SBI PO type hard facing away circular seating reasoning puzzle solved in confident steps 8

Students seating on a round table but facing away from center reverses the left right reflexive sense

This is the 8th session on solving SBI PO type high level reasoning puzzle in a few easy and confident steps without confusion. Eight students studying eight subjects seating on a round table but facing away from the center reverses our natural left-right sense of direction. On top of it, the 14 number of logic statements make the problem a bit hard and confusing to solve.

For detailed concepts on the fundamental techniques and strategies used in solving this type of logic puzzles you should refer to our tutorial sessions,

How to solve SBI PO level logic puzzles in a few simple steps 1

How to solve SBI PO level logic puzzles in a few simple steps 2

How to solve SBI PO level family relation problems in a few simple steps 3

How to solve SBI PO level floor stay Reasoning Puzzle in a few confident steps 4

How to solve high level circular seating reasoning puzzles for SBI PO in confident steps 5

How to solve high level hard two row seating reasoning puzzles for SBI PO in confident steps 6

Note: Before going through the solution of the problem, try to solve the problem in a suitably timed exercise session.

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SBI PO type hard Circular Seating Reasoning Puzzle with members facing away from center: Who studies which subject and sits at which position relative to others?

Problem description

Vicky, Piklu, Abhi, Nina, Sam, Sonia, Sree and Ritu are eight friends studying in colleges in different streams like Maths, Physics, Economics, Chemistry, Psychology, Physiology, Botany and Zoology, but not in the same order. All of them are seated around a circular table, facing away from the center.

Conditional statements

1. Vicky sits third to the left of the person who studies Psychology.
2. Only two persons sit between Sam and Sree.
3. Neither Sam nor Sree studies Psychology and neither of them is an immediate neighbor of Vicky.
4. The person who studies Zoology sits second to the right of Nina.
5. Nina is not an immediate neighbor of Vicky.
6. Nina does not study Psychology and Vicky does not study Zoology.
7. The one who studies Maths sits third to the left of Sonia.
8. The one who studies Maths and the one who studies Psychology are not immediate neighbors.
9. Only one person sits between Nina and the one who studies Economics.
10. The person who studies Chemistry and the one who studies Physics are immediate neighbors.
11. Only one person sits between Piklu and the one who studies Physiology.
12. The one who studies Physiology is an immediate neighbor of Ritu.
13. Sree and Piklu are not immediate neighbors.
14. Nina does not study Physics.

Questions

Question 1. How many people sit between Sam and the one who studies Physiology (when counted in clockwise direction from Sam)?

1. one
2. two
3. three
4. four
5. five

Question 2. Who studies Economics?

1. Abhi
2. Sonia
3. Piklu
4. Vicky
5. Sam

Question 3. Which of the following combinations is definitely true?

1. Nina – Psychology
2. Abhi - Physiology
3. Sree - Economics
4. Piklu – Chemistry
5. None of the above

Question 4.  Who studies Maths?

1. Vicky
2. Sam
3. Piklu
4. Abhi
5. Nina

Question 5. What is the position of the person who studies Botany with respect to Abhi?

1. Immediate left
2. Second to the left
3. Third to the right
4. Third to the left
5. Second to the right.

Note: Try to solve the problem yourself before going through the solution.

Solution to the SBI PO type hard Circular seating reasoning puzzle with members facing away from the center: Problem analysis and representation

Apart from the table positions, though the number of object sets is only 2, the friends, and the subjects, because of friends facing away from the center, when dealing with left right phrases chance of an erroneous decision is quite high.

Secondly, the number of logic conditions is 14, quite a large number. This has important contribution towards the hardness of the problem.

Thirdly, in a circular seating, as of the positions are all relative to each other, there can't be any statement that assigns a secondary member directly to a position with certainty. That's why in circular seating reasoning puzzle the most important strategy used is forming bonded member structures and enriching such structures with statements referring to members of a bonded structure and already assigned elements.

If the statements aid formation of such a bonded structure with many members quickly, the problem is solved in a few steps. But after a brief scan of the 14 statements, we accepted the fact that going will be slow with only small bonded structure formations.

We will use an eight position logic table with column labels from 1 to 8 representing the eight positions counted anti-clockwise. The adjacency of end positions 1 and 8 transforms the linear positions to a circular form. The following shows an eight position circular seating round table. The arrows pointing outwards indicate the members facing away from the center.

"Facing opposite" attribute is possible only when the pair of friends are facing towards the center (facing in). In this case there will be no question of opposite seats.

The most important problem of dealing with each reference to reversed "left" or "right" is to be solved by by immediately reversing the direction mentally to fit our sense of left or right. To remember this critical aspect, the double headed arrow indicating reversed left and right is always placed on top of logic table prominently.

We will thus use the following compact logic table with implicit assumptions that positions 1 and 8 are adjacent to each other. The natural left-right directions are just the opposite for friends facing out in our case. For Friends and Subjects two rows are used with eight numbered columns for the eight table positions which are inherently relative.

Solution Stage 1: Strategy 1: Bonded member structure formation with execution of groups of statements

In absence of any better option, we start with Statement 1. "Vicky sits third to the left of the person who studies Psychology." which places Psychology at column 2 on the natural 3rd left of Vicky placed conveniently at column 5 reversing automatically the "left" clause in the statement to "right" to synchronize with our natural left-right directional mechanism.

This is a two member bonded structure without any uncertainty and being the first to place, we could place the Psychology-Vicky structure conveniently onto the eight position table. But once we have placed the first members on the table positions, we can no longer place any member at any position. All assignments will have to relative to these members placed first.

Next we would look out for any statement that allows us to form a second bonded member structure as well as refers to the already assigned members so that certainty in additional placement is achieved.

Solution Stage 1: Strategy 2: Extending the bonded structure further link references and Statement group execution

We find that the Statement 2. "Only two persons sit between Sam and Sree." forms a two member bonded structure separated by two positions but we can't be sure of its placement if we deal with this statement alone.

So we look for any reference to Sam and/or Sree as well as any of the two already placed members, Psychology and Vicky. We find that the Statement 3. "Neither Sam nor Sree studies Psychology and neither of them is an immediate neighbor of Vicky." ideally fits the bill.

By the clause "neither of them is an immediate neighbor of Vicky." position 4 and 6 are nullified for Sam and Sree, and by the clause "Neither Sam nor Sree studies Psychology"position 2 is also nullified for the pair. Now trying out Sam-Sree pair separated (left or right) by two positions on the four possible positions, the only valid options found were position 3 and position 8. To aid this process we marked the nullified positions in color (in actual exams, you can make a pencil mark which is to be erased after assignment is completed at this stage). As we don't know who among Sree and Sam sits left or right, according to two degree uncertainty principle, we record both the names in position 3 and position 8. These two positions are booked with certainty for the pair, though we don't know who will occupy which of the positions 3 and 8 at this stage.

Check out this step.

The logic table after this stage is as below,

Solution Stage 2: Strategy 2: Extending the bonded structure further by link references and groups of statements

At this stage again we look for reference to already assigned members and choose three statements, Statement 5. "Nina is not an immediate neighbor of Vicky.", Statement 4. "The person who studies Zoology sits second to the right of Nina.", and Statement 6. "Nina does not study Psychology and Vicky does not study Zoology." as all these three statements refer to Nina as well as refer to already placed Vicky making the group of three statements quite promising.

The fact that the statements are linked together through Nina is important. Furthermore as these three linked statements are also related to already assigned member Vicky makes the group of three statements rich with potential certain assignments.

The second statement creates a two member bonded structure separated by one position, the first statement nullifies position position 4 and 6 for Nina, and the third statement nullifies position 2 for Nina directly. We mark these positions invalid for Nina by coloring the cells. Now when we try to place the Nina in position 7, Zoology goes to position 5 where Vicky sits and does not study Zoology. This nullifies position 7 also for Nina. This is assignment by conflict.

Finally then we achieve placement of Nina at the only possible position 1 and Zoology at position 7 with certainty.

Note that we have mentally reversed the "right of Nina" clause to "left of Nina" to suit out natural left-right directional mechanism. Zoology at position 7 is 2nd position left of Nina as per our natural left-right directional mechanism, which is reverse for this problem.

Check these steps yourself.

The logic table now looks like,

Solution Stage 3: Strategy 3: Achieving easy certain assignment by exclusion and link search technique

At this stage we select an easy option when we detect that the Statement 9. "Only one person sits between Nina and the one who studies Economics.", refers to Nina and creates a rigid (with less flexibility) two member bond of Nina and Economics. Though right-left reference is absent, as Zoology occupies the second possible location of Economics (on the right of Nina with position 8 adjacent to position 1 in the round table) at position 7, Economics could be placed at position 3 (on the left of Nina) against Sam/Sree pair with certainty.

The logic table is as below,

Solution Stage 4: Strategy 2: Extending the bonded structure further by link references and groups of statements

At this stage we resort again to the strategy 2 of finding a group of statements that are interlinked by a common member reference as well as refer to an already assigned member.

Statement 7. "The one who studies Maths sits third to the left of Sonia." and Statement 8. "The one who studies Maths and the one who studies Psychology are not immediate neighbors." are interlinked by common reference of Maths as well as refer to the already existing assigned Psychology.

The first statement creates a two member bond of Maths and Sonia separated by two positions and also specifies direction of seating making this statement a very promising one. When position 4 and 6 are invalidated for Maths by statement 8, the only feasible positions remaining for Sonia and Maths bonded structure turned out to be Sonia at position 2 and Maths at position 5 against Vicky.

Check this step yourself.

The logic table is shown below,

Solution Stage 5: Strategy 4: Achieving certain assignments by exclusion, conflict and use of group of statements

The table is fairly filled up now so that it was easy to find Statement 10. "The person who studies Chemistry and the one who studies Physics are immediate neighbors." that booked the only possible pair of vacant neighboring positions 1 and 8 for Physics/Chemistry pair with acceptable two degree uncertainty.

Next Statement 11. "Only one person sits between Piklu and the one who studies Physiology.", and Statement 12. "The one who studies Physiology is an immediate neighbor of Ritu." both are linked to each other by common reference of Physiology. Together these two statements with additional resource of forming a close-by bonded structure of Piklu-Physiology could finalize the positions for Piklu, Physiology and Ritu as position 4, 6 and 7 respectively. By exclusion the only friend left out Abhi is placed at position 6.

A pair of two degree uncertainties are only left to be resolved. Botany can be assigned to Piklu at this stage itself, but we are in no hurry. We will do it very shortly.

The logic table is shown below.

Solution Stage 6: Strategy 5: Removing uncertainty by conflict and uncertainty cancellation

Statement 13. "Sree and Piklu are not immediate neighbors." removed the two degree uncertainty of Sree/Sam by conflict easily. Sree got invalid at position 3 making Sam certain at this position and Sree certain at position 8 by uncertainty cancellation.

The logic table is shown below.

Solution Stage 7: Strategy 5: Removing uncertainty by conflict and uncertainty cancellation

Statement 14. "Nina does not study Physics." produced conflict at position 1 and removed the two degree uncertainty making Chemistry certain for Nina. Accordingly by uncertainty cancellation Sree was assigned Physics finally.

Finally by exclusion Piklu got the only left out subject Botany and the logic table is solved.

The fully assigned final logic table is shown below,

Now is the time to answer the questions.

Answers to the questions

Question 1. How many people sit between Sam and the one who studies Physiology (when counted in clockwise direction from Sam)?

Answer 1. Option 4: four. Clockwise means natural left in this case with position 1 and 8 adjacent for the circular table.

Question 2. Who studies Economics?

Answer 2. Option 5: Sam.

Question 3. Which of the following combinations is definitely true?

Answer 3. Option 2: Abhi - Physiology. Nina – Psychology, Sree - Economics, Piklu – Chemistry are invalid relations.

Question 4. Who studies Maths?

Answer 4. Option 1: Vicky.

Question 5. What is the position of the person who studies Botany with respect to Abhi?

Answer 5. Option 5: Second to the right. This is a little tricky question. Abhi is the reference and Botany is second to his natural left and so in this case it is second to the right of Abhi by reversing natural direction system.

Comment

This is a problem rich with the potential for learning assignment logic analysis. It should have more than one path to the solution and you should try for the alternate solutions and compare the solutions with respect to efficiency and ease.

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Recommendation

You need to carefully go through these sessions for absorbing the concepts well, and more importantly you must solve a number of such problems of various types for solving such a problem or its variation in the actual test confidently.

End note

Solving reasoning puzzles does not need knowledge on any subject—it is just identifying useful patterns by analysis of the problem and using appropriate methods. It improves problem solving skill, because patterns and methods lie at the heart of any problem solving.

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Other resources for learning how to discover useful patterns and solve logic analysis problems

Einstein's puzzle or Einstein's riddle

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Playing Sudoku

As a powerful method of enhancing useful pattern identification and logic analysis skill, play Sudoku in a controlled manner. But beware, this great learning game, popularly called Rubik's Cube of 21st Century, is addictive.

To learn how to play Sudoku, you may refer to our Sudoku pages starting from the very beginning and proceeding to hard level games.

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Reading list on SBI PO and Other Bank PO level Reasoning puzzles

Tutorials

How to solve SBI PO level logic puzzles in a few simple steps 1

How to solve SBI PO level logic puzzles in a few simple steps 2

How to solve SBI PO level family relation problems in a few simple steps 3

How to solve SBI PO level floor stay Reasoning Puzzle in a few confident steps 4

How to solve high level circular seating reasoning puzzles for SBI PO in confident steps 5

How to solve high level hard two row seating reasoning puzzles for SBI PO in confident steps 6

How to solve high level circular seating arrangement reasoning puzzles for SBI PO quickly 7

How to solve high level nine position circular seating easoning puzzles for SBI PO quickly 8

How to solve high level box positioning reasoning puzzle for SBI PO quickly 9

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