- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 1000
- Joined: Jun 12, 2017
- Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:40 pm
#84656
Hi Jocelyn,
Yes, you've got it--nice work!
Side note (and for others reading), don't focus only on whether the variables are necessary conditions. Rather, do what you've done at your second step and focus on the effect of leaving those variables out.
If I leave P out, what happens? If P is out, F is out (contrapositive of the 5th rule). And if F is out, G is out (contrapositive of the 4th rule). And we can't have 3 variables out, so P can't be out. The same logic applies to T. Leave T out, and F must be out, hence G must be out. So T can't be out.
With H and L, the logic above applies as well, because if either of H or L is out, then P is out. And we know from what we just traced above that P can't be out.
But F is different. If F is out, G is out, true. But there's no additional variable that then has to be out. So F's being out is fine, because it doesn't force too many variables to be out. We can get an acceptable solution to the game with just P, T, H, and L.
That's why I said at the beginning you shouldn't focus purely on the variables being necessary conditions. Rather, focus on the effect of leaving them out.
I hope this helps!
Yes, you've got it--nice work!
Side note (and for others reading), don't focus only on whether the variables are necessary conditions. Rather, do what you've done at your second step and focus on the effect of leaving those variables out.
If I leave P out, what happens? If P is out, F is out (contrapositive of the 5th rule). And if F is out, G is out (contrapositive of the 4th rule). And we can't have 3 variables out, so P can't be out. The same logic applies to T. Leave T out, and F must be out, hence G must be out. So T can't be out.
With H and L, the logic above applies as well, because if either of H or L is out, then P is out. And we know from what we just traced above that P can't be out.
But F is different. If F is out, G is out, true. But there's no additional variable that then has to be out. So F's being out is fine, because it doesn't force too many variables to be out. We can get an acceptable solution to the game with just P, T, H, and L.
That's why I said at the beginning you shouldn't focus purely on the variables being necessary conditions. Rather, focus on the effect of leaving them out.
I hope this helps!
Jeremy Press
LSAT Instructor and law school admissions consultant
Follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/JeremyLSAT
LSAT Instructor and law school admissions consultant
Follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/JeremyLSAT
