Input Output Questions and Answers

Answer: C

Step 2: 18 task bear cold duck 81 64 32 
Step 3: 18 task 32 bear cold duck 81 64 
Step 4: 18 task 32 duck bear cold 81 64 
Step 5: 18 task 32 duck 64 bear cold 81 
Step 6: 18 task 32 duck 64 cold bear 81 
Step 7: 18 task 32 duck 64 cold 81 bear

Answer: D

Step 1: 24 72 59 37 go for picnic journey 
Step 2: 24 picnic 72 59 37 go for journey 
Step 3: 24 picnic 37 72 59 go for journey 
Step 4: 24 picnic 37 journey 72 59 go for 
Step 5: 24 picnic 37 journey 59 72 go for 
Step 6: 24 picnic 37 journey 59 go 72 for

Answer: D

Correct answer: 14 nick 37 height flower cost 42 57

The illustration places the smallest remaining number, then the alphabetically last remaining word, alternately from the left. Here that order is 14, nick, 37, height, 42, flower. Step 1 brings 14 to the front, giving 14 nick flower 37 cost height 42 57. The next element, nick, is already in position two, so no step is printed for it - the machine only records a step when something actually moves. Step 2 therefore brings 37 to position three, and step 3 brings height to position four: 14 nick 37 height flower cost 42 57.

Answer: C

Correct answer: 17 victory 19 town 37 58 store like

The order of placement is smallest number, then alphabetically last word, alternately: 17, victory, 19, town, 37, store. The line given as step 2 already has 17 and victory in place, and 19 happens to be sitting in position three already, so the machine prints no step for it. The next move that changes anything is town to position four, which gives 17 victory 19 town 37 58 store like.

Answer: A

Correct answer: Three

The placement order for this line is 36, window, 45, ultra, 86, queen, with 96 and book left over. Step 3 has 36, window and 45 in place, so three moves remain: ultra to position four, then 86 to position five, then queen to position six. After that only 96 and book are left and the arrangement is complete, so three more steps are needed.

Answer: C

Correct answer: against 89 mathematics hour for 18 21 47

This machine places the alphabetically first remaining word, then the largest remaining number, alternately. Step 1 brings against to the front, giving against mathematics hour for 18 89 21 47. Step 2 brings the largest number, 89, to position two: against 89 mathematics hour for 18 21 47.

Answer: C

Correct answer: all 67 books 57 greate 25 new 39

The order of placement is all, 67, books, 57, greate, 25, new, with 39 left over. Working through: step 1 gives all books 25 57 67 greate new 39, step 2 all 67 books 25 57 greate new 39, step 3 all 67 books 57 25 greate new 39, and step 4 all 67 books 57 greate 25 new 39.

Answer: C

Step 1: at one 36 28 49 sleeo maths 59 
Step 2: at 59 one 36 28 49 sleep maths 
Step 3: at 59 maths one 36 28 49 sleep 
Step 4: at 59 maths 49 one 36 28 sleep 
Step 5: at 59 maths 49 one 36 sleep 28

Answer: A

Step 3: being 69 doing 19 27 tiger fight 39 
Step 4: being 69 doing 39 19 27 tiger fight 
Step 5: being 69 doing 39 fight 19 27 tiger 
Step 6: being 69 doing 39 fight 27 19 tiger 
Step 7: being 69 doing 39 fight 27 tiger 19 
Step 7 is the last step.

Answer: D

Correct answer: Cannot be determined

Every step of these machines moves one element to a fixed position and lets the rest close up behind it, so the original positions of the elements still waiting are lost as soon as the first move is made. The process runs one way only: from a later line you can say what will follow but never what came before, because many different inputs produce the same intermediate line. That is why the answer to any “what was the input” question of this kind is that it cannot be determined.