A Guide to the GRE/Reciprocals and Inverses

Reciprocals & Inverses The larger the denominator or divisor, the lower the value. y =is an example of an inverse correlation. As y increases, x decreases. Thus, if a is positive, is greater than If s is positive, 1 ÷ s is greater than 1 ÷ (s + 1). Practice 1. If g = 7 ÷ h, then which is greater: 7 ÷ (h + 1), or g? 2. If< .5, what must be true about y in relation to x? 3. If= 40, then what is the value of ? Answers to Practice Questions 1. g is greater. As the denominator increases, the value decreases. Thus, g, which is equal tois greater than 2. y must be greater than x. If the numerator is less than half of the denominator, the fraction is less than .5; if the numerator is greater than half of the denominator, the fraction is greater than .5. For instance, equals which is less than or 3. If= 40, = 20 Doubling the denominator cuts the value in half. is half of