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GATE 2022 EE – Question 10

General Aptitude · Spatial Aptitude: Spatial Reasoning and Visualization · 2 marks · Multiple choice

An ant is at the bottom-left corner of a grid (point P) as shown above. It aims to move to the top-right corner of the grid. The ant moves only along the lines marked in the grid such that the current distance to the top-right corner strictly decreases.

Which one of the following is a part of a possible trajectory of the ant during the movement?

Diagram for GATE 2022 EE question 10
  1. Path (A)
  2. Path (B)
  3. Path (C)
  4. Path (D)

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Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: (C) Path (C)

Explanation

Moving right or up along the grid always brings the ant closer to the top-right corner, while moving left or down moves it away. Paths (A) and (B) each contain a downward segment, and path (D) returns towards the start (a closed loop). Only path (C), a staircase that goes only up and right, keeps the distance strictly decreasing.