QUEST

Eight Mathematics majors at a small college are permitted to attend a meeting dealing with
undergraduate research during final exam week provided they make up all the exam missed on
the Monday after they return. The possible time periods for these exams on Monday are
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+se graph theory to determine the earliest time on Monday that all eight students can finish their
exams if two exams cannot be given during the same time period if some student must take
both exams. The eight students and the courses are"
,dvanced -alculus .,-)
/ifferential E0uations ./E)
1eometry .1)
1raph Theory .1T)
2inear 3rogramming .23)
Modern ,lgebra .M,)
4tatistics .4)
Topology .T)
The courses each student is taking are listed below"
o ,licia ,-5/E523
o -arla 15235M,
o Edward /E51T523
o 1race /E545T
o 6rian ,-51523
o /iane 1T5235M,
o 7aith /E51T5T
o 8enry ,-5/E54
SOLUTION
3hase 1
7irst5 trigger all the variables .time period .T)5 course .-) and student .4)) into +niversal
chart.
3hase $
,ccording to the chart above5 first we have to take out students5 the courses and finally
the time periods. 9emember that :all eight students can finish their exams if two exams
cannot be given during the same time period if some student must take both exams;5
means all the exams .-) must be done5 one exam .-) for each time period if there are
students .4) urgently taking more than one exam .-). <e may note courses as colored
dots. Then
,- , 6 8
/E , E 7 1 8
1 6 -
1T / E 7
23 , 6 - / E
M, - /
4 1 8

T
6oth /E and 23 attended by %
students. 4o5 we may conclude there
are two possible way for the earliest
time.
U

C
S
T 7 1
3hase &
,. 7irst possibility ./E)
6. 4econd possibility .23)
Explanation"
Time periods
3assed one time from first time period
3assed one time from second time period
3assed two times
=ptional
3hase '
1enerally5 there are two conclusions. They are

and