Analytical Puzzles
Hard
4 min
Five people—A, B, C, D and E—sit in a row. A sits to the left of B. C sits to the right of D. E sits at one of the two ends. If D sits immediately to the left of B, who can sit in the middle?
Hint
Place D-B as a fixed pair.
Answer
D or B can occupy the middle depending on the valid arrangement.
Explanation
The conditions allow more than one valid arrangement, so the middle position is not uniquely determined. This is an important analytical observation: the information is insufficient to identify one person.
Step-by-Step Solution
Example arrangement 1: E A D B C → D is middle.
Example arrangement 2: E D B A C is invalid because A must be left of B, so test constraints carefully. The conditions do not force a unique middle position.
Example arrangement 2: E D B A C is invalid because A must be left of B, so test constraints carefully. The conditions do not force a unique middle position.