Understanding the Code Language Pattern

This question asks us to decipher a specific code language used to represent words as numerical values. We are given two examples: 'SAGE' is coded as ‘–8’ and 'TABS' is coded as ‘0’. We need to find the code for 'VERB' using the same logic.

Let's analyze the given examples. It's common in such coding questions that the logic involves the alphabetical positions of the letters (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26).

Let's write down the alphabetical positions for the letters in 'SAGE' and 'TABS':

Now, let's look at the codes: -8 for SAGE and 0 for TABS. We need to find an operation involving the alphabetical positions (19, 1, 7, 5) that results in -8, and the positions (20, 1, 2, 19) that results in 0.

Let's try some common operations or patterns:

• Sum of positions: SAGE (19+1+7+5 = 32), TABS (20+1+2+19 = 42). Doesn't match.
• Difference of sums (e.g., Vowels vs Consonants): SAGE (Vowels: A=1, E=5; Consonants: S=19, G=7). Sum Vowels = 6, Sum Consonants = 26. 6 - 26 = -20 or 26 - 6 = 20. Doesn't match -8. TABS (Vowels: A=1; Consonants: T=20, B=2, S=19). Sum Vowels = 1, Sum Consonants = 41. 1 - 41 = -40 or 41 - 1 = 40. Doesn't match 0.
• Alternating signs by position: SAGE (19 - 1 + 7 - 5 = 20). Doesn't match -8. SAGE (-19 + 1 - 7 + 5 = -20). Doesn't match -8.

Let's explore combinations of positions. The numbers -8 and 0 are relatively small compared to the sums. This might suggest subtractions are involved.

Consider grouping the letters, perhaps by their position within the word (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th).

• Try summing the first two letters and subtracting the sum of the last two:
  • SAGE: (S + A) - (G + E) = (19 + 1) - (7 + 5) = 20 - 12 = 8. This is close to -8, just the opposite sign.
  • TABS: (T + A) - (B + S) = (20 + 1) - (2 + 19) = 21 - 21 = 0. This matches the code for TABS!

The pattern that matches the code for TABS is \((L_1 + L_2) - (L_3 + L_4)\). However, this gave 8 for SAGE, not -8.

Let's try the reverse operation: Summing the last two letters and subtracting the sum of the first two:

• Rule: (Alphabetical position of 3rd letter + Alphabetical position of 4th letter) - (Alphabetical position of 1st letter + Alphabetical position of 2nd letter)
• Let \(L_n\) be the alphabetical position of the n-th letter. The rule is \((L_3 + L_4) - (L_1 + L_2)\).

Let's test this rule with the given examples:

• SAGE:
  • \(L_1 = S = 19\)
  • \(L_2 = A = 1\)
  • \(L_3 = G = 7\)
  • \(L_4 = E = 5\)
  • Code = \((L_3 + L_4) - (L_1 + L_2) = (7 + 5) - (19 + 1) = 12 - 20 = -8\). This matches the code for SAGE!
• TABS:
  • \(L_1 = T = 20\)
  • \(L_2 = A = 1\)
  • \(L_3 = B = 2\)
  • \(L_4 = S = 19\)
  • Code = \((L_3 + L_4) - (L_1 + L_2) = (2 + 19) - (20 + 1) = 21 - 21 = 0\). This matches the code for TABS!

The pattern \((L_3 + L_4) - (L_1 + L_2)\) is consistent for both SAGE and TABS.

Now, let's apply this rule to find the code for 'VERB'.

First, find the alphabetical positions for 'VERB':

• \(L_1 = V = 22\)
• \(L_2 = E = 5\)
• \(L_3 = R = 18\)
• \(L_4 = B = 2\)

Applying the rule \((L_3 + L_4) - (L_1 + L_2)\):

Code for VERB \( = (R + B) - (V + E) \)

Code for VERB \( = (18 + 2) - (22 + 5) \)

Code for VERB \( = 20 - 27 \)

Code for VERB \( = -7 \)

The code for 'VERB' is -7.

Revision Table: Code Language Logic

Additional Information: Coding-Decoding Concepts

Coding-decoding questions test your ability to identify patterns in how letters, words, or numbers are assigned codes. Common patterns include:

• Letter Shifting: Each letter is shifted a fixed number of positions forward or backward in the alphabet (e.g., A → C, B → D is a shift of +2).
• Alphabetical Position: Using the numerical position of letters (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26) directly or in calculations.
• Opposite Letters: Pairing letters that are equidistant from the start and end of the alphabet (A-Z, B-Y, C-X, etc.).
• Mixed Patterns: Combining two or more logic types, sometimes involving vowel/consonant positions, word length, or letter rearrangement.
• Symbol Coding: Replacing letters with symbols.
• Number Coding: Replacing letters with numbers based on various rules (like the one in this problem).

Solving these questions often requires careful observation, trying different logical operations, and checking consistency across all given examples.