Question

Consider the following C program: \begin{verbatim} #include stdio.h int main(){ int a = 6; int b = 0; while(a<10) { a = a / 12 + 1; a += b; } printf("%d", a); return 0; } \end{verbatim} Which one of the following statements is CORRECT?

• A. The program prints 9 as output.
• B. The program prints 10 as output.
• C. The program gets stuck in an infinite loop.
• D. The program prints 6 as output.

Hint:

In C, integer division truncates the decimal part, which can lead to unintended infinite loops if the update condition depends on such operations.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Analyze the program.
Initially, \( a = 6 \) and \( b = 0 \).
Inside the \texttt{while} loop, the value of \( a \) is updated as: \[ a = \frac{a}{12} + 1. \]
In integer arithmetic, dividing \( a \) (initially 6) by 12 results in 0 since only the integer part is retained. Hence: \[ a = 0 + 1 = 1. \]
The next statement is: \[ a += b. \] Since \( b = 0 \), \( a \) remains 1. Step 2: Infinite loop condition.
The condition for the \texttt{while} loop is \( a<10 \). After the first iteration: \[ a = 1 \quad \text{(remains unchanged as \( b = 0 \))}. \]
In subsequent iterations, \( a \) is repeatedly updated to 1 (because \( a / 12 + 1 = 1 \)), and the loop never terminates. Final Answer: \[ \boxed{\text{The program gets stuck in an infinite loop.}} \]