CAT 2025 Slot 2 · DILR · Question 9

CAT 2025 Slot 2 previous year question on Reasoning Based DI, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.

Reasoning Based DIDATA INTERPRETATION -High LevelType in the answer (TITA)Medium

Set 2: Research Papers by Four Authors — this question belongs to a set. Read the full set with all 4 questions →

The following charts depict details of research papers written by four authors, Arman, Brajen, Chintan, and Devon. The papers were of four types, single-author, two-author, three-author, and four-author, that is, written by one, two, three, or all four of these authors, respectively. No other authors were involved in writing these papers.

The following additional facts are known.

1. Each of the authors wrote at least one of each of the four types of papers.

2. The four authors wrote different numbers of single-author papers.

3. Both Chintan and Devon wrote more three-author papers than Brajen.

4. The number of single-author and two-author papers written by Brajen were the same.

If Devon wrote more than one two-author papers, then how many two-author papers did Chintan write?

Answer & solution

Answer: 3

The 4 two-author papers have 8 author slots. Arman has 1 and Brajen 2, so Chintan + Devon = 5.

Devon's single + two-author count is 5 and his single-author count is 3 or 4, so Devon has 1 or 2 two-author papers.

If Devon wrote more than one, Devon has 2, so Chintan has 5 − 2 = 3.

This is consistent: pairs A–C, B–C, C–D and B–D give Arman 1, Brajen 2, Chintan 3 and Devon 2, with single-author counts Chintan 4 and Devon 3, all distinct.

Shortcut: Chintan and Devon share 5 two-author slots; Devon with 2 leaves Chintan 3.

Hence, the answer is 3.

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