- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 5972
- Joined: Mar 25, 2011
- Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:00 am
#44153
Setup and Rule Diagram Explanation
This is a Grouping: Partially Defined game.
Most students attempt to set up this game as a map, with connections between each of the cities. But, a map setup makes it difficult to display the rules. Instead, this game is properly represented with a Grouping setup, as follows:
In this setup, each letter represents the corresponding city. There is a space above each letter where the connecting cities will be placed. At the moment, only a single space is placed above each city because we know that, at a minimum, each city is connected with at least one other city. But, each city can have multiple connections (except Montreal) so there can be more spaces added to each city as needed.
In using this setup you must remember that the nature of the connections creates an unusual effect: because each connection has two cities, when a connection is made then each city must reflect that connection. Literally, each connection creates the placement of two variables. For example, let us say that Montreal and Vancouver are connected. In the Montreal space, we would place a V, and in the Vancouver space we would place an M, as follows:
Thus, regardless of the city or number of connections, we can see all the relationships by examining the variables above the city.
If two cities cannot be connected, Not Laws must be placed under each city. For example, we know from the second rule that Honolulu and Toronto cannot be connected. Thus, we need to place a “T” Not Law under Honolulu, and an “H” Not Law under Toronto, as follows:
It is critical that you remember that any connection will produce the placement of two separate variables (one for each city). When you know that two cities cannot be connected, that will produce two Not Laws.
In the final analysis, although this game may initially appear to be a Mapping game, it is really a Grouping game. The game is Partially Defined because we know there are a minimum number of connections and a maximum number of connections (to be discussed in question #16), but the exact number is not fixed by the rules.
Let us take a look at the complete setup and then discuss each of the rules:
This is a Grouping: Partially Defined game.
Most students attempt to set up this game as a map, with connections between each of the cities. But, a map setup makes it difficult to display the rules. Instead, this game is properly represented with a Grouping setup, as follows:
In this setup, each letter represents the corresponding city. There is a space above each letter where the connecting cities will be placed. At the moment, only a single space is placed above each city because we know that, at a minimum, each city is connected with at least one other city. But, each city can have multiple connections (except Montreal) so there can be more spaces added to each city as needed.
In using this setup you must remember that the nature of the connections creates an unusual effect: because each connection has two cities, when a connection is made then each city must reflect that connection. Literally, each connection creates the placement of two variables. For example, let us say that Montreal and Vancouver are connected. In the Montreal space, we would place a V, and in the Vancouver space we would place an M, as follows:
Thus, regardless of the city or number of connections, we can see all the relationships by examining the variables above the city.
If two cities cannot be connected, Not Laws must be placed under each city. For example, we know from the second rule that Honolulu and Toronto cannot be connected. Thus, we need to place a “T” Not Law under Honolulu, and an “H” Not Law under Toronto, as follows:
It is critical that you remember that any connection will produce the placement of two separate variables (one for each city). When you know that two cities cannot be connected, that will produce two Not Laws.
In the final analysis, although this game may initially appear to be a Mapping game, it is really a Grouping game. The game is Partially Defined because we know there are a minimum number of connections and a maximum number of connections (to be discussed in question #16), but the exact number is not fixed by the rules.
Let us take a look at the complete setup and then discuss each of the rules:
- First Rule: The first rule restricts the number of connections with Montreal. As soon as any connection is made with Montreal, we can then infer that no other city will be able to connect to Montreal. We have shown this restriction by placing a “1” in a circle above the M space. If the setup was done vertically, we could put a bar at the end of the Montreal space to indicate that only one connection can be made.
Second Rule: This rule produces a “T” Not Law under Honolulu, and an “H” Not Law under Toronto.
Third Rule: We have shown this rule on the diagram itself with the arrow from H to T. By internally diagramming the rule in this fashion, we can be sure we will not forget the rule during the course of the game. This rule also allows us to infer that Montreal cannot be connected to Honolulu (M would also then be connected to T, violating the first rule). Hence, an “M” Not Law is placed under Honolulu, and an “H” Not Law is placed under Montreal.
Because H cannot be connected to M or T, we can infer that H must, at the least, be connected to P or V; hence, we have placed a P/V dual option above H, and of course because of this third rule we then know that P or V at the minimum must be connected to T.
Fourth Rule: We have internally diagrammed this rule by placing a double-not arrow between T and V, with a sub-P to indicate that Philadelphia cannot be connected to both cities.
Because this game does not yield a tremendous number of inferences, heading into the questions your focus must be on the rules and how they apply to the connections for each city.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Dave Killoran
PowerScore Test Preparation
Follow me on X/Twitter at http://twitter.com/DaveKilloran
My LSAT Articles: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/author/dave-killoran
PowerScore Podcast: http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/podcast/
PowerScore Test Preparation
Follow me on X/Twitter at http://twitter.com/DaveKilloran
My LSAT Articles: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/author/dave-killoran
PowerScore Podcast: http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/podcast/