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Question

Nitin ranks 23 rd from the top in a class of 42. What will be his rank from the last?

This question was previously asked in
RRB ALP 2018 CBT 2 Fitter Question Paper (21-Jan-2019) (Shift 3)
The correct answer is

20 th

Understanding Ranking Problems

This question is a typical example of a ranking or order problem. We are given the total number of students in a class and the rank of a specific student (Nitin) from one end (the top). We need to find his rank from the other end (the last).

Calculating Rank from the Last

To find the rank of a person from the last when their rank from the top and the total number of people are known, we use a simple formula. The logic behind this formula is that the total number of people is the sum of the number of people before the person, the person themselves, and the number of people after the person.

Let's define the terms:

  • Total number of students = $T$
  • Nitin's rank from the top = $R_{top}$
  • Nitin's rank from the last = $R_{last}$

The number of students before Nitin from the top is $R_{top} - 1$.

The number of students after Nitin towards the last is $T - R_{top}$.

Nitin's rank from the last will be the number of students after him plus Nitin himself. So, $R_{last} = (T - R_{top}) + 1$.

Alternatively, we can think of it as:

$\text{Total} = (\text{Number of people before Nitin}) + (\text{Nitin}) + (\text{Number of people after Nitin})$

$\text{Total} = (R_{top} - 1) + 1 + (R_{last} - 1)$

$\text{Total} = R_{top} + R_{last} - 1$

Rearranging the formula to find $R_{last}$:

$R_{last} = \text{Total} - R_{top} + 1$

Applying the Formula to Nitin's Rank

In this problem, we have:

  • Total number of students ($T$) = 42
  • Nitin's rank from the top ($R_{top}$) = 23

Using the formula $R_{last} = T - R_{top} + 1$, we substitute the given values:

$R_{last} = 42 - 23 + 1$

$R_{last} = 19 + 1$

$R_{last} = 20$

So, Nitin's rank from the last is 20 th.

Step-by-Step Calculation

Let's break down the calculation:

  1. Start with the total number of students: 42.
  2. Subtract Nitin's rank from the top: $42 - 23 = 19$. This gives the number of students after Nitin.
  3. Add 1 to include Nitin himself when counting from the last: $19 + 1 = 20$.

This confirms that Nitin's rank from the last is 20 th.

Parameter Value
Total Students 42
Nitin's Rank from Top 23
Formula Used Total - Rank from Top + 1
Calculation $42 - 23 + 1$
Result 20

Revision Table: Ranking Concepts

Concept Explanation Formula (if applicable)
Rank from Top/Front Position counted starting from the first person. N/A
Rank from Bottom/Last Position counted starting from the last person. N/A
Total People The total count of individuals in the arrangement. Rank from Top + Rank from Last - 1
Finding Rank from Last Calculating position from the end given rank from the beginning and total. Total - Rank from Top + 1
Finding Rank from Top Calculating position from the beginning given rank from the end and total. Total - Rank from Last + 1

Additional Information: Variations in Ranking Problems

Ranking problems can have several variations:

  • Finding Total: Given ranks of the same person from both ends, find the total number of people. Formula: Total = Rank from Top + Rank from Last - 1.
  • Finding Middle Person: Given ranks of two different people from opposite ends and the total number of people, find the number of people between them. This requires checking if the ranks overlap (sum of ranks > total + 1) or not (sum of ranks <= total).
  • Overlapping Ranks: When the sum of ranks of two individuals from opposite ends is greater than the total number of people, their positions overlap.
  • Non-Overlapping Ranks: When the sum of ranks of two individuals from opposite ends is less than or equal to the total number of people, their positions do not overlap.

Understanding the position relative to others and the total count is key to solving these types of reasoning questions.

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Important Questions from Ordering and Ranking

  1. A medical representative plans to visit each of six hospitals — A, B, C, D, E and F — exactly once during the course of one day. He is setting up his schedule for the day according to the following conditions:

    i. He must visit A before B and E.

    ii. He must visit B before D.

    iii. The third hospital he visits must be C.

    Which of the following could be the possible order in which the medical representative visits the six hospitals?
  2. Sonam is older than Renu. Komal is younger than Renu. Priya is older than Sonam. Who is the eldest of them?

  3. Five men P, Q, R, S and T are reading a newspaper. The one who reads it first, gives it to T. The one who reads it last, had taken it from R. Q is not the first or last one to read it. There were two readers between P and R. Who is the third one to have read the newspaper?

  4. P, Q, R, S, T and U are standing in a queue. Q is just ahead of P. S is just behind T. U is NOT near R, who is separated from Q by two persons. Who is standing at the front of the queue?

  5. Five students took part in a cycling competition. Robert finished before Monish but behind Gunjan. Anil finished before Sunil but behind Monish.

    Who won the competition?

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