Question

In the square grid shown on the left, a person standing at P2 position is required to move to P5 position.
The only movement allowed for a step involves, "two moves along one direction followed by one move in a perpendicular direction". The permissible directions for movement are shown as dotted arrows in the right.
For example, a person at a given position Y can move only to the positions marked X on the right.
Without occupying any of the shaded squares at the end of each step, the minimum number of steps required to go from P2 to P5 is:

• A. 4
• B. 5
• C. 6
• D. 7

Hint:

To find the minimum number of steps, always plan the path in a way that minimizes backtracking and utilizes the allowed movement pattern efficiently.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

We need to determine the minimum number of steps to move from P2 to P5. The movement rule requires two steps in one direction followed by one step in a perpendicular direction. By following the movement restrictions and considering the allowed moves, we can visualize the path taken across the grid. Here is how it works:
1. From P2, the person can move two squares to the right and then one square down.
2. From the new position, another two steps to the right followed by one step upwards.
3. From here, another similar move will get the person close to P5.
Counting all the steps, we see that it takes 5 moves to reach P5. Thus, the correct answer is (B) 5.