6.4.

Section 4: Counting Subsets of a Set

In Section 2, we looked at counting events with or without repetition, but in either instance the order of the elements mattered. Now, we shall relax the order restriction to allow counting set structures where events are not distinguished by the order of elements, but by the mere clustering of elements together. This will lead to the last rule, the Division Rule (not in the text!).

6.4.2

The Division Rule

Theorem: Suppose a set A has n elements and is partitioned by the collection {A1, A2, ..., Ap}, where each partition set has m elements. Then: p = n/m. In other words, if a set is partitioned into equalsized partition sets, then the number of partition sets is the quotient of the size of the set with the size of any partition set. For example, if a set has 100 elements and is partitioned in 20-element subsets, then there must be 5 subsets (equivalence classes).

6.4.3

Counting Subsets
How many 3-element subsets of a 4-element set are there: Let A = {1,2,3,4} then all 3-permutations are: 123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321 {1,2,3} 124, 142, 214, 241, 412, 421 {1,2,4} 134, 143, 314, 341, 413, 431 {1,3,4} 234, 243, 324, 342, 423, 432 {2,3,4}. Hence # 3-element subsets = (# 3-permutations) / (# 3-orderings) = P(4,3) / 3! = 4! / (1!3!) = 4! / 3! = 4.

6.4.4

Combinations
What we have just counted is a combination. In this instance, it was a combination of 4 elements taken 3 at a time. We use the Division Rule to negate the order condition of the permutation counts. In general, C(n,k) = P(n,k) / k! Equivalently, we use the choose notation to get:

()=

n k

n! k!(n k)!

6.4.5

More Counting Subsets

How many subsets of a 10-element set have 3 elements? How many have 7 elements? Solution: C(10,3) = 10! / (3!7!) C(10,7) = 10! / (7!3!), the same! Note: Counting subsets containing 3 elements is the same as counting subsets NOT containing the other 7 elements! Theorem: C(n,k) = C(n,nk). How many subsets have at least 8 elements? Solution: C(10,8) + C(10,9) + C(10,10)

6.4.6

Counting Binary Strings

How many 10-bit strings have three 1s? Solution: We model this as requiring us to choose three of the ten slots to place a 1 then the other seven remaining slots will get a 0. Thus the number of 10-bit strings that have three 1s is C(10,3) = 10! / (3!7!). In general, the number of n-bit binary strings with density k is C(n,k). As before, having k 1s is the same thing as having (n k) 0s.

Counting Teams

6.4.7

Suppose a group of 5 men and 7 women want to pick a 5-person team. How many teams can they make with 3 men and 2 women?
C(5,3)C(7,2) = [5!/(3!2!)][7!/(5!2!)] = 7!/(3!2!2!).

How many teams have at least 1 man?

(All teams w/no man) = C(12,5) C(7,5) = [12!/(7!5!)] [7!/(5!2!)]

How many teams have at most 1 man?

(teams w/no man) + (teams w/1 man) = C(7,5) + C(5,1)C(7,4) = 7!/(5!2!) + [5!/4!][7!/(3!4!)]

Generalized Permutations

6.4.8

In Section 2, we learned how to count the number of orderings of the letters of COMPUTER. What about the number of orderings of the letters of MISSISSIPPI? In this case, we note that not all the letters are distinct. In particular, MISSISSIPPI IIIISSSSPPM, so although we are still searching for an ordering structures, there are sub-unorderings present, induced by the repeated letters, for which we have to account.

Generalized Permutations Take 1

6.4.9

Lets apply the Division Rule to negate the effect of the unordering portions of the overall order problem. This leaves us with a total count of 11!/4!4!2!. Here, the first quotient of 4! mods out the effect of the unordered Is, the second quotient of 4! mods out the effect of the unordered Ss, and the last quotient of 2! mods out the effect of the unordered Ps.

Generalized Permutations Take 2

6.4.10

If we model this problem, purely as a combination, and not a permutation at all, we can reason the task as: 1. Choose 4 slots from 11 for the Is; 2. Choose 4 slots from the remaining 7 for the Ss; 3. Choose 2 slots from the remaining 3 for the Ps; 4. Place the M (only 1 way remaining). This yields: C(11,4)C(7,4)C(3,2)C(1,1) = (11!7!3!)/(7!4!4!3!2!1!) = 11!/(4!4!2!).

Generalized Permutation Theorem

6.4.11

Theorem: Suppose a collection consists of n objects of which: n1 are of type 1, indistinguishable from each other; n2 are of type 2, indistinguishable from each other; ... nk are of type k, indistinguishable from each other; and n1 + n2 + ... + nk = n. Then the number of distinct permutations of the n objects is: C(n,n1)C(nn1,n2)C(nn1n2,n3)...C(nk,nk) = n! / (n1!n2!n3!...nk!).