competition_setting_claims

Competition Setting Claims problems involve contestants making statements about the results of a competition (who came first, who won, etc.). Some contestants are truth-tellers, some are liars. You must deduce the actual ranking or result.

10Worksheets
200+Practice Questions
IntermediateDifficulty
3-4 hoursHours to Master

Introduction to competition_setting_claims

Competition Setting Claims problems involve contestants making statements about the results of a competition (who came first, who won, etc.). Some contestants are truth-tellers, some are liars. You must deduce the actual ranking or result.

Prerequisites

Truth-teller/Liar logic Ranking and ordering Case analysis Process of elimination
Why This Matters: These puzzles test the application of binary logic to ordered data. Expect 1-2 questions in SSC CGL and Banking PO mains.

How to Solve competition_setting_claims Problems

1

Step 1: List all contestants and their statements about positions/results.

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Step 2: Note the number of truth-tellers and liars (if given).

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Step 3: Assume a particular outcome (e.g., who came first) and test consistency.

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Step 4: Check each contestant's statement against the assumed outcome.

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Step 5: Count how many statements are true. This count must match the given number of truth-tellers.

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Step 6: If it matches, the outcome is a candidate solution.

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Step 7: If multiple outcomes are possible, the puzzle may have ambiguity or require additional constraints.

Example Problem

Example: A says: 'I won.' B says: 'A did not win.' C says: 'I lost.' Exactly one is truthful. Who won? Solution: Step 1: Assume A won. Then A's statement (I won) is true. B's statement (A did not win) is false. C's statement (I lost) is true (since A won, C lost). This gives two true statements (A and C) → invalid (need exactly one). Step 2: Assume B won. Then A's statement false, B's statement (A did not win) is true, C's statement (I lost) is true (since B won, C lost). Two true → invalid. Step 3: Assume C won. Then A's statement false, B's statement (A did not win) is true, C's statement (I lost) is false (since C won). This gives exactly one true (B) → valid. Answer: C won.

Pro Tips & Tricks

  • Start by assuming each possible winner (or rank) and test consistency.
  • The number of truth-tellers is a powerful constraint.
  • Statements about 'winning' or 'losing' are mutually exclusive for a single winner.
  • A statement like 'I did not win' is true if someone else won.
  • Use a grid to track truth values for each assumption.

Shortcut Methods to Solve Faster

If exactly one is truthful, test each person as the truth-teller.
If a person says 'I won' and they are a liar, then someone else won.
If two people both claim to have won, at most one can be truthful.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming all statements are about a single winner when the competition could have ties.
Not counting truth-tellers correctly under each assumption.
Forgetting to consider that 'I lost' is true for all but the winner.

Exam Importance

competition_setting_claims is an important topic for various competitive exams. Here's how frequently it appears:

SSC CGL
1-2 questions
BANKING PO
1-2 questions
RAILWAYS RRB
1-2 questions
CAT
1-2 questions
INSURANCE
1-2 questions

Ready to Master competition_setting_claims?

Start with Worksheet 1 and work your way up to expert level! Each worksheet includes:

20 practice questions
Detailed solutions
Step-by-step explanations
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