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The sum of 4 different odd integers is 64. What is the value of the GMAT Data Sufficiency

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Sayantani Barman

Experta en el extranjero | Updated On - Mar 16, 2023

Question: 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 number
  2. Of these integers, the greatest is 6 more than the least

A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
C. BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.
D. EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.
E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

Answer: D

Approach Solution (1):
We are given that the sum of 4 different odd integers is 64 and need to determine the value of the greatest of these integers.
Statement One Alone:
The integers are consecutive odd numbers
Since we know that the integers are consecutive odd integers, we can denote the integers as x, x + 2, x + 4, and x + 6 (notice that the largest integer is x + 6).
Since the sum of these integers is 64, we can create the following equation and determine x:
x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) + (x + 6) = 64
4x + 12 = 64
4x = 52
x = 13
Thus, the largest integer is 13 + 6 = 19.
Statement one alone is sufficient to answer the question. We can eliminate answer choices B, C, and E.
Statement Two Alone:
Of these integers, the greatest is 6 more than the least.
Using the information in statement two, we can determine that the four integers are consecutive odd integers. Let’s further elaborate on this idea. If we take any set of four consecutive odd integers, {1, 3, 5, 7}, {9, 11, 13, 15}, or {19, 21, 23, 25}, notice that in ALL CASES the greatest integer in the set is always 6 more than the least integer. In other words, the only way to fit two odd integers between the odd integers n and n + 6 is if the two added odd integers are n + 2 and n +4, thus making them consecutive odd integers. Since we have determined that we have a set of four consecutive odd integers and that their sum is 64, we can determine the value of all the integers in the set, including the value of the greatest one, in the same way we did in statement one. Thus, statement two is also sufficient to answer the question.
Correct option: D

Approach Solution (2):
Given: The 4 numbers are different odd integers, and their sum is 64.
Statement 1: The integers are consecutive odd numbers
Let x = the first odd integer
So, x + 2 = the 2nd odd integer
So, x + 4 = the 3rd odd integer
So, x + 6 = the 4th odd integer
Since we're told the sum is 64, we can write: x + (x+2) + (x+4) + (x+6) = 64
Since we COULD solve this equation for x, we COULD determine all 4 values, which means we COULD determinethe value of the greatest of the 4 odd integers
Of course, we're not going to waste valuable time solving the equation, since our sole goal is to determine whether the statement provides sufficient information.
Since we COULD answer thetarget questionwith certainty, statement 1 is SUFFICIENT
Statement 2: Of these integers, the greatest is 6 more than the least.
Notice that the 4 CONSECUTIVE integers (from statement 1) can be written as x, x+2, x+4 and x+6
Notice that the biggest number (x+6) is 6 more than the smallest number (x).
Since the 4 odd integers are different, statement 2 is basically telling us that the 4 integers are CONSECUTIVE
So, for the same reason we found statement 1 to be SUFFICIENT, we can also conclude that statement 2 is SUFFICIENT
Correct option: D

Approach Solution (3):
Statement 1:
Since the numbers are EVENLY SPACED, median = sum/count:
64/4 = 16.
Since the median = 16, the 4 odd integers must be as follows:
13, 15, 17, 19.
Thus, the greatest of the 4 odd integers = 19.
SUFFICENT
Statement 2:
The 4 odd integers yielded by Statement 1 -- 13, 15, 17, 19 -- satisfy the condition that greatest - least = 6.
If we decrease the least and the greatest to 11 and 17, the middle 2 odd integers will be 13 and 15, with the result that the sum of the 4 integers = 11+13+15+17 = 56.
If we increase the least and the greatest to 15 and 21, the middle 2 odd integers will be 17 and 19 , with the result that the sum of the 4 integers = 15+17+19+21 = 72.
Implication:
Only the 4 odd integers yielded by Statement 1 -- 13, 15, 17, 19 -- will satisfy the conditions that the sum = 64 and greatest - least = 6.
Thus, the greatest of the 4 integers = 19.
SUFFICIENT
Correct option: D

“The sum of 4 different odd integers is 64. What is the value of the greatest of these integers?”- is a topic of the GMAT Quantitative reasoning section of GMAT. This question has been taken from the book "GMAT Quantitative Review". GMAT Quant section consists of a total of 31 questions. GMAT Data Sufficiency questions consist of a problem statement followed by two factual statements. GMAT data sufficiency comprises 15 questions which are two-fifths of the total 31 GMAT quant questions.

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*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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