Solving Coding Decoding Problems

This question is a classic example of a coding-decoding problem, often found in logical reasoning sections of various competitive exams. In these problems, words are coded based on a specific pattern, and you need to decipher the pattern to code a new word.

Analyzing the Given Examples

We are given two coded words and their corresponding codes:

• 'UNTIL' is coded as '201319811'
• 'WHERE' is coded as '2274174'

Our goal is to find the code for 'LIMIT' using the same rule applied in the examples.

Finding the Pattern

Let's look at the letters in the words and the numbers in their codes. We can try to relate them using the alphabetical position of each letter (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26).

Example 1: UNTIL → 201319811

Let's break down the word 'UNTIL' and its code. The code '201319811' can be seen as a sequence of numbers: 20, 13, 19, 8, 11. There are 5 numbers, corresponding to the 5 letters in UNTIL.

Let's find the positional values of the letters in UNTIL:

• U is the 21st letter
• N is the 14th letter
• T is the 20th letter
• I is the 9th letter
• L is the 12th letter

Now let's compare the positional values with the numbers in the code:

• U (21) → 20
• N (14) → 13
• T (20) → 19
• I (9) → 8
• L (12) → 11

We can observe a pattern here: each number in the code seems to be one less than the positional value of the corresponding letter.

Pattern: Coded Value = Positional Value - 1

Example 2: WHERE → 2274174

Let's verify this pattern with the second example, 'WHERE'. The code '2274174' can be broken into numbers: 22, 7, 4, 17, 4. There are 5 numbers for the 5 letters.

Positional values of the letters in WHERE:

• W is the 23rd letter
• H is the 8th letter
• E is the 5th letter
• R is the 18th letter
• E is the 5th letter

Comparing positional values with the code numbers using the suspected pattern (Positional Value - 1):

• W (23) → $23 - 1 = 22$. Matches 22.
• H (8) → $8 - 1 = 7$. Matches 7.
• E (5) → $5 - 1 = 4$. Matches 4.
• R (18) → $18 - 1 = 17$. Matches 17.
• E (5) → $5 - 1 = 4$. Matches 4.

The pattern (Positional Value - 1) is consistent across both examples.

Coding the word 'LIMIT'

Now we apply the established pattern to the word 'LIMIT'. We will find the positional value of each letter and subtract 1 from it.

• L: Positional value is 12. Coded value = $12 - 1 = 11$.
• I: Positional value is 9. Coded value = $9 - 1 = 8$.
• M: Positional value is 13. Coded value = $13 - 1 = 12$.
• I: Positional value is 9. Coded value = $9 - 1 = 8$.
• T: Positional value is 20. Coded value = $20 - 1 = 19$.

Combining the coded values for each letter in order, we get the code for 'LIMIT':

11 (for L) + 8 (for I) + 12 (for M) + 8 (for I) + 19 (for T)

The resulting code is 11812819.

Comparing with Options

Let's compare our derived code with the given options:

Our calculated code 11812819 matches Option 1.

Revision Table: Letter Positional Values

Additional Information on Coding Decoding

Coding decoding questions test your ability to identify patterns and apply logical rules. Common patterns include:

• Letter Shifting: Each letter is shifted a fixed number of positions forward or backward in the alphabet.
• Positional Value: Using the 1-26 value for each letter, sometimes with simple arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
• Reverse Positional Value: Using 26-1 value (Z=1, Y=2, ..., A=26).
• Opposite Letters: Coding a letter with its opposite letter in the alphabet (A is opposite to Z, B to Y, etc.).
• Mixed Patterns: Combining positional values, skipping letters, or other complex rules.
• Word-based Coding: Swapping positions of letters within the word, or arranging them alphabetically/reverse alphabetically.

To solve these questions, practice is key. Always start by examining the given examples carefully and look for simple, consistent patterns first before considering more complex ones.