Linear Games Rule Diagramming Drill #8

[mvarkey]

For question 8: "If A sits next to B, B does not sit next to C" why exactly is not blocks more appropriate than AB-->BC? I understand that "ABC" and "CBA" are never possible with this rule, so it makes sense to have it marked as such, however, doesn't the AB-->BC also make that clear?

[Dave Killoran]

Hey M,

Thanks for the question! To answer to your question, yes, AB BC is perfectly correct, but for most students it makes it harder to see the whole of what cannot occur. For example, when they see AB BC, they don't automatically interpret the sufficient condition as being active when they see an alignment such as B A.

Visually, it's also somewhat more work since the arrow is involved, which requires both the statement and the automatic interpretation of the contrapositive. The double block representation takes away any guesswork or interpretation by ruling out what is the outcome of the conditional statement.

You're not wrong for leaving it in conditional form, but most people prefer the blocks. Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!