UPSC Prelims 2024·CSAT·Logical Reasoning·Arrangement and Puzzles

Six Persons A, B, C, D, E and F are sitting equidistant form each other around a circular table (facing the centre of the table). Consider the Question and two statements given below: Question: Who is sitting on the immediate left of A? Statement- 1: B is sitting opposite to C and D is sitting opposite to E. Statement- 2: F is sitting on the immediate left of B. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the Question and the Statements?

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  1. AStatement-1 alone is sufficient to answer the question
  2. BStatement-2 alone is sufficient to answer the question
  3. CBoth Statement-1 and Statement-2 are sufficient to answer the Question
  4. DBoth Statement-1 and Statement-2 are not sufficient to answer the QuestionCorrect

Explanation

Here's a brief explanation: 1. Analyze Statement-1 alone: Statement-1 tells us that B is opposite C, and D is opposite E. Since there are six people, this implies that A must be opposite F. However, this statement doesn't fix the relative positions of these pairs. For example, A could have D on its immediate left in one arrangement (e.g., B-D-A-C-E-F clockwise) or E on its immediate left in another arrangement (e.g., B-E-A-C-D-F clockwise). Therefore, Statement-1 alone is not sufficient. 2. Analyze Statement-2 alone: Statement-2 states that F is sitting on the immediate left of B. This gives a direct relationship between F and B, but it provides no information about A's position relative to anyone else. Thus, Statement-2 alone is not sufficient to determine who is on A's immediate left. 3. Analyze both Statement-1 and Statement-2 together: From Statement-2, we know F is on the immediate left of B. Let's fix B's position. B - F (clockwise arrangement) From Statement-1, C is opposite B, and A is opposite F. So, if B is at position 1, C is at position 4. If F is at position 6 (immediate left of B), then A is at position 3 (opposite F). Our current clockwise sequence is: B, _, A, C, _, F. The remaining persons are D and E, and the remaining seats are position 2 and position 5. From Statement-1, D is opposite E. Position 2 is opposite position 5. Case 1: D is at position 2, E is at position 5. The sequence is B, D, A, C, E, F. In this case, D is on the immediate left of A. Case 2: E is at position 2, D is at position 5. The sequence is B, E, A, C, D, F. In this case, E is on the immediate left of A. Since we get two different answers (D or E) for who is on the immediate left of A, even with both statements combined, the answer cannot be uniquely determined. Therefore, both Statement-1 and Statement-2 are not sufficient to answer the question. The final answer is D
Logical Reasoning: Six Persons A, B, C, D, E and F are sitting equidistant form each other around a circular table (facing the centre of th

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