By: Rich Zwelling, Apex GMAT Instructor
Date: 23rd March, 2021

In our last post, we left you with a GMAT Official Guide Data Sufficiency problem to tackle regarding Odd/Even Number Theory. Here it is, if you didn’t get a chance to do it before:

If x and y are integers, is xy even?
(1) x = y + 1.
(2) x/y is an even integer.

Solution:

The title of today’s post gives a little hint. We discussed last time that for a product of integers to be even, all you need is a single even integer in the set. (Conversely, for the entire product to be odd, every integer must be odd.) 

How does that affect how we interpret Statement (1)? Well, this is where taking a purely Algebraic approach can get you into trouble. Why not take a NARRATIVE APPROACH? What is the equation really telling us narratively about the relationship between x and y? Develop the  habit of thinking about numbers narratively instead of purely algebraically, as this can make numerical relationships easier to understand.

Statement (1), in essence, is really telling us that y and x are consecutive integers. If I take y and add one to it to get x, they must be consecutive. So what are the implications for the number property of the question (even/odd)? Well, between any pair of consecutive integers, one must be odd and one must be even. I don’t know which is which, but it doesn’t matter in this case, because I care only about the product. Whether it’s Odd*Even or Even*Odd, the final product of xy will always be Even. 

Even if you don’t see this narratively, you could use a scenario-driven approach and test simple numbers using the equation. If x = y + 1, try y = 2 and x = 3 to get xy = 6. Now, that’s just one instance of xy being even, so that doesn’t prove it’s always even. But then if I use y = 3 and x = 4 to get xy = 12, I again get an even result for xy. Using y = 4 and x = 5 would again yield an even xy result. Hopefully what I will realize, at this point, is that I am switching between x=odd, y=even and x=even, y=odd, and yet I still end up with xy=even

Statement (1) is SUFFICIENT

And remember: the GMAT is very fond of testing interesting properties of consecutive integers.

For Statement (2), we discussed that division is less amenable to hard-fast rules of odd/even properties. For that reason, you could definitely use a scenario-driven approach. But hopefully, this approach would lead you towards a consideration of our previously discussed undesired possibility. Here’s what I mean:

If x/y is even, does that guarantee that xy is even? If you’re picking numbers, you must pick ones that fit the statement. It’s tempting to pick ones that contradict the statement (i.e. proving the statement wrong), but remember that the question is up for debate, not the statement. The statement is given to you as iron-clad fact. 

So what if, for example, x = 4 and y = 2? That works for Statement (2), because x/y would certainly be even (4/2 = 2). And that would lead you to xy = 8, which is of course even. 

You could pick many such examples. But here’s where the undesired part comes into play. Is it possible for us to pick numbers here such that xy becomes odd? Well, for xy to be odd, both x and y would have to be odd. But if x and y were both odd, could x/y be even as Statement (2) says? Even if you can’t see the answer right away, try some numbers here, knowing that x and y must be integers:

x=5, y=35/3 (not even)
x=3, y=5 → 3/5  (not even)
x=3, y=7 → 3/7 (not even)
x=9, y=3 → 3 (not even)

You’ll see that no matter what numbers you try, you’ll never get an even result for x/y. From a number theory perspective, this is because to get an even result, you must retain a factor of 2 in the numerator of the fraction. But we don’t even start with a factor of 2 if we have only odd numbers to begin with. 

In conclusion, there’s no way that x and y can both be odd in Statement (2), meaning xy is not odd, and that guarantees xy is even. Statement (2) is also SUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is D. Each statement is SUFFICIENT on its own.

For next time, give the following Official Guide problem a shot, and use it as a chance to practice a NARRATIVE APPROACH:

The sum of 4 different odd integers is 64. What is the value of the greatest of these integers?
(1) The integers are consecutive odd numbers
(2) Of these integers, the greatest is 6 more than the least.

Find other GMAT Number Theory topics here:
Odds and Ends (…or Evens)
Consecutive Integers (plus more on Odds and Evens)
Consecutive Integers and Data Sufficiency (Avoiding Algebra)
GMAT Prime Factorization (Anatomy of a Problem)
A Primer on Primes