**Prying Force and its Reduction**

Prying force is the force that tends to pry or lift a bolted joint apart due to the eccentricity of the applied load. It is an important consideration in the design of bolted connections, as it can significantly affect the structural integrity and stability of the joint.

There are several ways to reduce the prying force in a bolted connection, including:

**1. Increasing the End Distance:**
Increasing the end distance refers to increasing the distance between the applied load and the edge of the connected member. This effectively increases the lever arm and reduces the prying force. By increasing the end distance, the eccentricity of the applied load is reduced, resulting in a smaller moment arm and a lower prying force. Therefore, increasing the end distance helps to reduce the prying force.

**2. Decreasing the End Distance:**
Contrary to increasing the end distance, decreasing the end distance will have the opposite effect and increase the prying force. This is because reducing the end distance increases the eccentricity of the applied load, resulting in a larger moment arm and a higher prying force. Therefore, decreasing the end distance is not a suitable method for reducing the prying force.

**3. Increasing the Distance of the Bolt from Half the Root Radius for a Rolled Section:**
The distance of the bolt from half the root radius for a rolled section is an important parameter in bolted connections. By increasing this distance, the eccentricity of the applied load can be reduced, resulting in a smaller moment arm and a lower prying force. Therefore, increasing the distance of the bolt from half the root radius for a rolled section helps to reduce the prying force.

**Conclusion:**
Based on the above explanations, it can be concluded that options 1 and 3 are correct for reducing the prying force in a bolted connection. Increasing the end distance and increasing the distance of the bolt from half the root radius for a rolled section are effective ways to reduce the prying force, whereas decreasing the end distance will have the opposite effect and increase the prying force. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is option C: 1 and 3 are correct.