Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 02:21 It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 02:21
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
Konstantin Lynov
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Last visit: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 71
Own Kudos:
14
 [1]
Location: Moscow
Posts: 71
Kudos: 14
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
mciatto
Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Last visit: 13 Jun 2005
Posts: 131
Own Kudos:
Location: Maryland
Posts: 131
Kudos: 40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
kpadma
Joined: 03 Jul 2003
Last visit: 20 Oct 2004
Posts: 380
Own Kudos:
Posts: 380
Kudos: 533
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
mciatto
Joined: 10 Jun 2003
Last visit: 13 Jun 2005
Posts: 131
Own Kudos:
Location: Maryland
Posts: 131
Kudos: 40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
My thoughts were the following:

If one of the books is in the first position, then there is a 1/9 chance that the second book is adjacent. If one of the books is in positions 2 - 9, then there is a 2/9 chance that the other book will be one either side of it. If the first book is on the other end, position 10, then there is again a 1/9 prob that the other book is adjacent to it. I simply averages these 10 different scenarios to get 1/5.
User avatar
p_malh
Joined: 20 Aug 2003
Last visit: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 34
Own Kudos:
Location: USA
Posts: 34
Kudos: 1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Stolyar,

9!*2/10!=1/5

Can u please explain how you worked out this problem!!!!!!!!!


Thanks
User avatar
AkamaiBrah
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Joined: 07 Jul 2003
Last visit: 24 Jun 2009
Posts: 391
Own Kudos:
523
 [1]
Location: New York NY 10024
Concentration: Finance
Schools:Haas, MFE; Anderson, MBA; USC, MSEE
Posts: 391
Kudos: 523
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
p_malh
Stolyar,

9!*2/10!=1/5

Can u please explain how you worked out this problem!!!!!!!!!


Thanks


Imagine that the two book we want to keep together are taped together and treat them as one book. Now there are 9! ways to arrange these "9" books, each way keeping the books together. Now, of those two books, they arranged in 2 ways (BK1:BK2 or BK2:BK1). Hence there are 9!*2 ways to arrange them keeping the two books together and 10! total ways to arrange 10 book.

p = 9!*2/10!



Archived Topic
Hi there,
This topic has been closed and archived due to inactivity or violation of community quality standards. No more replies are possible here.
Where to now? Join ongoing discussions on thousands of quality questions in our Data Sufficiency (DS) Forum
Still interested in this question? Check out the "Best Topics" block above for a better discussion on this exact question, as well as several more related questions.
Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,582
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,582
Kudos: 1,079
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
Math Expert
105379 posts
GMAT Tutor
1924 posts