Setup and Rule Diagrams

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Setup and Rule Diagram Explanation

This is a Basic Linear: Balanced, Identify the Templates game.

The game scenario establishes that six skydivers will dive from a plane in order, one after another. This creates a Balanced Basic Linear setup:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 1.png

At first glance, then, this game appears fairly standard and does not appear to be overly difficult. Let us examine each rule in detail.

The first rule creates a basic sequence:

T W

Two Not Laws follow from that sequence, namely that W cannot dive first and T cannot dive last:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 2.png

The second rule establishes that L dives from the plane first or last:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 3.png

This creates an L split-option on 1 and 6 (note: this rule diagram is added onto the diagram created by the first rule):

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 4.png

Functionally, the placement of L also creates L Not Laws on the second, third, fourth, and fifth spaces, but because L already appears in first and sixth on the diagram, we will forgo showing those L Not Laws on the theory that such a representation is redundant.

The third rule adds two more Not Laws to the sixth position:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 5.png

Note that this rule reduces the options on the last position to just three skydivers (at this point in the game): L, O, and P.
The final rule is the most complex, and also has the greatest impact on the game. Similar to other rules from recent LSATs, this rule creates two mutually exclusive outcomes. Let us examine the rule more closely:

• P dives from the plane at some time after either O or L but not both.

In other words, P must always dive after O or after L, but cannot dive after both. Thus, P must dive after exactly one of O and L, and the other must then dive after P. This creates two separate possibilities:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 6.png

Before considering the effects of these two possibilities, two inferences can be drawn from this rule, namely that P can never dive first (because P is always after O or L) and P can never dive last (because P is always before L or O):

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 7.png

The second inference is critical because it reduces the number of options for the sixth position to just two divers: L and O. This creates an O/L dual-option on the sixth position:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 8.png

At this point, you could move to the questions, but the restriction on the sixth space and the two options created by the final rule are significant enough to warrant further analysis. Let us examine the two basic templates created by these restrictions:

Template #1: O P L

Under this option, L must dive last because only L and O could dive last, and O must be ahead of P in this scenario. With L diving last, the first five spaces are occupied by T W, O P, and Z:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 9.png

Template #2: L P O

Under this option, O must dive last because only L and O could dive last, and L must be ahead of P in this scenario. With O diving last, L must dive first in order to satisfy the requirements of the second rule. The middle four spaces are occupied by T W, P, and Z:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 10.png

This creates the final setup for this game:

PT63_Game_#2_setup_diagram 11.png

Are the templates necessary for completing this game successfully? No. However, they are helpful for completing it more quickly, and the general guideline is that if you see a rule such as the fourth rule where two major, mutually exclusive possibilities are produced, you should at least explore the possibility of Identifying the Templates.