Seven doctors, Ankit, Bhuvana, Chandan, Dinakar, Tarak, Fernanda and George, with different specialisations, are sitting in a straight line facing the north, but not necessarily in the same order. There is only one doctor between Fernanda and Chandan. Tarak is sitting between Ankit and Dinakar. There are only two doctors between Tarak and George. Fernanda is sitting on the immediate left of Ankit, who is sitting in the middle of the row. Who among the following is sitting on the immediate right of Dinakar?
Bhuvana
Solving the Doctor Seating Arrangement Puzzle
This problem involves a linear seating arrangement with seven doctors facing North. We need to deduce the exact position of each doctor based on the given clues to find who is sitting to the immediate right of Dinakar.
Step-by-Step Deduction of Seating Positions
Let's represent the seven positions as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 from left to right.
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Ankit's Position: The clue states that Ankit is sitting in the middle of the row. With seven positions, the middle position is the 4th position.
- Ankit is at Position 4.
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Fernanda's Position: Fernanda is sitting on the immediate left of Ankit.
- Since Ankit is at Position 4, Fernanda is at Position 3.
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Relationship between Fernanda and Chandan: There is only one doctor between Fernanda (Position 3) and Chandan. This means Chandan can be either at Position 1 (with one person at Position 2 between them) or at Position 5 (with one person at Position 4, Ankit, between them).
- Case 1: Chandan is at Position 1. (C _ F A _ _ _)
- Case 2: Chandan is at Position 5. (_ _ F A C _ _)
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Relationship between Ankit, Tarak, and Dinakar: Tarak is sitting between Ankit (Position 4) and Dinakar. This means the arrangement around Ankit is either A-T-D or D-T-A.
- Since Ankit is at Position 4, Tarak must be at Position 5 and Dinakar at Position 6 (A-T-D sequence starting at 4) OR Tarak must be at Position 3 and Dinakar at Position 2 (D-T-A sequence ending at 4).
- However, Position 3 is occupied by Fernanda. Therefore, Tarak cannot be at Position 3.
- This leaves only one possibility based on this clue: Tarak is at Position 5 and Dinakar is at Position 6.
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Checking Compatibility of Clues So Far:
- We have Fernanda at Position 3 and Ankit at Position 4.
- From clue 4, Tarak must be at Position 5 and Dinakar at Position 6.
- Let's check this against the two cases for Chandan (from clue 3):
- Case 1 (Chandan at Position 1): C _ F A _ _ _. Now adding Tarak (5) and Dinakar (6): C _ F A T D _. This arrangement C _ F A T D _ (Positions 1 2 3 4 5 6) is consistent with Ankit (4), Fernanda (3), Tarak (5), Dinakar (6), and Chandan (1). The spot at Position 2 is free.
- Case 2 (Chandan at Position 5): _ _ F A C _ _. But clue 4 requires Tarak at Position 5. This creates a conflict as both Chandan and Tarak cannot be at Position 5. Therefore, Case 2 is impossible.
- So far, the arrangement must be C _ F A T D _ (Positions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7), with Position 2 currently empty.
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Relationship between Tarak and George: There are only two doctors between Tarak (Position 5) and George.
- If George is to the right of Tarak: Position 5 + 2 doctors + 1 = Position 8 (Impossible as there are only 7 positions).
- If George is to the left of Tarak: Position 5 - 2 doctors - 1 = Position 2.
- This means George is at Position 2.
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Finalizing the Arrangement: We now have doctors at positions 1 (Chandan), 2 (George), 3 (Fernanda), 4 (Ankit), 5 (Tarak), and 6 (Dinakar). Position 7 is the only remaining empty spot.
- The only remaining doctor is Bhuvana. Therefore, Bhuvana must be at Position 7.
The Final Seating Arrangement
Based on the deductions, the final arrangement from left to right (Position 1 to 7) is:
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Chandan | George | Fernanda | Ankit | Tarak | Dinakar | Bhuvana |
Answering the Question
The question asks who is sitting on the immediate right of Dinakar.
- Dinakar is at Position 6.
- The immediate right of Position 6 is Position 7.
- The doctor at Position 7 is Bhuvana.
Therefore, Bhuvana is sitting on the immediate right of Dinakar.
Revision Table: Key Clues and Deductions
| Clue | Deduction | Impact on Arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Ankit in the middle (7 people) | Ankit is at Position 4 | Fixed A at pos 4 |
| Fernanda immediate left of Ankit | Fernanda is at Position 3 | Fixed F at pos 3 |
| 1 doctor between Fernanda & Chandan | Chandan at pos 1 or pos 5 | Creates two possible cases |
| Tarak between Ankit & Dinakar | A-T-D sequence around Ankit (4) means T at 5, D at 6 (since T cannot be at pos 3) | Fixed T at pos 5, D at pos 6 |
| Compatibility check: T(5), D(6) vs Chandan cases | Case: Chandan at pos 5 conflicts with Tarak at pos 5. Case: Chandan at pos 1 is compatible. | Eliminates Chandan at pos 5, confirms Chandan at pos 1 |
| 2 doctors between Tarak & George | Tarak is at pos 5. George must be at pos 2 (5 - 2 - 1 = 2) | Fixed G at pos 2 |
| Remaining doctor & position | Bhuvana is remaining, Position 7 is remaining | Bhuvana is at pos 7 |
Additional Information on Linear Seating Arrangements
Linear seating arrangement puzzles are common in logical reasoning sections of exams. Here are some key concepts and strategies:
- Direction: Always note the direction people are facing (North, South, East, West, or mixed). This determines left and right relative to the viewer. In this case, everyone faces North, so immediate left is the position number minus 1, and immediate right is the position number plus 1.
- Fixed Positions: Start with clues that fix a person's position or the position of a small group. "Middle", "extreme end", or positions relative to someone already placed are good starting points.
- Relative Positions: Clues like "X is to the left/right of Y", "X is between Y and Z", "number of people between X and Y" help build connections between individuals.
- Handling Multiple Possibilities: Some clues might lead to multiple possible arrangements (like Chandan being at position 1 or 5). Pursue each case until it either fits all other clues or contradicts one. If a case leads to a contradiction, discard it.
- Listing and Eliminating: Keep track of which positions are filled and which people are placed. The last remaining person fills the last remaining spot.
- Verification: Once a final arrangement is deduced, re-read all the original clues and ensure that the arrangement satisfies every single one.
Important Questions from Linear Arrangement
M, N, L, O, Q and H are sitting in a row. Q and H are in the centre. M and N are at the ends. L is sitting to the immediate left of N. Who is to the right of M?
Five friends, Shruti, Shreya, Anup, Ankit and Kiran, are sitting in a row facing towards the south. Shruti is between Shreya and Anup. Kiran and Shreya are sitting at the extreme ends of the west and east, respectively. Who is sitting in the middle?
Five students are standing in a line. Suman is standing next to Pranav but not next to Deena. Kumar is standing next to Raju, who is standing on the extreme left, and Deena is not standing next to Kumar.
Who is standing in the middle?Eight friends, A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H, are sitting in a straight line, all facing the north. F is sitting between D and G. B is sitting between H and A. E is third to the left of G. G is sitting at one of the corners. H is third to the left of C. Who is sitting between A and E?
Five students are sitting in a row. Akbar is to the left of the person sitting in the middle, but to the right of Sekar. Prakash is to the right of Deva, and Ram is to the right of Prakash. Ram is second from the person sitting in the middle. Who is the person sitting in the middle?
