two ways of testing values (and since we cannot break down \(x^2 + 1\) we'll have to test values...).
Method 1: Plug in x from 1 to 21, and check if the right side is a multiple of 17.
Method 2: \(x^2 = 17*i - 1\) Plug in \(i\) from 1 up until the value of \(17*i - 1\) exceeds \(21^2 = 441\) and check if \(x^2\) is a square.
Now typically we would choose method 1 because there are fewer values to plug in for method 1. However, checking for divisibility for 17 is tedious, so method 2 would actually be faster here. Memorizing the squares up until \(20^2\) is also standard preparation for GMAT.
Thus we go down the values by adding 17 at a time, the list we would be looking at is:
\(16, 33, 50, 67, 84, 101, 118, 135, 152, 169, 186, 203, 220, 237, 254, 271, 288, 305, 322, 339, 356, 373, 390, 407, 424, 441\).
16 and 169 should jump out immediately, and 441 is also \(21^2\) so we have to include that. Thus x = {4, 13, 21} are all viable x's. Among those x = 4 is a perfect square but x = {13, 21} are not, so statement 1 is insufficient.
Combining with statement 2 we can only choose x = 4 therefore the answer is C.