matrix logic

Question

Four new shows were planned for the upcoming fall season on WBC: a comedy, a drama, a variety
show, and a news program. The names of the shows were Wall Street Blues, All in Favor, Murphy’s Law,
and Fifty-Fifty. The shows were scheduled to air on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. From
the clues below, determine the name, day, and type of each show.
1. Tuesday’s show (which was not Murphy’s Law) and the news program had been tried out during the
previous spring.
2. Fifty-Fifty was not the variety show.
3. The drama (which was not Fifty-Fifty) and Monday’s show (which was not Wall Street Blues) were
produced by the same company.
4. All in Favor (which was not the drama) and Monday’s show (which was not the news program) both
featured a person named Bob.
5. Neither Wall Street Blues nor the drama would air on Thursday

Answer 1

Problems like these are best solved using a table and crossing out combinations that are not possible. However, Wyzant does not allow me to insert a table, so I will explain it in text:

3 means the drama is not 50-50. 4 means the drama is not All in Favor. And 5 means Wall Street Blues is not the drama. Thus, the drama is Murphy's Law.

1 means Murphy's Law is not on Tuesday. Since Murphy's Law is the drama, that means the drama is not on Tuesday. 3 means the drama is not on Monday. 5 means the drama is not on Thursday. Thus, the drama = Murphy's Law is on Wednesday.

As established, Murphy's Law is not on Monday. 4 means All in Favor is not on Monday. 3 means Wall Street Blues is not on Monday. Thus, Monday's show is 50-50.

The drama isn't on Monday. The news show isn't on Monday, as established in 4. 50-50 (which is the news show) isn't the variety show, as established in 2. Thus, 50-50=Monday's show must be the comedy.

Tuesday's show isn't the comedy, since the comedy is 50-50 which airs on Monday. Tuesday's show isn't the drama since the drama is Murphy's Law and airs on Wednesday. Tuesday's show isn't the news show as per 1. Thus, Tuesday's show is the variety show.

Wall St Blues doesn't air on Thursday as per 5. Murphy's Law airs on Wednesday, not Thursday. 50-50 airs on Monday, not Thursday. Thus, All in Favor airs on Thursday.

The comedy airs on Monday, the drama airs on Wednesday, the variety airs on Tuesday, thus news airs on Thursday. This also means All in Favor is the news show.

So far, we've established Murphy's Law is the drama and airs on Wednesday, 50-50 is the comedy and airs on Monday, and All in Favor is the news show and airs on Thursday. This means Wall St Blues is the variety and airs on Tuesday.