EXPLANATION TEST 4

ONESTOP MBAPREP

1) If we have an inequality |y| > 3, this will be satisfied if => y > 3 or y <

-3.

So, the above inequality simplifies to two inequalities

Inequality I: |x - 3| - 4 > 3

|x - 3| - 4 > 3 => |x - 3| > 7

x - 3 > 7 or x - 3 < -7

Or, x > 10 or x < -4

Of, x lies outside of -4 and 10. Or, x can lie in the range (-∞, -4) or (

10, ∞)

Inequality II: |x - 3| - 4 < -3

|x - 3| - 4 < - 3

=> |x - 3| < 1

=> -1 < x - 3 < 1 or x lies between 2 and 4

So, final solution is given by the range

( -∞, -4) or (2, 4) or ( 10, ∞)

 The question is "Find the range of x where ||x - 3| - 4| > 3?"

Hence the answer is "( -∞, -4) or (2, 4) or ( 10, ∞)"

2)

For any two points M, N on the number line representing numbers m, n the

distance MN = | m - n|.

So, for three points, P, Q and R on the number line |p – q|, |q – r|, |r – p|

are distances between three pairs of points on the number line.

In this case, we are trying to find maximum value of |a – b| + |b – c| – |c –

a|. If b lies between a and c, the above value would be zero. So, b should not

be between a and c.

The best case scenario would be if a, c were very close to each other and far

from b. Let us try b = 24, a = 1, c = 2.

In this case |a – b| + |b – c| – |c – a| = 23 + 22 – 1 = 44. This is the

maximum possible value.

We could also have b = 1, a = 24, c = 23,

|a – b| + |b – c| – |c – a| = 23 + 22 – 1 = 44.

The question is "What is the maximum possible value of |a – b| + |b

– c| – |c – a|?"

Hence the answer is "44"

3)

|q – p| is the distance between p and q on the number line. |p –q| is the

same as |q –p| to begin with.

So, in this case we are told |a -b| + |b -c| = |c – a|. Think about this. What

does this mean? There are three points on the number line. We are talking

about 3 distances on the number line here. We know that sum of some two

of the distances is equal to the third. What does this tell us?

This tells us that the point b has to be in between a and c. With this we are

done. We can have a or c to be 99 and b to be 98.

Maximum value b can take is 98. Classic question.

The question is "If |a - b| + |b - c| = |c – a|, what is the maximum

value possible for b?"

Hence the answer is "98"

4)

We know that |x + y| < |x| + |y|.

So, each of these fractions lies between 0 and 1. So, all three added together
should go from 0 to 3?

Is that the case? Is 2IIM running questions that are this simple?

When would this be 3? If x, y and z all have the same sign. Each fraction would
be 1 and we would get 3 overall. Spot on! So, the maximum value is 3.
When can this go to zero.
When x=-y this fraction goes to 0. When x and y have opposite signs, the first
term would go to zero. Likewise for the second and third terms as well.

So, what is the catch.

Among x, y, and z at least two will have the same sign.

So, of the three terms maximum of two can go to zero. One will be +1.
So, the minimum total overall = 1 (not 0)
Hence the answer is "3 and 1"

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10)

|a| and |b| are two non-negative numbers, hence we can be sure that |a| + |b| ≥ |a| - |b|, i.e., x ≥
y.
z = |a - b|, hence z will always lie between x and y.

⇒x≥z≥y

11)

Here the critical points are x = -5, 0, 3

∴ f(x) will be minimum when x = 0

⇒ Minimum value of f(x) = f(0) = 0 + 3 + 5 = 8

There is no limit on maximum value of f(x).

∴ f(x) ∈ [8, ∞)

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To minimize any expression of the form |x + a| + |x + b| + …

we need to find critical points and assume a value of x between the 2 middle critical points.

f(x) = |x - 1| + |x + 1| + |x + 3| + |x + 5|

The critical points are: -5, -3, -1 and 1.

The 2 critical points in the middle are -3 and -1, hence we assume a value of x in between -3
and -1. Let x = -2.
∴ f(-2) = |-2 - 1| + |-2 + 1| + |-2 + 3| + |-2 + 5| = 3 + 1 + 1 + 3 = 8

15)

abc – (a + b + c) = a(bc – 1) – b – c .

It is clear that the expression would be maximum when b and c are negative and their
modulus are maximum possible.

∴ b = –10 , c = –9.

Now a has to be positive and maximum possible. It has to be 8.

Hence the expression becomes equal to 731.

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