Jatin, Kamal and Navin are three mountaineers. Jatin is Kamal's brother. Kamal is Navin's brother. Navin is not Jatin's brother. Therefore, Navin is Jatin's brother. What is the truth value of this conclusion?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: False

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This is a logical reasoning question framed as a statement about three mountaineers: Jatin, Kamal and Navin. You are given several premises about who is whose brother and then a conclusion that Navin is Jatin's brother. Your task is to decide whether this conclusion is true, false, probably false or indeterminate. The key is to see that the conclusion directly contradicts one of the given premises.


Given Data / Assumptions:
- Jatin, Kamal and Navin are three mountaineers. - Jatin is Kamal's brother. - Kamal is Navin's brother. - Navin is not Jatin's brother. - Conclusion stated: Therefore, Navin is Jatin's brother.


Concept / Approach:
In logical reasoning, a conclusion must be consistent with the premises. If the conclusion explicitly denies a premise or is the exact opposite of it, then the conclusion is certainly false under the assumption that the premises are true. Here, one premise says Navin is not Jatin's brother and the conclusion claims Navin is Jatin's brother. Both statements cannot be true simultaneously, so the conclusion must be false.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: From Jatin is Kamal's brother and Kamal is Navin's brother, you might be tempted to think that brotherhood is transitive, i.e., if Jatin is Kamal's brother and Kamal is Navin's brother, then Jatin is Navin's brother. Step 2: However, the next given premise directly says Navin is not Jatin's brother. This is a clear statement that the relation brother does not hold between Navin and Jatin. Step 3: The conclusion Therefore, Navin is Jatin's brother contradicts this premise. A valid conclusion should follow logically from the premises, not oppose them. Step 4: Under standard reasoning, we accept all given premises as true for the purpose of evaluating the conclusion. Since one premise states that Navin is not Jatin's brother, any conclusion asserting that Navin is Jatin's brother must be considered false. Step 5: Therefore, the truth value of the conclusion is false, not probably false or can't say.


Verification / Alternative check:
Suppose, for the sake of argument, that the conclusion were true and Navin is Jatin's brother. Then the statement Navin is not Jatin's brother would be false, which contradicts the given information we must treat as true. Since the set of premises includes a direct denial of the conclusion, there is no interpretation where all premises and the conclusion can hold together. This is the hallmark of a false conclusion in such a puzzle.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- True: The conclusion cannot be true because it says the opposite of one of the premises. - Probably false: There is no probability or uncertainty here; we have a direct logical contradiction, so it is definitely false. - Can't say: We can say with certainty, because the premises include an explicit statement about the relation between Navin and Jatin. - None of these: Incorrect, because false is already provided and is the correct classification.


Common Pitfalls:
A subtle trap is over-relying on everyday intuition that if A is a brother of B and B is a brother of C, then A should be a brother of C. In logic puzzles, you must stick strictly to the given premises. Furthermore, even if brotherhood were transitive in this context, the explicit statement Navin is not Jatin's brother overrides such assumptions. Another pitfall is ignoring negative statements, which in fact are crucial here.


Final Answer:
The conclusion Therefore, Navin is Jatin's brother is false.


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