Conditional vs. 'Absolute' Blocks Game #2 (June 1999)

[LAM]

I'm occasionally confusing conditional statements with absolutes. I have a question regarding Game #2 (June 1999).
One of the rules is: 'Any language learned by the geologist is learned by the historian.' I diagramed this as a conditional statement: G-->H. Should this instead be an 'absolute' block - meaning anytime you see H, G must accompany and anytime you see G, H must accompany? This is a very different statement than G--->H. However, this would not work because Yoruba has to have 3 variables, and if G and H had to be together, then only 2 variables are left. And so I am left scratching my head because I simply cannot understand the correct answer to #9. The question asks to identify which set of variables cannot be a complete and accurate list of researchers who learn both Swahili and Yoruba. If in fact the rule is an absolute and not a conditional, then Answer A (the Historian) makes perfect sense. However, we know that H can be without G because the game REQUIRES it in the Yoruba slot. So, it must be a trick of the language in how the test makers are asking the question?? I've read other explanations but they do not make sense to me. First, Swahili REQUIRES two variables, so how can either A or B be correct? And, as far as I can see, the only variable that cannot learn both Swahili and Yoruba is G, which makes the other three variables open game for that slot. So I'm obviously missing something. Please help!

[David Boyle]

I'm occasionally confusing conditional statements with absolutes. I have a question regarding Game #2 (June 1999).
One of the rules is: 'Any language learned by the geologist is learned by the historian.' I diagramed this as a conditional statement: G-->H. Should this instead be an 'absolute' block - meaning anytime you see H, G must accompany and anytime you see G, H must accompany? This is a very different statement than G--->H. However, this would not work because Yoruba has to have 3 variables, and if G and H had to be together, then only 2 variables are left. And so I am left scratching my head because I simply cannot understand the correct answer to #9. The question asks to identify which set of variables cannot be a complete and accurate list of researchers who learn both Swahili and Yoruba. If in fact the rule is an absolute and not a conditional, then Answer A (the Historian) makes perfect sense. However, we know that H can be without G because the game REQUIRES it in the Yoruba slot. So, it must be a trick of the language in how the test makers are asking the question?? I've read other explanations but they do not make sense to me. First, Swahili REQUIRES two variables, so how can either A or B be correct? And, as far as I can see, the only variable that cannot learn both Swahili and Yoruba is G, which makes the other three variables open game for that slot. So I'm obviously missing something. Please help!

Hello LAM,

Conditional relationships tend to be called absolute relationships, actually. If A B, that is always the case, including the contrapositive, i.e., that B A.
As for rule 6, "Any language learned by the geologist is learned by the historian", that is G H, not the other way around, which would be a Mistaken Reversal. So what you call an "absolute block" above, i.e., G and H always accompany another, is not going on here, at least not by the terms of rule 6. There would be an "absolute block" only if that were a rule of the game ("GH always go together"), or if some combination of rules and/or scenario terms forced the same thing to happen somehow, or if rule 6 had been a biconditional, "G H".
As for "First, Swahili REQUIRES two variables, so how can either A or B be correct?": it is not clear why you think that is so. The answers list people who don't know both of those languages, so listing one person who doesn't know both Swahili and Yoruba, certainly seems to allow two other folks to know Swahili (and/or Yoruba).
Yes, G might not be able to learn Swahili and Yoruba. Indeed, it looks like H, L, and P may be the ones who have to know Yoruba, since rule 4 requires three people to know it. G couldn't learn it, because then neither L nor P could learn it, so only G and H could learn it--not enough people.
Also, rule 5 is key to this game, and could be rendered "L, P G" or such. So, considering that: B is the right answer, because if P learned Swahili, G couldn't. But as you note, two folks must learn it, so how could it not be learned by either L or H, also? two folks who both know Yoruba, and at least one of whom must also know Swahili, so that two people learn it?

Hope this helps,
David

[LAM]

Thank you very much David for your reply. I'm pretty sure I understand the G/H relationship and why that is important in understanding the answer choices. I guess where I am getting stuck is that there are two slots that G can populate: Swahili and Tigrinya. So, in my mind, say Answer B (or any for that matter) could not be the correct answer, because Tigrinya could be populated by G/H and the game would work with any of the answers, thereby making all of them 'complete and accurate lists of researchers who learn both Swahili and Yoruba". Any of the answers theoretically would work for both Swahili and Yoruba because there is always Tigrinya to capture the G/H combo. So is this a case where I am reading out of scope? And need to suspend the rest of the game, pretend that only Swahili and Yoruba exist for this particular question/situation presented? Thanks again for your response. I appreciate the help.

[Kristina Moen]

Hi LAM,

I want to make sure that I understand your question by first making sure we are on the same page with the question stem. The question stem says 'Each of the following couldbe a complete and accurate list of the researchers who learn both Swahili and Yoruba EXCEPT" Therefore, for each question choice, you should ask yourself "Can I this be the complete and accurate list of researchers who learn both Swahili and Yoruba in any given scenario?"

For example, I try Answer (A) by plugging in the Historian for both Swahili and Yoruba and filling in a scenario that does not violate any of the rules. One scenario that works is:
R: P
S: H and G
T: P and L
Y: P and L and H

In that scenario, the Historian learns both Swahili and Yoruba, and it is the only researcher who learns both languages. Thus is CAN be a complete and accurate list of the researchers who learn both Swahili and Yoruba. It is not the correct answer choice.

Then, I go on to Answer (B) and plug in the Paleontologist for both Swahili and Yoruba. Since I know that P and G cannot go together, I plug in H and L (the remaining researchers) for Yoruba. Then I go to Swahili... and uh oh... I will need to plug in either H or L for the remaining slot! Thus, there is NO scenario where the Paleontologist is the COMPLETE and accurate list of researchers who learn both Swahili and Yoruba. If the Paleontologist learns both Swahili and Yoruba, there will always be another researcher who learn both languages as well. Thus, Answer (B) is correct.

You can do the same with Answers (C), (D), and (E). Try plugging them into both Swahili and Yoruba and filling in a scenario that does not violate any of the rules. You should be able to create scenarios that don't violate the rules, which means they are incorrect answer choices. Hope this helps! Many folks had trouble interpreting this question stem.

[LAM]

Kristina,
After looking and studying this for a long while, the lightbulb just went on. My confusion came from the question stem. Before, I was erroneously thinking that A or B could not be correct because S had to have two slots and the answer choices only provided one variable so obviously it was incorrect. I see the error of my way now. It is asking for which answer choice which cannot be a complete list of the variable that could show up in both S and Y. While all variables could show up in both S and Y - the answer choices eliminate C, D and E easily because those are obvious complete lists of items that can show up in both S and Y. A and B is where I got stuck but now I understand that P cannot be the ONLY variable that shows up in BOTH S and Y. Now H can be the ONLY variable that shows up in S and Y because S can be H/G and H, of course, it shows up in Y as well (it always shows up in Y). So H is with G in one slot and it's with two totally different variables (P&L) in the other slot, which makes it the only variable showing up in BOTH. So therefore that answer cannot be correct because it's totally plausible that it's the only variable showing up in both. Because S requires two variables, P MUST be with either H or L(it cannot be with G!) in S. And so P can't be the ONLY variable that shows up in both S snd Y. We know that Y always has H, L, and P. Either P/L or P/H would show up in both, meaning there would be two shared variables in both of those slots. I get it now! This problem killed me. Thank you very much for your assistance.

[Kristina Moen]

LAM,

You're welcome! Now that you've done this work, if you see a similar question on the logic games on test day, you'll know what to do!