Analyzing Town Population Data (2018-2022)

The question asks us to find a pair of years where the difference between the number of males and females is maximum for Town Y and minimum for Town X, based on the provided table.

First, let's present the data clearly in a table.

Calculating Male-Female Difference for Town X

We need to find the difference between the number of males and females for each year in Town X. The difference is calculated as \( | \text{Number of males} - \text{Number of females} | \).

• 2018: Difference = \( |50 - 49| = |1| = 1 \) thousand
• 2019: Difference = \( |52 - 49| = |3| = 3 \) thousand
• 2020: Difference = \( |55 - 52| = |3| = 3 \) thousand
• 2021: Difference = \( |53 - 53| = |0| = 0 \) thousand
• 2022: Difference = \( |55 - 52| = |3| = 3 \) thousand

The differences for Town X are 1, 3, 3, 0, and 3 thousand. The minimum difference for Town X is 0, which occurred in the year 2021.

Calculating Male-Female Difference for Town Y

Next, we calculate the difference between the number of males and females for each year in Town Y.

• 2018: Difference = \( |53 - 50| = |3| = 3 \) thousand
• 2019: Difference = \( |54 - 52| = |2| = 2 \) thousand
• 2020: Difference = \( |55 - 54| = |1| = 1 \) thousand
• 2021: Difference = \( |58 - 56| = |2| = 2 \) thousand
• 2022: Difference = \( |62 - 55| = |7| = 7 \) thousand

The differences for Town Y are 3, 2, 1, 2, and 7 thousand. The maximum difference for Town Y is 7, which occurred in the year 2022.

Identifying the Required Pair of Years

The question asks for the year with the maximum difference in Town Y and the year with the minimum difference in Town X, respectively.

• Maximum difference for Town Y occurred in 2022.
• Minimum difference for Town X occurred in 2021.

Therefore, the required pair of years is (2022, 2021).

Conclusion

Based on our calculations, the difference in the number of males and females is maximum for Town Y in 2022 and minimum for Town X in 2021.

The correct pair of years is 2022 and 2021.

Revision Table: Town Differences

From this table, it's clear that the minimum difference for Town X is 0 (in 2021) and the maximum difference for Town Y is 7 (in 2022).

Additional Information: Data Analysis and Interpretation

This problem involves interpreting data presented in a table. Data analysis is a crucial skill for understanding trends and making comparisons.

• Data Table: A structured way to present information in rows and columns.
• Population Data: Numbers representing the count of people, often categorized by demographics like age, gender, etc.
• Difference Calculation: Finding the absolute difference helps us compare magnitudes regardless of which value is larger. \( |a-b| \) is the distance between 'a' and 'b' on the number line.
• Finding Max/Min: Identifying the largest or smallest value in a set of calculated results is key to answering questions like this.

Understanding how to extract relevant data and perform simple calculations is essential for solving data interpretation questions.