The problem requires determining the minimum number of cuts needed to construct a cube's wire frame from a single $12 \text{ m}$ wire.
A cube has 12 edges. Each edge of the cube measures $1 \text{ m}$.
The total wire length needed to form all edges is calculated as: $12 \text{ edges} \times 1 \text{ m/edge} = 12 \text{ m}$ The provided wire is $12 \text{ m}$ long, exactly matching the total length required.
The goal is to minimize cuts. This can be achieved by bending the wire. A single segment of wire measuring $3 \text{ m}$ can be bent to form three consecutive $1 \text{ m}$ edges of the cube. This requires making bends at the $1 \text{ m}$ and $2 \text{ m}$ points along the $3 \text{ m}$ segment.
To construct the total 12 edges of the cube, using the strategy where each segment forms 3 edges, the number of segments needed is: $\frac{12 \text{ total edges}}{3 \text{ edges per segment}} = 4 \text{ segments}$
To obtain 4 distinct segments from one continuous $12 \text{ m}$ wire, the minimum number of cuts required is: $(\text{Number of segments}) - 1 = 4 - 1 = 3 \text{ cuts}$
Making 3 cuts on the $12 \text{ m}$ wire yields four $3 \text{ m}$ segments. Each $3 \text{ m}$ segment can be bent into three $1 \text{ m}$ edges. Soldering these pieces at the vertices completes the cube frame. Fewer cuts would result in fewer segments, which is insufficient to form all 12 edges.
In the 4 x 4 array shown below, each cell of the first three rows has either a cross (X) or a number.
| 1 | X | 4 | 3 |
| X | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 3 | X | 6 | X |
The number in a cell represents the count of the immediate neighboring cells (left, right, top, bottom, diagonals) NOT having a cross (X). Given that the last row has no crosses (X), the sum of the four numbers to be filled in the last row is
| TEAM 1 | TEAM 2 | |
| MATCH 1 | P and X | Q and R |
| MATCH 2 | P and R | X and Y |
| MATCH 3 | R and X | Q and Y |
Students applying for hostel rooms are allotted rooms in order of seniority. Students already staying in a room will move if they get a room in their preferred list. Preferences of lower ranked applicants are ignored during allocation.
Given the data below, which room will Ajit stay in?
| Names | Student seniority | Current room | Room preference list |
| Amar | 1 | P | R, S, Q |
| Akbar | 2 | None | R, S |
| Anthony | 3 | Q | P |
| Ajit | 4 | S | Q, P, R |