LG Game 1 Question 4 Explanation, by LSATHacks
Main Diagram
Here’s where the questions start to get trickier. This questions asks us what would ‘fully determine’ the order of the students.
The big wildcard in this game is HF. Those two variables can go in either order. So the right answer has to lock down their order.
Unfortunately, that insight doesn’t help here. All the answers include H or F.
But there are other variables, and there are no rules that tell us the order of G and K, or G and J. So you need to settle that.
This is important, so I’ll repeat it. The correct answer must lock down the relative order of G, K and J. If an answer leaves some uncertainty about where they go, it’s wrong.
A doesn’t work, because it doesn’t affect G, K or J.
B is a poor candidate, because we already knew G was before HF.
C is a bit better. It tells us the order of FHJ. But it doesn’t tell us the order of G and K. Either could be first.
D is also partly successful. It tells us the order ends with JHF. But it doesn’t affect the order of G and K. Either could go first.
E is CORRECT. The answer tells us that KFH go in a row. We still have to place G and J.
G must go before F, so we get GKFH. And J must go after K. So we get this order:
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What does “fully determine” mean?
I picked B as well.
The question is asking you to determine which of the answer choices would create a gameboard where every variable is placed, and where each position can only be filled by one variable (e.g. we won’t have an option of two variables that could potentially fit into position 3.)
Quick question here. I selected answer choice B – and I’m still unsure as to why it’s not correct.
While we do know that G comes before F, if we establish that answer B is true (that G comes IMMEDIATELY before F), wouldn’t the order of the students be fully determined?
If G immediately precedes F, then H must immediately succeed F, because Hakim must come immediately before or immediately after Fernando. Which gives us the set of G, F, H. We know K must come before both H and J, which means J would would have to go after H, and K before G. I cannot understand how, if B is accepted as true, this would not be the case. Could you explain to me? Thanks for your time.
The issue with (B) is that the placement of J is still undetermined. This answer choice does indeed give us the “GHF” block, but this answer choice could give us the following setups:
K J G H F
K G H F J
This is because the rule that K must come before J does not mean that K must come immediately before J.