Diagram

[aidanmenzul]

I didn't think the game was particularly difficult, but I ended up plugging variables in rather than having a good diagram. What would be a good one for this game?

Edit: wow not not sure what I was thinking when I didn't specify the game.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT2]

Which game are you asking about? Also, I'm happy to show you a suggested diagram, but I'd also love to hear how you tried to set it up.

[cyruswhittaker]

There aren't a lot of inferences in this game, so I think the best idea is to quickly diagram what is presented with two horizontal rows (rescue and boat), with four bars in each row.

I also divided my bars with a vertical bar per each to seperate the elements.

Then just put in rules two and three into the diagram.

The questions are mainly conditional in nature, which helps to indicate that there probably aren't too many initial inferences.

In terms of completing the questions, I found that the fastest way was to write out mini diagrams for 3-6, and immediately consider what variables remain after the condition is applied.

Overall, this was a nice game to start the set: no ordering element involved, very few rules, and no deep inferences.

The only potential downfall for people with this game that I see is messing up the diagram. Some students might mis-represent the setup by thinking there are two four-person groups (like a couple other grouping games out there), when really there are two totally different groups that are linked only through rule 1.

[farhadshekib]

I honestly think the key to this game was to make sure to have noted the random variables (i.e. J, M and P) and to understand how that impacts the R/S relationship.

The questions pretty much revolve around this...

[m_elian]

I have trouble diagramming this game. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you

[timmydoeslsat]

I will post my diagram with an explanation beneath it.



I have listed the 8 variables. The checkmarks denote that the variable was mentioned in the rules. As you can see, three of the eight variables are randoms. They have no rules about them. J, M, and P are all randoms. Not only that, but randoms are interchangeable. As of right now, where we place a J, we could equally place an M or a P in its place with no problem.

We have two more separate interchangeable variables, R and S. Interchangeability refers to the idea that the exact same rules govern variables. Where we have an S, we could have an R in its place with no problem.

I know from the prompt of this game that all eight variables are used, and not only that, but they are used twice. First in the boat then in the rescue. These variables are divided among four 2 person teams in each event.

The numbering (1-2-3-4) vertically in each the B and R spots do not have any meaning to them, this game does not have an order involved in each event, rather it is about who can be with who.

I could have chosen not to even label the teams in each event. I simply did it to remind myself that I am dealing with four 2 person teams.

We know from the rules that L and Q are together in the boat. We also know that teammates in the boat cannot be teammates in the rescue, which allows us to obviously infer that teammates in the rescue cannot be teammates in the boat. Once you have a teammate, you cannot replicate that pair on the other side.

We have to worry about that with L and Q until the next rule tells us that K and L are together in the rescue. This automatically qualms our fear of replicating L and Q in the rescue. It can't happen since we know for a fact that K and L are now together in the rescue.

We are then told that R and S are not teammates in either event.

So I know that they will get their own spot on a team. I then placed a K near the margin of the B spot and a Q in the margin of the R spot. This indicates that this variable is essentially floating without a home.

I then listed the randoms left to place, JMP. We simply have to order the randoms with K on one side and the randoms with Q on the other side.

We have to keep in mind that we cannot have repeat teammates.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Nice setup Timmy! Mine would be identical....