|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
|
OP
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
My oldest daughter is applying to a local magnate school for science and technology. It's a pretty famous school and I've hired numerous of their students as interns over the years - all of them exceptional people. The county is offering a test preparation course (free to the students in her school). The first session she got the following sheet to introduce the subject of logical reasoning to her and her cohorts, which though not strictly a word post, is pretty interesting.
--------------------------
Session 2: Warm up
Logical Reasoning
All Seniors at The Academy take calculus and physics.
Some seniors take both courses. Rocky, a senior at
The Academy, is not taking physics. Based only on
the given information, which of the following MUST be
true?
I. Rocky is taking calculus.
II. Marsha, who is a senior, is taking calculus.
III. If John is taking calculus, then John is a senior.
a. I only
b. II only
c. I and II only
d. II and III only
e. I, II, and III
--------------------------
k
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
f. They don't know what and means.
BTW, is that a school where they teach you to be a magnate?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
All Seniors at The Academy take calculus and physics.
Shouldn't that be "calculus or physics? (Is this what you were saying, Faldage?)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
They need at least one or in the water.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004 |
You two communicate by computer?
The problem with the problem is that even 'or' can be ambiguous - does it mean 'one and only one of the two', or does it mean 'and/or' (a construction I find a touch ugly and neologistic, but awfully useful for clarification).
Anyway, I know what my anwer is going to be, but I'm not telling ;-)
cheer
the sunshine warrior
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
|
|
OP
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
In logic problems, one normally assume the inclusive or, unless the problem states otherwise. In this particular case, the author clarifies the response with the second sentence.
k
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
> In this particular case, the author clarifies the response with the second sentence.
In this particular case, unless the teaching of logic has changed dramatically since I studied it, the author has obfuscated the question by using "and" in the first sentence.
..and I too was bemused by "magnate school". :)
(still, I agree with shanks that there is one obviously best answer)
-ron o.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
In this particular case, the author clarifies the response with the second sentence.
In this particular case the author shows an inability to properly word logic problems. AND means that both arguments must be true to return a true result. OR, as you correctly point out, is interpreted to mean that either one, the other or both arguments being true would return a true result.
The student should not be held responsible for the inadequacies of the test-writer.
"Some seniors take both courses" is not inconsistent with "All Seniors at The Academy take calculus and physics." If it is true that "All Seniors at The Academy take calculus and physics" then it is also true that "Some seniors take both courses."
If it is assumed that the test-writer meant OR in the first statement then the correct answer is a. I only. If the student decides that AND was truly meant and the test is to find out of the student knows that SOME is included in ALL, then either Rocky is NOT a senior at The Academy and b. II only is true or Rocky is taking phyusics and c. I and II only is true. I'll admit that if you dig into this long enough you'll decided that the correct answer is f. IV only is true (where IV. The test-writer is a doofus who shouldn't be writing logic question) but that they're looking for a. I only, but the student shouldn't have to dig into it long enough.
Edit: Obviously pipped
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526
veteran
|
|
OP
veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,526 |
I agree that using "and" has obfuscated the problem in the first place. In fact, it's made the problem statement a contradiction. What I meant to say and did not (because I thought it was an underlying assumption of the subthread) is that had the problem maker used the word "OR" in place of "AND" the second sentence would have clarified whether the (putative) OR was intended to be inclusive or exclusive.
As it stands, the second sentence just restates the first sentence.
Let me be clear. I don't think the person is necessarily an idiot and I don't want to hold him or her up for ridicule. My daughter has lost nothing so far, except a little time. My only concern is that this get fixed and that the kids, my daughter and all the others, get taught the correct stuff in time for the real test.
k
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
I don't suppose we can expect students who are attracted to this magnet school to have taken any classes in formal logic. I still think it could have been worded better.
BTW, "magnate school" scores .325T (325mT) on the googlometer versus "magnet school"'s 120T. However, "magnate school" did not rate a "Did you mean 'magnet school'?"
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,915
Posts229,845
Members9,197
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
611
guests, and
3
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
