DPM 75 (Solutions)

C to E

C. RC Passage

Explanation :

Ans 1 : The Lindy effect is proposed by Taleb to "know how long something non-perishable
will endure". It can be best described as the older [something] is, the more likely it is to go on
surviving". He named this phenomenon after Lindy's Law, which was introduced by Albert
Goldman.
The Lindy's Law as described by Goldman discusses the "staying power" of the comedians. If
the comedians use up their material in a short time, they will not endure for a long time and vice
versa.

Option A: When discussing Lindy's law, the author mentions that the "conservation of resources
might see them endure for decades in the industry.". However, in the Lindy effect, the author
does not mention conservation of resources. This factor is not meaningful in the context of Lindy
effect (as this effect is about something non-perishable). Hence, this is not the similarity
between the two.

Option B: Lindy's effect can be paraphrased to say that the age of something is a good indicator
of its longevity. However, in Lindy's law, the age of the comedians is not discussed. Hence, we
cannot infer that the age of the comedians is an indicator of his/her longevity. Therefore, this is
not the similarity.

Option C: The Lindy effect tries to predict the life expectancy of non-perishable things based on
how long they have survived. The Lindy's law tries to predict how long a comedian lasts in the
industry based on how quickly he uses up his material. Hence, both these theories try to predict
the life expectancy of things, whether they are non-perishable (as per Lindy effect) or the
careers of comedians (as per Lindy's law). Hence, this is the similarity between the two.
Option D: Neither the Lindy's law nor the Lindy effect talks about the benefits of enduring over
long periods of time. It does not indicate that short lived things are inferior and long-lived things
are superior. Hence, this is not the similarity. Therefore, the correct answer is option C.
Choice (C)

Ans 2 : The passage mentions that the architecture and culture are related in the penultimate
paragraph of the passage. This paragraph does not provide any information on how the author
has established the relationship. In the previous paragraph, however, the author talks about
how buildings need human support and that over time, they accumulate symbolic meaning
and become part of the city's identity. We need to identify the sentence which best captures
this essence.

Option A: This statement mentions that the buildings have become part of the city's identity. We
can infer that the city's identity is closely linked to culture. Hence, this statement describes how
the buildings have become part of our culture: by fortune and favour. Therefore, this statement
helps establish the relationship between architecture and culture.

Option B: This statement describes how anything that has endured will accumulate symbolic
meaning and become part of our culture. However, this is a generalization of the statement
mentioned in option A. While the statement in option A mentions buildings specifically, this
option is more a generalized statement of all things that endure. This statement establishes a
relation between things that endure and culture but not between architecture and culture.
Hence, option A is a better answer than option B.

Option C: This statement talks about the importance of human support in maintaining a building
in good condition. However, needing human support does not imply that it becomes a part of
culture. Needing human support is one aspect which helps a building become part of the culture
(i.e., between fortune and favour, human support can be equated to favour). Hence, this
statement does not establish a link between architecture and culture.

Option D: This statement has the same shortcoming as that of option B. It does not specifically
establish a link between architecture and culture. It talks about how the age of something is
important for its durability. Hence, this is not the correct answer. Therefore, the correct answer
is option A.
Choice (A)

Ans 3 : According to Taleb, "Things that have been around for a long time are not 'aging' like
persons, but 'aging' in reverse. For such things, every year that it survives "doubles the
additional life expectancy." From this we can infer aging in reverse to mean that every year of
survival must increase its additional life expectancy.

Option A: According to the author, every year of survival, doubles the additional life
expectancy. However, this option says that every year doubles the life expectancy, which is
different from the "additional" life expectancy mentioned in the passage. Hence, this is not the
correct answer.

Option B: The number of the copies a book would have sold is not related to the aging process
and is also not related to the life expectancy that Taleb describes. Hence, this example is also
not valid.

Option C: The aging process that Taleb describes is not about the likelihood of survival. It is
about how long it will survive. The likelihood of survival and how long something will survive are
two different factors. The former indicates how likely it is for anything to survive (and is not
related to the duration), while the latter indicates the time period for which something can
survive. The second factor indicates the life expectancy, but the first does not. This option
mentions that one company is twice as likely to survive compared to another. However, this
does not translate into life expectancy and hence, is not a valid example.

Option D: The example provided in this option indicates that with every passing year, the life
expectancy of the ideology doubles. This is what Taleb has described about aging in reverse.
Hence, this is the best example of the process of aging in reverse. Therefore, the correct
answer is option D.
Choice (D)
D. Quantitative Aptitude(Q1-Q10):

Answer Keys

1. Choice (B)
2. Choice (D)
3. Choice (A)
4. Choice (C)
5. Answer (37)
6. Choice (A)
7. Choice (B)
8. Choice (B)
9. Choice (A)
10. Choice (C)

SOLUTION:

Q.1
First company to take the interviews is MIS.
MIS can take 0, 1, 2 or 3 MBA wizards.
Possible ways are: 8C0 + 8C1 + 8C2 + 8C3 = 1 + 8 +28 + 56 = 93. Choice (B)

Q.2
Interviews for MIS will be conducted before CMA.
If no MBA wizard is selected by MIS, CMA can select candidates in 93 ways (as explained for
MIS in previous question). There is only one way, when No candidate is selected by CMA.
Hence required probability= 1/93. Choice (D)

Q.3
At the rate of 10%, at the end of two years, investment value will become:
200000(1.1)2 = 242000
Hence, minimum yield to justify investment will be Rs. 242000. Choice (A)

Q.4
Given, cost of capital=10%
Value of the amount invested at beginning of first year will become 100000(1.1)2 i.e., 121000
at the beginning of third year.
Value of the amount invested at beginning of second year will become 100000(1.1) i.e., 110000
at the beginning of third year.

So, total value of investment at the beginning of third year is: 121000+110000 = 231000
At the beginning of the third year company generated revenue of Rs 150000

Remaining investment (which will be charged @10%) for 3 rd year is : 231000-150000= Rs.
81000.

At the beginning of fourth year investment value will be 81000(1.1) i.e., 89100; Also revenue
generated at the beginning of fourth year is 1.5 lakh.
=> Minimum life of the project must be till beginning of the 4 th year
Since we have to use “beginning of the year” as convention, answer would be 4 years.
Choice (C)

Q.5

597 597 97 597 97 580+17 9717

Rem = Rem = Rem = Rem
100 100 100 100

= Rem
 317
= Rem

 34  31  
4

= Rem
21 3 = 37
100 100 100
an a 20 k +x
(∵ Rem = Rem , is always true if “a” is odd number not ending with '5' )
100 100
Answer is 37.
Q.6

Let L be the anthill, N the point from where Anne returned and M the point from where Amy
returned. If v was their initial speed , then Anne returned with speed v/2 and Amy returned with
speed 3v/4.

d1 d 3d
Total time for Anne's trip =  1 = 1
v v / 2 v

d1 + d 2 d1 + d 2 7d1 + d 2 
Total time for Amy's trip = + =
v 3v / 4 3v

3d1 7d1 + d 2  9d
But = or d 1 + d 2 = 1
v 3v 7

2
=> d 2 = d1 => d 2 = 28.57 percentageofd 1
7

Amy's trip is approximately 29 % longer than Anne's trip. Choice (A)

Q.7
∆ CBD ~ ∆ ABC
Ratio of corresponding sides = 9 :12
Hence, Ratio of corresponding perimeters = 9 :12 =27:36
Ratio of corresponding perimeters of ∆ CBD ~ ∆ ADC= 27 : 21 = 9 : 7. Choice (B)

Q.8
(x-1)(x-2)(x-3)(x-4) = (x2 -5x+6)( x2 -5x+4).

Let us assume x2 -5x+5= t

and the above equation is (t+1)(t-1) = t2 – 1= 15
=> t = 4 or t = -4
Case (1) x2 -5x+5= 4 => x2 -5x+1= 0

  5 ±  52  4 1  4 5 ± 21
=> x= =
2 2

Similarly, case (2) x2 -5x+5= -4 => x2 -5x+9= 0

D < 0; roots are imaginary numbers

∴ Number of real roots of the equation =2 Choice (B)

Q.9
X +1/X = A => (X +1/X)2 = A2 => X2 +1/X2 = A2 -2

Also, (X +1/X)3 = A3 => X3 +1/X3 + 3( X +1/X)(X. 1/X)= A3

=> X3 +1/X3 = A3 -3A
=> A3 -3A= A(A2 -3) = 110
=> A = 5 => X +1/X = 5…………… (1)

Solving (1), we get

5 ± 21
X= Choice (A)
2
Q.10
Case (1) If we take even digit out of 4, 6, 8 and prime number out of 3, 5, 7. Then total
possibilities are 3*3*2=18

Case (2) If we take even digit “0” and prime number out of 3, 5, 7. Then total cases will be
3*1=3

Case (3) If we take one digit as 2, another digit can be 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 4, 6, 8. Total possible
numbers will be, 14

Case (4) digit 9 and 1 can form 4 numbers 99, 11, 19, 91

Hence total numbers possible are: 18+3+14+4 = 39. Choice(C)

E. DILR – 1 Set

Answer Key

1. Choice (C)
2. Choice (B)
3. Choice (D)
4. Choice (B)

Solutions for questions 1 to 4:

Zone A was visited on 1st March, 2nd April, 16th April. The time interval between the visit on 1st
March and 2nd April was 32 days. Hence we can conclude, zone A was visited every nth day,
where n is a factor of 32 and the interval between 2 nd April and 16th April was 14 days; hence we
can conclude that zone A was visited every nth day, where n is a factor of 14. The possible
values of n could be the common factors of 32 and 14 i.e., 1, 2. But, as it is mentioned any of
the zones were not visited on consecutive days, 1 is not possible. So n=2 for Zone A.

Similarly, zone B was visited after an interval of 20 and 30 days. So, for zone B, n can be a
common factor of 30 and 10 which are 2, 5, 10 but since each zone was visited at least once in
a week, 10 cannot be possible.

So n=2 or 5 for zone B.

The possible values of n for all the zones will be as follows:

ZONE A 2
ZONE B 2,5
ZONE C 7
ZONE D 2
ZONE E 2, 4

Q.1 Frequency of visits of zone A, C, D can be uniquely determined. Choice (C)

Q.2 Since only two zones have the same frequency of visits it has to be zones A, D. Then
frequency of visits made to zone E was on every 4th day. Hence, zone E was visited 8 times 1st,
5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, 21st, 25th and 29th in the month of March. Choice (B)

Q.3 Frequency of visits made to zone E was either every 2 nd day or 4th day. For maximum visits,
we should consider the higher frequency i.e., every 2 nd day. Hence total number of visits starting
from 1st March will be 16. Choice (D)

Q.4 For zone C, n=7, hence will be visited on 5 days starting from March 3(i.e. 3rd,10th , 17th,
24th and 31st) and for zone D, n=2 , hence it will be on 15 days starting from March 2(i.e. 2 nd, 4th,
6th, 8th....30th). Of which 10th and 24th March are common days and the officer will be visiting
zone C instead of zone D on those days (lesser visited zone). Hence, the total number of visits
made to zone C and D are 5+15-2=18. Choice (B)