DS Question of the Day

If a^x=b^y, where a, b, x, and y are positive integers, is x divisible by y?

(1) a is an odd number
(2) y is an odd number

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15 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Erlan says:

    (2) is enough to answer the question.

    Regarding(1), I think it wanted to sound like a is an odd number.
    Then (1) is not enough to answer the question.

  2. Erlan says:

    Sorry, (1) is also enough to answer the question.

  3. JT says:

    well, if a^x = b^y, then we know that at least one these is true
    1) x divides y OR
    2) y divides x OR
    3) a=b=1, in which case x and y can be anything (1^3 = 1^5 for example).

    I don’t see how knowing the second fact, that y is odd, helps at all.

    Knowing (1), what the value of is, allows us to eliminate my third possibility, but then we still don’t know whether x|y or y|x since we don’t know which is bigger?

    So I think the answer cannot be determined even with both facts.

  4. Aliva says:

    i am not really convinced with the question
    statement states simply ‘a’
    which could mean anything
    Gmat Team ,need your sincencere concern and help
    I am not able to find where I am wrong??

  5. BSankar says:

    let a = 2, x = 4
    than a^x = 16
    and b = 4, y = 2
    than b^y = 16.

    Do anyone have any other example. I hope y is a even number always.

  6. BSankar says:

    so y is divisible by x..

  7. dp says:

    Option E

  8. deepak says:

    a^x = b^y.

    Eqn : 2^4 = 4^2 will solve this.But there is also something we need to take care of ,a = b = 1.So irrespective of the powers the eqn will be satisfied always.

    Statement 1: Nt suff.

    Statement 2 : Nt suff.

    Combining both the statements : Nt suff.

    I will go with option E

  9. Nitin Sharma says:

    E

  10. Kofi DL says:

    Statement 1 is necessary and sufficient to answer the question…

  11. aryan says:

    125 = 5 ^ 3 …. option E

  12. keerthi says:

    E

  13. tarun says:

    If a is odd then B must be odd

    5^4=25^2

    3^4=9^2

    hence a is sufficient

  14. ramesh says:

    my answer is E

  15. ramesh says:

    how 1, i am not getting

    here in first a is odd a is base but we do not no x donot know y value also value so this is not sufficient to tel x divisable by y

    in second y value odd we donot know x value k this is also not

    would we give the answer to that problem we want to know x value and y value from this options we cannot find out value of x so my answer is E

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