Quantitative GRE Flashcards
factor / divisor
An integer that is multiplied together with another integer. For example: 2, 3, and 10 are factors or divisors of 60.
multiple
An integer that is produced when other integers, or factors, are multiplied together. For example: 60 is a multiple of the factors 2, 3, and 10.
divisible
We say that an integer is divisible by each of its divisors. For example: 60 is divisible by the divisors 2, 3, and 10.
Every nonzero integer has how many multiples?
Infinitely many
least common multiple
The least common multiple of two nonzero integers a and b is the least positive integer that is a multiple of a and b. For example: the least common multiple of 30 and 75 is 150.
greatest common divisor / greatest common factor
The greatest common divisor of two nonzero integers a and b is the greatest positive integer that is a divisor of both a and b. For example: the greatest common divisor of 30 and 75 is 15.
quotient and remainder
If a is divided by b, but b is not a divisor of a, then the result can be viewed as a fraction, decimal, or a remainder and quotient. Both the quotient and remainder are integers.
Find the greatest multiple of b that is less than or equal to a. That multiple can be represented as qb, where q is the quotient. Then the remainder r = a - qb.
For example: If 19 (a) is divided by 7 (b), the largest multiple of 7 that is less than 19 is 14. The quotient then is 2 and the remainder is 19 - 14 = 5. So we say the result is “2 remainder 5”.
the sum of two even integers is
an even integer
the sum of two odd integers is
an even integer
the sum of an odd and even integer is
an odd integer
the product of two even integers is
an even integer
the product of two odd integers is
an odd integer
the product of an even integer and an odd integer is
an even integer
prime number
an integer greater than 1 that has only two divisors: 1 and itself. Examples: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29
What is the only even prime number?
2
Is 1 a prime number?
No
prime factorization
Every integer greater than 1 is either a prime number or can be uniquely expressed as a product of factors that are prime numbers, or prime divisors. This expression is called prime factorization.
For example: 81 = (3)(3)(3)(3) or 3^4
composite number
Any integer greater than 1 that is not a prime number
how to divide one fraction by another fraction
multiply one fraction by the reciprocal of the other
a negative number raised to an even power is always
positive
a negative number raised to an odd power is always
negative
For all nonzero numbers a, a^0 =
1
For all nonzero numbers a, a^(-x) =
1/(a^x)
0^0 =
undefined
All nonnegative, nonzero numbers have how many square roots?
2 - one positive and one negative
The square root of a negative number is
not defined in the real number system
The square root of zero is
0
√a√b =
√(ab)
(√a) / (√b) =
√(a/b)
A square root is a root of order
2
A cube root is a root of order
3
For odd-order roots, there are exactly how many roots for every number n?
1, regardless of whether n is positive or negative
For even-order roots, there are exactly how many roots for every number n?
2 if n is positive and 0 if n is negative. For example: -8 has no fourth root but 8 has two fourth roots (2 and -2)
Symbol for a repeating decimal
bar over the numbers that repeat
irrational number
a decimal that does not terminate and does not repeat
real numbers
the set of all rational numbers and all irrational numbers, including all integers, fractions, and decimals, which can be represented on the real number line
the triangle inequality
|a+b| is less than or equal to |a| + |b|
percent increase or decrease
amount of increase or decrease / base, where the base is the starting number
to find total percent change of two or more changes
(first percent change) x (second percent change) = total percent change
For example: first there is an 8% decrease, followed by a 6% increase. Total percent change = (.92) x (1.06) = .9752, or 97.52%, or a 2.48% decrease
like terms
terms that have the same variables. For example x and 3x, or y and 5y, or x^2 and 4x^2
x and x^2 are not like terms
when can you factor out
when a number or a variable is a factor of each term in an algebraic expression
x^(-a) =
1 / x^a
(x^a)(x^b) =
x^(a+b), if base is the same and you multiply, add the exponents
(x^a) / (x^b) =
x^(a-b) = 1 / x^(b-a), if base is the same and you divide, subtract the exponents
(x^a)(y^a) =
(xy)^a, if bases are different but exponent is the same, multiply the bases
(x/y)^a =
(x^a) / (y^a)
(x^a)^b =
x^(ab)
(x^a)(y^b) is not equal to
(xy)^(a+b) because bases are not the same
(x^a)^b is not equal to
(x^a)(x^b)
(x+y)^a is not equal to
x^a + y^a, can’t just distribute the exponent if the bases are different and added
(-x)^2 is not equal to
-(x^2), carefully note where the minus sign appears
√(x^2 + y^2) is not equal to
x+y
a/(x+y) is not equal to
a/x + a/y, can’t distribute the denominator
(x+y)/a =
x/a + y/a, can distribute the numerator
substitution method for solving a linear equation in two variables
manipulate one equation to express one variable in terms of the other, then substitute it into the other equation
elimination method for solving a linear equation in two variables
make the coefficients of one variable the same in both equations so that variable can be eliminated by adding or subtracting the equations to/from each other
quadratic equation
ax^2 + bx + c = 0
quadratic formula
to solve a quadratic equation:
x = (-b +/- √(b^2 - 4ac)) / 2a
another way to solve some quadratic equations
by factoring
when both sides of an inequality are divided by the same nonzero constant,
the direction of the inequality is preserved if the constant is positive but reversed if the constant is negative. The new inequality is equivalent to the original.
where is the function f(x) = 2x / (x-6) undefined?
Where x = 6, because the function would be equal to 12/0
simple interest formula
V = P(1 + rt/100), where P is the principal, r is the simple annual interest rate, t is the number of years, and V is the value after t years
compound interest formula
V = P(1 + r/(100n)) ^ (nt), where r is the annual interest rate, n is the number of times per year it is compounded, and t is the number of years
how to compute a fourth root
take the square root twice = √√x
equation for a straight line
y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y intercept
slope of a line passing through (x1,y1) and (x2,y2) =
(y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1), also called rise over run
slope of a vertical line
not defined, since run is 0
slopes of two parallel lines are
equal
slopes of two perpendicular lines are
negative reciprocals of each other
ie y = 2x + 5 is perpendicular to y = -1/2x + 9
reflections across the line y = x
y = x passes through the origin and has a slope of 1. For any point with coordinates (a,b), the point (b,a) is a reflection about the line y = x, or we say these points are symmetric about the line y = x.
Similarly, interchanging the variables y and x in the equation of any graph yields another graph that is symmetric about y = x.
equation of a parabola
ax^2 + bx + c = 0, if a is positive, the parabola opens upward, and if a is negative, it opens downward
x-intercepts of a parabola
can be found by solving the quadratic equation ax^2 + bx + c = 0, using the quadratic formula if needed
equation of a circle
(x-a)^2 + (y-b)^2 = r^2, where the center is at point (a,b) and radius is r
piecewise defined function for h(x) = |x|
h(x) = {x, x>= 0 and -x, x
graph of √x is
half of a parabola lying on its side, where the other half would be the function -√x
the graph of h(x) + c is the graph of h(x) shifted
upward by c units
the graph of h(x) - c is the graph of h(x) shifted
downward by c units
the graph of h(x + c) is the graph of h(x) shifted
to the left by c units
the graph of h(x - c) is the graph of h(x) shifted
to the right by c units
the graph of ch(x) when c > 1 is the graph of h(x)
stretched vertically by a factor of c
the graph of ch(x) when 0
shrunk vertically by a factor of c
congruent line segments
line segments of equal length
opposite angles
also called vertical angles, the angles across from each other when two lines intersect. The angles have the same measure
acute angle
less than 90 degrees
obtuse angle
greater than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees
convex polygon
a polygon in which the measure of each interior angle is less than 180 degrees