Almost in every competitive examination, the questions from this chapter come or we can say featured in every single examination. While making arrangements, it is very important to maintain attention on the conditions given to understand the pattern and arrange the persons.
From a student’s perspective, they like such topics which increases their logical power of arrangement but at the same time, they get scared if the concept is not clear enough. What is the linear sitting arrangement?
The process of making a group of people to arrange or specifically sit in a given manner while fulfilling certain conditions is known as Sitting Arrangement. Generally in a sitting arrangement, one can have questions based on the Linear arrangement or Closed loop arrangement.
In this article, we are going to understand the approach of Linear Arrangement.
What is Linear Arrangement ?
Linear means Straight Line, It is very clear that the persons/objects are required to be placed in order as per the conditions given. So, it is important to identify the exact position of the person and their proper order in a straight line.
Linear Arrangement can further be divided in two types based on the number of rows –
- Single Row
- Multi Row
- Two Row
- Three Row ( Not covered in this article )
Single Row:
In such arrangement questions, persons/objects are placed in a single line/row or column. Let’s have some example:
Example 01:
There are five houses P , Q, R, S, and T. P is the right of Q and T is the left of R and the right of P. Q is the right of S . Which house is in the middle?
[ IIFT 2013 ]
(a) P
(b) Q
( c) T
(d) R
Solution:
In this question, it is not given in which direction all the five houses are facing. So, it is quite obvious that we should follow our own right and left for ease of arrangement. So, the arrangement is followed –
INFORMATION : P is right of Q and T is left of R and right of P.
Let’s consider Q is at the left end, so that we can place houses.
INFORMATION: Q is right of S.
From this, it is clear that S is to the left of Q. hence the correct arrangement will be –
POINTS TO REMEMBER
If the direction of the face is not given, then one must take oneself as a base to determine the left and right of the objects / persons. The above question has raised a question that “Do we have directions in the questions ?”. The answer is YES, some questions have been framed where the direction will be given. There are two cases –
Uni-directional: In such arrangements, the persons have to be arranged in the same direction or persons are facing the same directions.
Example 02:
Six people – C, D, E, F, G and H – are standing in a straight line facing north not necessarily in the same order. D is standing second to the right of F. C is standing fourth to the left of H and H is not standing on the extreme end of the line. E is standing second to the right of D.
[ SBI PO 2014 ]
Q 2.1. What is the position of G with respect to E?
- Immediate left
- Second to the left
- Third to the left
- Third to the right
- None of these
Q 2.2. Who is standing second to the right of C?
- F
- D
- G
- E
- None of these
Solution: According to the information the following steps as follows:
INFORMATION : D is standing second to the right of F.
From the above Information, the following possibilities are –
INFORMATION: E is standing second to the right of D.
The above information helps us to eliminate the last two possibilities.
INFORMATION: C is standing fourth to the left of H and H is not standing on the extreme end of the line.
From the above information, it is clear that the first possibility is out as H cannot be at the extreme end. Hence, we can get the final arrangement as below –
Solution 2.1:
G is third to the Left of E, hence option ( c) is correct.
Solution 2.2:
G is standing second to the right of C. Hence, option ( c) is correct.
Bi-directional: In such arrangements, the persons are facing the opposite directions.
Example 03:
Seven persons A, B, C, D, E, F and G are sitting in a straight line ( not necessarily in the same order). Some of them are facing North and some of them are facing south.
Only two people sit between F and G and G sits second to the left of B who is facing North.
D sits third to the left of C. E sits exactly between G and B and A sits third to the right of E. Only A and E are facing the same direction.
Q. Which pair among the following sit at the extreme ends of the line?
- DB
- CA
- AF
- GD
Solution: According to the informations given the following steps have been drawn are as follows –
INFORMATION: Only two people sit between F and G and G sits second to the left of B who is facing North.
From the above information the following possibilities formed.
INFORMATION: E sits exactly between G and B and A sits third to the right of E.
From the above information, it is clear that E must face south then only A will be right of E. The following possibilities are –
INFORMATION: “D sits third to the left of C” and “Only A and E are facing the same direction.”
From the above information, it is clear who is facing north and who are facing south and the final arrangement is –
Hence, DB is the required pair, who sits at the extreme ends of the line.
