Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: cbbc
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This sequence is built from the letters a, b, c with stable tiles like “ac”, “bacc”, and “cba”. We must insert one 4-letter option to realize a coherent concatenation of these tiles.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
We look for a fill that (i) closes “ac_ba” into “acb a…”, (ii) keeps “bacc” intact, and (iii) bridges into “…cba…” without creating clashes like “aa” or “bbb” where the pattern favors alternating around c.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Try “cbbc”: insert c then b to obtain “ac c b a c c…”, which keeps “acc” and then “bacc” contiguous.2) The third letter b sustains the b-centered mid segment, and the fourth letter c prepares the handoff into “cba”.3) Alternatives introduce inconsistencies: “cbcc” yields over-stacked c’s; “caac” creates double a’s in a sensitive zone; “bbcb” leaves an early b-b congestion that breaks the “ac/bacc” cadence.
Verification / Alternative check:
Re-scan to see standard sub-blocks “ac”, “bacc”, “cba” appearing with clean joints.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Greedy local fits that ruin later obligatory tiles like “cba”.
Final Answer:
cbbc
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