Hi, Nini,
Great question! Those are difficult Not Laws™ to spot. Let's take a look at a setup and then go through a step-by-step explanation.
- Start working from the extremes to find the A and D Not Laws™. You did this. Great job.
- Now, however, let's think about that Split Block in a different way. Exactly how many possible arrangements are there for the A_D Split Block? There are exactly three. I've plotted them out in green and labeled them alpha α, beta ß, and gamma Γ.
- If A is first and D is third, check out where E cannot go. It can't go first or third because those spots are occupied. It also can't go second or fourth because then it would be next to D (E can actually only go fifth here!).
- We repeat the process for A in second and for A in third. Notice each time where E can't go.
- These three layouts or templates are the only possibilities for the A_D Split Block.
- Now look at the E Not Laws for all three.
- There are two E Not Laws common to all three scenarios. E can never be third or fourth. I've highlighted E in purple to illustrate.
- Therefore, we can conclude that E just doesn't work in 3 or 4. This is where we get those E Not Laws.
This may seem like a lot to do, and, indeed, all this work may not be necessary to solve the questions. However, let's highlight a couple lessons from this scenario:
- This is a highly restrictive setup. Since we have only five spaces and a Split Block that takes up a lot of space, it may very well be worth your time to write out the three possibilities.
- Linear games that only have six spaces tend to be more restrictive. Seven spaces is the norm. Eight spaces is usually less restrictive and more "wide open."
- Slightly more difficult deductions like the ones above usually are not necessary to succeed with a game, but if you identify such deductions, they can save a great deal of time.
I hope this helps!
