Vishal is 24th from each end of a row of boys; that is, he is 24th from the left and also 24th from the right. How many boys are there in the row in total?

Introduction / Context:
This is a simple ranking question involving a boy who has the same position from both ends of a row. Such problems are very common in aptitude tests and are designed to test your understanding of how positions from the left and right relate to the total number of people in the row.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Vishal is 24th from the left end of the row. - Vishal is also 24th from the right end of the row. - The row is fully occupied; every position from 1 to N is taken by exactly one boy.

Concept / Approach:
If a person is at position L from the left and position R from the right in a row of N people, then the total number of people is given by N = L + R - 1. This comes from counting the person once and counting the number of people to the left and right of him. In this question, L and R are equal (both 24), which makes the calculation very straightforward.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Let N be the total number of boys in the row. Step 2: Vishal is 24th from the left, so L = 24. Step 3: Vishal is also 24th from the right, so R = 24. Step 4: Use the formula N = L + R - 1. Step 5: Substitute the values: N = 24 + 24 - 1. Step 6: Calculate N = 48 - 1 = 47. Step 7: Therefore, there are 47 boys in the row.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine a row of 47 boys. If Vishal is 24th from the left, then there are 23 boys to his left. Similarly, if he is 24th from the right, there must be 23 boys to his right. Counting everyone gives 23 (left) + 1 (Vishal) + 23 (right) = 47, which matches the total N. This confirms that the formula N = L + R - 1 is correctly applied and that 47 is the correct total.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
48: For N = 48, someone who is 24th from one end would be 25th from the other, not 24th from both ends. 49: For N = 49, a person who is 24th from one end would be 26th from the other, so the positions cannot match. 46: For N = 46, a person 24th from one end would be 23rd from the other, again inconsistent with the question.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to simply add the two ranks and forget to subtract 1, providing L + R instead of L + R - 1. Another error is to confuse the notion of “from either end” and assume two different people rather than the same person with mirrored positions. Remembering the derivation of the formula helps avoid such mistakes in similar problems.

Final Answer:
The total number of boys in the row is 47.