Mohan, Ritika, Janvi, Priya and Riya are friends who participate in a running race. Janvi runs faster than Ritika but slower than Priya. Mohan is the slowest runner. Riya runs faster than Priya. Who runs the fastest among the five friends?

Introduction / Context:
This question is about comparing the running speeds of five friends. The problem uses relative terms such as faster than and slower than rather than giving specific times. You must interpret these comparisons and determine who is the fastest runner among Mohan, Ritika, Janvi, Priya and Riya. This type of ordering puzzle is common in reasoning tests and helps evaluate your ability to handle inequalities involving several individuals.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Participants: Mohan, Ritika, Janvi, Priya and Riya. - Janvi runs faster than Ritika but slower than Priya, so Priya > Janvi > Ritika in speed. - Mohan is the slowest runner of all. - Riya runs faster than Priya, so Riya > Priya. - Each person has a distinct speed, and no ties are considered.

Concept / Approach:
We translate each statement into a speed inequality and then combine them into a single order from fastest to slowest. The information Priya > Janvi > Ritika immediately orders three runners. Mohan being slowest places him at the very bottom. Riya running faster than Priya places Riya at the top of this chain. After combining all these relations, the highest position in the order corresponds to the fastest runner, which is what the question asks us to find.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: From Janvi runs faster than Ritika but slower than Priya, write Priya > Janvi > Ritika in terms of speed. Step 2: Mohan is the slowest, so Mohan is below all others in the speed list. Step 3: Riya runs faster than Priya, so Riya > Priya. Step 4: Combine these relations. We already have Priya > Janvi > Ritika, and now Riya > Priya. Therefore, the full order from fastest to slowest is Riya, Priya, Janvi, Ritika and Mohan. Step 5: The fastest runner is the one at the top of this chain, which is Riya.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a check, you can assign sample running times. For example, suppose Riya completes the race in 10 seconds, Priya in 11 seconds, Janvi in 12 seconds, Ritika in 13 seconds and Mohan in 15 seconds. Smaller time means faster speed. These times satisfy all conditions: Janvi (12) is faster than Ritika (13) but slower than Priya (11), Mohan (15) is slowest, and Riya (10) is faster than Priya (11). With these values, Riya is clearly the fastest runner. Any other consistent assignment that respects the inequalities will also place Riya at the top.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Priya cannot be the fastest because Riya is explicitly stated to run faster than Priya. - Ritika is below Janvi and Priya in speed, so she cannot be fastest. - Mohan is slowest among all, so he is at the bottom of the list, not at the top. - The information given is sufficient and clear, so the situation is fully determined, and it is incorrect to claim that it cannot be determined.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse faster with slower and accidentally reverse inequalities. Others try to place Riya somewhere in the middle rather than at the top, forgetting the transitive nature of the comparisons. If Riya is faster than Priya, and Priya is faster than Janvi, then Riya is also faster than Janvi and so on. Writing down the order explicitly from fastest to slowest or slowest to fastest helps avoid such errors and makes the hierarchy clear.

Final Answer:
The friend who runs the fastest among the five is Riya.