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Counting
Counting
n
3
n
n
3 + 4
n
k
n nk
(l) 12 11 10 9 8 7
(m) n(n 1)(n 2)(n 3)(n 4)...(n 12)
20. Count the number of ways to get from the lower left corner of the grid
(given below) to the upper right corner. Along the route, you are only
allowed to take steps right or up.
21. Solve the above problem for a general m n grid. The grid given
above is a 3 5 grid.
22. (Slightly more challenging problem) Count the number of all rectangles
you see in the above grid.
23. Solve the above problem for a general m n grid.
4
24. A discrete maths class has 30 students. The professor has asked each
student to pick a length 10 string of English letters as the students
class name. How many outcomes are possible?
25. Under the above scenario, how many outcomes are possible if the professor doesnt allow any two students to pick the same class name?
26. Under the above scenario, if we dont care which student has which
string, how many outcomes are possible? The restriction of uniqueness
of class name string is still applicable here. In other words, if the
professor just writes down the 30 strings on a piece of paper (the
sequence in which these 30 strings are written doesnt matter), how
many outcomes are possible? Being precise mathematically, one would
say, how many possible sets of 30 such strings are possible?
Pigeonhole Principle
First practice following problems:
Section 8.2: 1-8.
Then practice the following problems:
1. Whats the minimum number of people needed in a group to guarantee
that at least two people in the group have their last names begin with
the same letter of English alphabet?
2. Whats the minimum number of people needed in a group to guarantee
that at least 8 people in the group have their last names begin with
the same letter of English alphabet?
3. Whats the minimum number of people needed in a group to guarantee
that at least 8 people in the group have the same first name initial and
have the same last name initial?
4. How many students should a course section contain to ensure that
there are at least 6 of at least one class (first-years, sophomores, juniors, seniors)?
8. How many strings can be made from the letters in ALAKHAWAYNUNIVERSITY if all the letters have to be used?
9. How many 2-word strings can be made from the letters in ALAKHAWAYNUNIVERSITY if all the letters have to be used? [Hint: first make a
1-word string and then figure out how many ways can you split it into
a 2-word string.]
10. How many 3-word strings can be made from the letters in ALAKHAWAYNUNIVERSITY if all the letters have to be used?
11. A student bought a box of granola bars that contains a total of 12
bars with following number of each kind: 3 cherry bars, 5 vanilla bars,
2 peanut bars and 2 raisin bars. If he eats one bar every day, in how
many different orders can these 12 bars be consumed by him?
12. A father brought home 10 chocolates and 8 mint candies for his 3
children. The chocolates are all the same, and all the mint candies are
the same as well. In how many ways can he distribute these among
his children under
(a) no restriction on the distributions?
(b) the restriction that each child must get at least one chocolate and
at least one candy?
(c) under the restriction that each child must get at least one chocolate?
(d) (dont do this one now but something to think about) under the
restriction that each child must get at least one item (whether
it is a chocolate or a candy)? Is there an easy way to calculate
this?
(b) 78436521
(c) BJHFACDIGE
3. Consider the symbols !, @, #, $, %, &, *, + (written in the alphabetic
order of this strange alphabet). What is the next permutation in
lexicographic order after %#+!*&$@ ?
4. Consider the 6! = 720 permutations of {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. The first one
in lexicographic order is 123456 and the 720th one is 654321. What
are the 24th, 121st, 240th, 385th permutations in lexicographic order?
[Hint: 24 = 4!, 120 = 5!, 240 = 2 5!, 384 = 3 5! + 4!.]
5. Write all the 3-combinations of {1, 2, 3, 4} in lexicographic order.
6. Consider the 6 combinations of {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}. For
each of the following 3-combinations from this set, write the next one
in lexicographic order:
(a) {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
(b) {1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12}
(c) {2, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12}
7. Consider all the 10-combinations of the 26 English letters. For each of
these 10-combinations, write the next one in lexicographic order:
(a) {a, g, k, l, o, p, u, w, y, z}
(b) {b, e, g, i, l, m, n, o, y, z}
Principle of Inclusion-Exclusion
Coming soon ...
Recurrence Relations
Coming soon ...