Setup and Rule Diagrams

[Dave Killoran]

This game is also discussed in our Podcast, at the 14:37 mark: LSAT Podcast Episode 37: The November 2019 LSAT Logic Games Section

Setup and Rule Diagram Explanation

This is a Basic Linear Game: Unbalanced: Underfunded


This game provides a comfortable start to the November 2019 LSAT, provided that you do not misunderstand the last rule!

5 agents are scheduled over 7 months, and thus this is a Basic Linear game that is Underfunded. You can create to placeholder variables to fill in the the two "open" months. We will use X:

• Q R S T U 5 X X
  
  
  
  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
   1     2    3    4    5    6   7

The first rule establishes that month 6 is empty:

• 6 X
  
  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _X_ ___
   1     2    3    4    5    6    7

The second rule adds that U is trained earlier than R, which adds Not Laws for R on month 1 and U on month 7:

• U R
  
  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _X_ ___
   1     2    3    4    5    6    7
   R U

The third rule creates a block:

• QT

This block adds several more Not Laws, including T on month 1, Q on month 7, and Q on month 5 (due to the empty month in 6) and T on month 7 (again due to the empty month in 6):

• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ _X_ ___
   1     2    3    4    5    6    7
   R Q          U
   T   Q
           T

The fourth rule indicates that S is the third agent to be trained. Note that this rule does not state that S is trained in month 3 (which would be better!) but that S is the third agent overall to be trained, meaning if months 1 and 2 contain agents, then S is trained in month 3, but if one of the first three spaces is empty, then S is trained in month 4. Thus, S can only be trained in month 3 or 4 :

• S 3/4
  
  
  ___ ___ _S/_ _/S_ ___ _X_ ___
   1     2    3         4    5    6    7
   R   Q          U
   T      Q
           T

There is actually an additional Not Law that can be drawn from the interaction of the rules (X cannot be in month 2) but it is difficult to make initially and so we will discuss that inference in question #5.

[ncolicci11]

What part of the rules tells us that we do not have a person that trains twice?

[momgoingbacktoschool]

What part of the rules tells us that we do not have a person that trains twice?

Good question. I didn't even think of that but now I have the same question. Is it just because, why would they get trained twice on something?

[CodeyD29]

I was wondering the same. This made me think it was a grouping-linear game instead of a basic linear.

[CodeyD29]

Ah, "Each agent will be trained in a different month". Therefore, an agent can't be trained twice, as they would then be in the same month. Is this correct?

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi all,

The training here is like an on-off switch. You are either trained, or not trained. Once you are trained, you don't become not trained. You have that attribute of "trained." Instead of agents/training, think about if the language had been about houses being built.

Each of the houses is built during a different month.

You wouldn't ask if the house could be built again. Once something is built, it's done. The language and structure of the training is exactly the same as the house example.

Hope that helps
Rachael

[CodeyD29]

Thank you very much for your reply, it makes sense now!

[lavalsat]

What part of the rules prevent an agent from being trained twice? I simply do not see any wording in the stimulus creates a scenario where someone is either "trained" or "not trained". The stimulus simply says they will be going to off site training sessions. I can see where the trained/not trained would (maybe) apply if it cited a specific training, but it just doesn't.

Can someone help me understand why we are expected to make the assumption that everyone is only trained once?

[KelseyWoods]

Hi lavalsat!

You're right that the scenario doesn't explicitly tell us that each agent is trained only once. But the rules all indicate that each agent is trained in only one month. For example, it tells us that "Month 6 is one of the months in which none of the agents is trained." We know from the scenario that each agent is trained in a different month. So if there are going to be multiple months in which no agent is trained, that suggests that each of the 5 agents will be trained only once and that 2 of the 7 months will be empty.

Also, look at the other rules: "Quinn is trained in the month immediately before the month in which Tran is trained." In a game in which the variables could be used more than once, this type of rule would have to say something like "At least one of Q's trainings is in the month immediately before at least of the months in which T is trained." But the rules don't make any allowances for having agents in multiple months. Thus, it's safe to assume that each agent can only be trained once.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Kelsey

[npant120]

Is it a fair inference here to assume that if any agent is trained in month 7, it has to be R? Since U, Q and T cannot be in month 7 and neither can S given that S is trained 3rd?