Setup and Rule Diagrams

[Dave Killoran]

Setup and Rule Diagram Explanation

This is a Grouping: Defined-Moving, Balanced game.

This game is difficult because there are three variable sets: the tourists, the guides, and the languages:

J98_Game_#2_setup_diagram 1.png

Of these three groups, the guides are the most logical base because the tourists are assigned to the guides. Because the languages are combined with the guides, the most efficient way to handle the languages is to attach them as subscripts to each guide. This allows you to track which guide speaks which language, and what possible languages each tourist can speak:

J98_Game_#2_setup_diagram 2.png

The first two rules assign specific tourists to specific guides:

J98_Game_#2_setup_diagram 3.png

Note that only K, M, and N remain to be assigned at this point, although the languages spoken by each tourist are not fully established.

The final rule is conditional:

J98_Game_#2_setup_diagram 4.png

Note that only V and Y speak French, and so if M is to speak French, he must be assigned to V or Y.

With six tourists assigned to the four guides, and each guide assigned at least one tourist, there are two numerical distributions involving tourists to guides (6 into 4):

J98_Game_#2_setup_diagram 5.png

Because Y already has the assignment of H and I, we can infer that Y always has either two or three tourists, depending on the distribution:

J98_Game_#2_setup_diagram 6.png

These distributions help quickly answer questions such as #6, #7, and #8. Remember: always pay attention to the numbers in a game; you will be rewarded.

The prior information can be combined to produce the final setup for this game:

J98_Game_#2_setup_diagram 7.png

[AylixW]

Hi,

I just took the June 98 test and am wondering if there is an explanation anywhere for the second game about the tourists and guides? I am having a hard time setting it up. I am enrolled in the online course and have the logic games bible if maybe one of those includes it??

Thanks!!

[Jon Denning]

The best place to find setups for all of those somewhat older tests is the Setups Encyclopedia that we publish (http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/content_publications.cfm), but I can certainly give you a few pointers here.

This game is tricky due to the three variable sets. Of these three groups, the guides are the most logical base for your setup because the tourists are assigned to the guides. And because the languages are combined with the guides, the most efficient way to handle the languages is to attach them as subscripts to each guide (I've shown them as lower case letters below). This allows you to track which guide speaks which language, and what possible languages each tourist can speak.

Below I've given a setup with variables listed and the numerical distributions as well.

Tourists: H I K L M N

Guides: V X Y Z

Languages: F R S T

__ __ ___ ___
Vf Xts Yft Zsr

Kx --> Mv/y

2y - 2 - 1 - 1
or
3y - 1v - 1x - 1z

Above the base you would have H and I assigned to Y, and L assigned to Z. Hope that helps you with the setup!

[AylixW]

Thanks so much! The game became so simple once I understood how to set it up. It was very helpful to connect the languages as subscripts and not make an additional category for them

[srcline@noctrl.edu]

Hello Dave

Thankyou for your explanation, the guides being the base attached with the language as subscripts helped a great deal, but would you mind explaining the numerical distribution, I am still struggling with this concept.

Thahnkyou
Sarah

[David Boyle]

Hello Dave

Thankyou for your explanation, the guides being the base attached with the language as subscripts helped a great deal, but would you mind explaining the numerical distribution, I am still struggling with this concept.

Thahnkyou
Sarah

Hello,

The distribution accounts for six tourists and four guides, so that the distribution would be 3-1-1-1 or 2-2-1-1, since each guide needs at least one tourist. The guide naturally tending to have the most is Y, who has H and I at least, two tourists. So above, Jon gives the scenario for if Y has only those two (2y -2 -1 -1), and also if Y had an extra one (3y -1v -1x - 1z). It's impossible for anyone else besides Y to have 3 tourists, of course.

David

[avengingangel]

Just completed this game in the Course book Lesson 5. I diagrammed correctly and worked through each problem in a similar way as the book describes.. but, it took me quite a while to complete -- mainly because of all the dang possibilities/hypothetical you have to work through (like in questions 10 & 12). I am wondering if there is a FASTER way to complete this game? Can you provide pointers about things to notice along the game, that could lead you to finding the correct answer (& being sure about it) without having to go through and diagram all the possibilities ??? I don't see me doing very well on the logic games section if I get a question like this one test day and I spend too much time on it. Thankss!!

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, Avenging,

Absolutely, there is pretty much always a "fast" way to get to the answers on AR questions. It has to do with the strategy of knowing what kind of question is asked and why kind of information the LSAT is going to attempt to elicit.

For instance, on each global question (not lists) you are usually tested on one possible inference/deduction.

Question 6 (cannot be true) tests whether you have noted that some combination of K, M, and N have to be spread across V and X. Look immediately for an answer that places some combination of these guys outside both V and X. Answer C does that.

Question 7 tests a distribution deduction, that since you have three already assigned, two of which are in Y, and V and X both have to have at least one, there are hard maximums to be observed, namely here that Z can have at most two.

Question 8 (cannot be true) again tests whether you have noted that some combination of K, M, and N have to be spread across V and X. Look immediately for an answer that places some combination of these guys outside both V and X. Answer B does this.

Question 9 again tests the K, M, N situation. Think of V and his one language. No matter what happens, someone has to be there speaking French. Jump to answer E.

Question 10, you don't have to test a lot, just work from extremes. If L and N both don't speak T, how many T speakers can you possibly get. Well, you can get H and I and max one other. Otherwise you can't fill V and X (there it is again!)

Question 11 (could be true). On could be trues look most often for something that is possible but not definite. Exactly 2 in X. Consider a restriction you haven't used much so far, the conditional clue "KX MF." Think about these two guys. Check your answers. There they are: E.

Question 12, again, just come up with the two basic scenarios, and since it's "could be true," focus on someone else who is not definite, in this case only K. Well you know H I M N could speak all either T or F. If they all speak T, K speaks F. If they all speak F, K speaks T or S. Look for your Ks in the answer choices. E is the only one.

I know it might be difficult to follow here online, but part of answering questions on AR correctly again has to do with, you guessed it, PREPHRASING!

Consider the kind of question: Must be true, could be true, cannot be true, or less commonly not necessarily true. Learn the kinds of patterns in the correct answers these kinds of questions try to elicit.

Further, know when you have done sufficient work to answer the question. Try to do exactly the right amount of work to get the answer, no more, no less.

Be attentive to your restrictions, especially the "neglected" ones that don't seem to be popping up. They will pop up somewhere more than likely.

Again, this is all about skills, reviewing games, doing them again, trying to diagnose ways in which you could arrive at the answers faster. Try to learn from observing the mechanics involved in these games. Don't be afraid to do the same game, three, four, five times to notice all the salient features, the ways things connect together. Novelty in practice is overrated. Diagnose your performance by noticing patterns in what you do and patterns in the ways the games work.