# Simple Logical reasoning question

I am trying to improve my logical reasoning skills. Came across below question. See image. Can anybody let me know what the logical reasoning to the answer will be. I have no idea how to solve this

The question is, "Which of diagrams A, B, C, D, or E is the best continuation of the sequence in the top row?"

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There doesn't appear to be a question. –  Chris Eagle Oct 1 '12 at 15:20
Oh really? The question is choose the next sequence –  Programmer Oct 1 '12 at 15:21
Counting stripes as $1-6$ starting from the upper left, the cross moves $1,2,2,3,3$ and the circle moves $4,3,1,2,4$. I could see the next cross position being $3$ (if the sequence is $1,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,4,4,\ldots$, i.e., $n$ copies of $n$) or $4$ (if it's $1,2,2,3,3,4,4,\ldots$)... and all the answers have the cross at either $3$ or $4$. There doesn't seem to be any plausible next position for the circle other than $3$ (assuming it's just looping over four positions). So only A seems reasonable. –  mjqxxxx Oct 1 '12 at 17:03
This tests neither logical reasoning nor mathematics. It tests pattern recognition. –  Chris Taylor Oct 4 '12 at 7:28
As @DouglasS.Stones mentioned at math.stackexchange.com/questions/217888/…, this question seems to be from europa.eu/epso/application/passport/… –  Joel Reyes Noche Oct 21 '12 at 10:13

I tried to represnt the positions of x and o in a table, then in a graph to see if there is a visual pattern. The x (Blue) could be assumed to follows a pattern, 1,2,2,3,4 the next could be a 4. However, the pattern for O is not obvious. If you look at the difference $+ - o$, for each position you get the second graph, 5 looks logical at the 6th difference.

Accordingly, the value $(+,o)=(4,6)$ makes sense as the 6th position. So I would pick D as an answer.

In left most graph: Series 1 is data for + and Series 2 is data for O In the right graph: Series 1 is the difference between + and O

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It seems to me that the answer is D.

The white circle moves to the next or the "second next" stripe, alternately.
Similarly, the black cross moves to the next stripe or doesn't move, alternately.

Thus, the move that you have to anticipate should consist in both the circle and the cross moving to the next stripe, following the direction of the previous motion.

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That said, also mjqxxxx makes a good point in the comments above. I really dislike this type of questions! –  Andrea Orta Oct 1 '12 at 18:14

The circle is moving to next stripe every step, bouncing in the corners and jumping over the "x" if they would coincide in the same stripe.

The "x" moves to the next stripe or doesn't move, alternately.

So the correct answer would be D, both moving to the next stripe in the same direction.

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I would say D also. Just work out the movement of the X compared to the movement of the O and look at the pattern.

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Label the top unlabelled row of squares as 1 to 5 from left to right.

The plus symbol moves diagonally from top left corner to bottom right corner one strip at a time in every alternate square.

Square 1 -> + Top left corner, starting position - no movement (at strip 6 from bottom right corner)

Square 2 -> + movement down and right by 1 strip (to strip 5 from bottom right corner)

Square 3 -> + no movement (remains on strip 5 from bottom right corner)

Square 4 -> + movement down and right by 1 strip (to strip 4 from bottom right corner)

Square 5 -> + no movement (remains on strip 4 from bottom right corner)

Next square -> movement down and right by 1 strip ( + symbol will be on diagonal strip 3, counting from bottom right corner. )

Squares D and E meet this condition.

Next consider circle.

Square 1 -> Circle on diagonal strip 3, counting from bottom right corner - starting position

Square 2 -> Circle moves up towards left corner by 1 strip - to strip 4 counting from bottom right corner. Strip 4 had been empty before circle moved to it.

Square 3 -> Circle moves to top left corner - to strip 6 ,counting from bottom right corner. Circle has hopped over strip 5 as it was already occupied by the + symbol.

Square 4 -> Circle moves down towards right corner to strip 5, counting from bottom right corner - strip 5 was empty as + symbol has moved to strip 4.

Square 5 -> Circle moves down towards right corner to strip 3, counting from bottom right corner. Circle has hopped over strip 4 as it is occupied already by + symbol in square 5.

Next square - Circle will be at strip 2 , counting from bottom right corner. + will be at strip 3 , as determined earlier.

The only square where circle is at strip 2, counting from bottom right corner, and + symbol at strip 3 is square D. Square E can be eliminated from the answer.

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I assume that what you are asking is: Given the first five pictures, what should logically be the next.

Hint: Try to see what happens to the $x$ from one picture to the next. And then do the same for $o$. So for example, $o$ seems to move op to the upper left corner and then bounce back. So maybe option $A$ is not the correct one.

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Ans: A

Here's the pattern +:↓, -, ↓, - o:↑, ↑(2), ↓, ↓(2)

Therefore, the following pattern should be +:↓ o:↑

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