True or False?

Algebra Level 3

If x x and y y are non-zero numbers such that x > y x>y , which of the following is always true?

(A) 1 x < 1 y \dfrac{1}{x}<\dfrac{1}{y}

(B) x y > 1 \dfrac{x}{y}>1

(C) x > y |x|>|y|

(D) 1 x y 2 > 1 x 2 y \dfrac{1}{xy^2}>\dfrac{1}{x^2y}

(E) x y > y x \dfrac{x}{y}>\dfrac{y}{x}

C B D E A

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7 solutions

If choosing x = 1 ; y = 2 x=1;y=-2 , the inequalities A , B , C A, B, C are not true.

If choosing x = 4 ; y = 1 x=4; y=-1 , the inequality E E is not true.

We have: x > y x x 2 y 2 > y x 2 y 2 1 x y 2 > 1 x 2 y x>y\Leftrightarrow \dfrac{x}{x^2y^2}>\dfrac{y}{x^2y^2} \Leftrightarrow \dfrac{1}{xy^2}>\dfrac{1}{x^2y}

So, the inequality D \boxed{D} is always true.

remember, it told that x and y are non-negative...

Tấn Phát Nguyễn - 4 years, 7 months ago

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it is not. It is told that x and y are non-zero, not non-negative. Therefore answer D is correct.

Hanno Stinshoff - 3 years, 6 months ago

why is B not correct ? If you multiply the equation by y, it becomes x>y, which is the given fact in the question.

Ritesh Khare - 4 years, 3 months ago

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the problem didn't say that x,y must be positive numbers, if the two sides both times a negative number, the direction of the greater than sign will change.

Zenobia Roy - 1 year, 10 months ago

If x=-1 and y=-3, then 1/-9 > 1/-3 which is not true... In my opinion the correct answer is C ooops, my mistake... correct answer is still D :D

matti koskela - 4 years, 2 months ago

What do you do with the case x=1 and y=-1?

Jean-Yves LE METAYER - 3 years, 10 months ago

I get the computations but I think if x were to be a negative number and y a positive number then, L.H.S would be negative and the R.H.S will remain a positive number. Then how does the inequality hold?

Pritika Raj - 2 years, 10 months ago

if x = 1 and y = -1, none of them are true

Abel McElroy - 5 years ago

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If x = 1 ; y = 1 x=1; y=-1 , then 1 x y 2 = 1 > 1 = 1 x 2 y \dfrac{1}{xy^2}=1>-1=\dfrac{1}{x^2y} .

Khang Nguyen Thanh - 5 years ago

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True, I jumped the gun

Abel McElroy - 4 years, 2 months ago

If x equal to 0 and y equal to -1 then D is not correct

Ajit Antil - 4 years, 11 months ago

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The problem state that: "If x x and y y are non-zero numbers".

Khang Nguyen Thanh - 4 years, 11 months ago

let x = 0 and y=-1. Then what?

Poonam Singh - 3 years, 9 months ago

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The task states that x and y shall be non-zero numbers, therefore x cannot be 0.

Hanno Stinshoff - 3 years, 6 months ago

yeah D is clearly true. gotcha

Abel McElroy - 3 years, 6 months ago

divide the inequality by (xy)^2 we get option D

One question: Is (xy)^2 the same as x^2 y^2 ?

Karan Federer - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Yes it is Karan. (x y)^2 = (x^2) (y^2)

JPaytheboss . - 5 years ago

It is also worth noting that (xy)^2 must be positive as dividing by a negative value would reverse the inequality.

Amanda Babb - 3 years, 4 months ago

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(xy)^2 will always be positive since squaring a negative number results in a positive number

William Jones - 2 years, 10 months ago
Joshua Chin
Nov 19, 2015

Due to a case of trivial inequality, for all real numbers n, n 2 0 { n }^{ 2 }\ge 0

and we know that x > y x>y

Thus y 2 < x 2 { y }^{ 2 }<{ x }^{ 2 }

And the reciprocal of the inequality y 2 < x 2 { y }^{ 2 }<{ x }^{ 2 } will be 1 y 2 > 1 x 2 \frac { 1 }{ { y }^{ 2 } } >\frac { 1 }{ { x }^{ 2 } }

And thus option D is correct

Your second line is not necessarily true. Let x=-1 and y=-4. Then x>y but it is not true x^2>y^2.

Gabriel Kropf - 4 years, 11 months ago

Why is "C" not correct?

Debbie Ray - 4 years, 3 months ago
Saheem Reshi
Apr 29, 2018

Here, Keep x=2 and y=3 Then check the possible solutions. Now,keep x=-2 and y=-3 and recheck whether your solution holds true here too.

John Sergeant
Feb 9, 2018

Choosing x as 1 and y as -1 eliminates all bar D instantly.

He Hailin
Jan 21, 2018

If you multiply both side of inequality (D) by xy, then it will be reduced to inequality (A). Then (A) and (D) are the same, can I make this way?

Akshay Gupta
Jul 17, 2017

Just choose x and y as 2 positive integers for easy calculations, then 2 negative integers such that x > y

For negative values you will see true nature of equations and find out that only option D gives correct output in both cases.

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