CAT 2000QA Question 23

Basics (Functions)Easy
Passage / Data

Answer the following question based on the information given below.

For three distinct positive real numbers x, y and z, let

f(x, y, z) = min(max(x, y), max(y, z), max(z, x))

g(x, y, z) = max(min(x, y), min(y, z), min(z, x))

h(x, y, z) = max(max(x, y), max(y, z), max(z, x))

j(x, y, z) = min(min(x, y), min(y, z), min(z, x))

m(x, y, z) = max(x, y, z)

n(x, y, z) = min(x, y, z)

Which of the following expressions is necessarily equal to 1?

Answer & solution

  • (f(x, y, z) – m(x, y, z))/(g(x, y, z) – h(x, y, z))

  • B

    (m(x, y, z) – f(x, y, z))/(g(x, y, z) – n(x, y, z))

  • C

    (j(x, y, z) – g(x, y, z))/h(x, y, z)

  • D

    (f(x, y, z) – h(x, y, z))/f(x, y, z)

Solution

Using the values from previous answer,

Option 1 = (y − z)/(y − z)

Option 2 = (z − y)/(y − x)

Option 3 = (x − y)/z

Option 4 = (y − z)/y

It can be easily concluded that the expression in option 1 is necessarily equal to 1.

Hence, option (a).

CAT 2000 QA Q23: Which of the following expressions is necessarily equal to 1? — Solution | TheCATExam