Permutation & Swap
Elements exchange positions according to a fixed rule. No new elements — just rearrangement.
Understanding this pattern
Permutation patterns rearrange elements within a fixed grid. Edges swap, quadrants rotate, or elements cycle through a defined order. The total number of elements stays constant — what changes is their configuration. These are among the most difficult patterns because the rule affects relationships between elements, not individual properties.
Example Question
Pattern Rule
Each panel is a 2×2 grid containing one black dot, one hollow circle, one hollow triangle, and one empty cell. The black dot moves one corner clockwise per step: top-left → top-right → bottom-right → bottom-left → top-left. At each step, it swaps positions with the symbol or empty space in the destination cell; the other two cells remain unchanged.
Explanation
Option C is correct: it shows the hollow circle at top-left, the black dot at top-right, the empty bottom-left cell, and the hollow triangle at bottom-right. Option A duplicates panel 5. Option B has the triangle at top-left, circle at top-right, empty bottom-left, and dot at bottom-right. Option D omits the hollow circle and shows only the dot at top-right and triangle at bottom-right. Option E duplicates panel 4, with the circle at top-right, dot at bottom-left, and triangle at bottom-right.
How to spot it
- Same elements present in every frame, but in different positions
- Pairs of elements seem to swap places systematically
- The overall "inventory" of shapes/colours stays constant
Common traps
- Trying to track individual elements instead of the swap rule
- Confusing which pair swaps — it may alternate between different pairs
- Assuming a simple rotation when the rule is a more complex permutation
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