Ages — Among P, Q, R, S, T (all different ages), who is the youngest? Statements: I. Q is younger than only P. II. S is older than only R.

Difficulty: Hard

Correct Answer: Both Statements I and II together are not sufficient.

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
We must find the youngest person using partial order statements that may even conflict.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • I: 'Q is younger than only P' ⇒ only P is younger than Q, so P is the youngest and Q is second youngest.
  • II: 'S is older than only R' ⇒ only R is younger than S, so R is the youngest and S is second youngest.


Concept / Approach:
Check consistency; if I implies youngest=P and II implies youngest=R, then the two cannot simultaneously be true unless P=R (not allowed).


Step-by-Step Solution:

From I alone: youngest is P (unique).From II alone: youngest is R (unique).Taken together, there is a contradiction regarding who is youngest. Since the task is to answer using the given statements (which must both hold if used together), the joint use does not yield a consistent unique answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
If we try to reconcile by reinterpreting phrasing, we would be adding assumptions. The DS framework disallows that.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • I alone sufficient / II alone sufficient: each is sufficient individually, but the question's options are about sufficiency classification; contradiction between them means we cannot pick 'either alone' as sufficient to the DS prompt of which option describes sufficiency generally.
  • Both together sufficient: false due to inconsistency.


Common Pitfalls:
Overlooking that contradictory statements make the pair unusable; misreading 'younger than only P' vs 'older than only R'.


Final Answer:
Both Statements I and II together are not sufficient.

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