If A + B means A is the brother of B; A * B means A is the sister of B; A # B means A is the daughter of B and A - B means A is the wife of B, then in the expression U # C - D + H + T, how is H related to U?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Uncle
In a coded relation, each symbol stands for one relation. The expression is broken into pairs of letters joined by a symbol, each symbol is replaced by the relation it stands for, and the pair is read as “the letter on the left is the … of the letter on the right”.
The codes given in the question:
A + B means A is the brother of B
A * B means A is the sister of B
A # B means A is the daughter of B
A − B means A is the wife of B
The expression U # C − D + H + T breaks into four pairs:
U # C — the symbol is #, which means “is the daughter of”. So U is the daughter of C.
C − D — the symbol is −, which means “is the wife of”. So C is the wife of D. U is C’s daughter, so U is D’s daughter too: D is U’s father.
D + H — the symbol is +, which means “is the brother of”. So D is the brother of H.
H + T — the symbol is + again. So H is the brother of T. This is the only pair that tells us H is male.
Tip: The symbols mean only what the question defines for them. Here + is “brother of” and − is “wife of”; in another paper the same signs may stand for other relations, so read the codes afresh every time.