Question: Answer the next 3 questions based on the information given below.
The following questions relate to a game to be played by you and your friend. The game consists of a 4 × 4 board (see below) where each cell contains a positive integer. You and your friend make moves alternately. A move by any of the players consists of splitting the current board configuration into two equal halves and retaining one of them. In your moves you are allowed only to split the board vertically and decide to retain either the left half or the right half. Your friend, in his/her moves, can only split the board horizontally and can retain either the lower half or the upper half. After two moves by each player a single cell will remain which can no longer be split and the number in that cell will be treated as the gain (in rupees) of the person who has started the game. A sample game is shown below.
So, your gain is Re.1. With the same initial board configuration as above and assuming that you have to make the first move, answer the following questions.
Since your first move is (retain right), the board configuration after the move is as shown below
Since your next move is (retain left), your final profit will be one from (2, 9, 4 and 1).
Since your friend wants to minimize your profit, he/she would like you to get Rs. 1.
Hence, he/she would retain lower in first attempt and again retain lower in second attempt.
Your gain now will be Rs. 1.
Hence, option (d).