AndrewN
An international basketball tournament will be held in either Nation QN or Nation RN. Exactly six nations, including the host, plan to participate, depending on the following conditions:
SN will participate only if TN does. UN will not participate if either VN or WN does. WN will not participate unless the tournament is held in RN.
Based on the information provided, and assuming WN participates, in the first column select the nation that must also participate, and in the second column select the nation that will not participate. Make only two selections, one in each column.
There are a few conditional statements that we need to sort out from the information above, and then the task is straightforward:
- If [host nation, QN or RN], then [host] will participate (paragraph one)
- If not TN, then not SN (paragraph two; note that on its own, this is not the same as saying that just because TN participates, so will SN)
- If VN or WN, then not UN (paragraph two)
- If RN is not host, then WN will not participate (paragraph two; again, on its own, this is not the same as saying that just because RN may host, WN will definitely participate)
If WN is participating (paragraph three), then it
must be true that RN is the host (fourth bullet point), and it also
must be true that RN, as the host, will participate (first bullet point). Then, since WN is participating, it
must be true that UN will not (third bullet point). Hence,
| Must participate | Will not participate | |
| | QN |
√ | | RN |
| | SN |
| | TN |
| √ | UN |
| | VN |
Good luck with your studies, everyone.
- Andrew