MATH 230 Probability: Exercise 1

S. Bashir
Spring, 2019

Problem 1
Find the number of possible 10 character passwords when:
a. all the 10 characters have to be letters
b. all letters must be distinct
c. letters and digits must alternate and be distinct

.........
Solution:

a. 2610
b. 26.25.....17
c. 2.26.10.25.9.24.8.23.7.22.6

Problem 2
Find the number of different words that can be formed by rearranging the letters in
the word ‘HHTTTT’ ?

.........
Solution:

6! 6


2!4!
= 2
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Problem 3
How many ways are there to seat 10 people, consisting of 5 couples, in a row of seats
if?

a. seats are assigned at random

b. all couples are to get adjacent seats?

.........
Solution:

a. 10!

b. 10.1.8.1.6.1.4.1.2.1

Problem 4
A box contains 30 balls, of which 10 are red and the other 20 blue. Suppose you take
out 8 balls from this box without replacement. How many possible ways are there to
have 3 red & 5 blue balls in this sample?

.........
Solution:

10 20



3 5

MATH 230 Probability Exercise 1

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Problem 5
Six people are seated at a round table to play a game of cards.

a. Is the seating arrangement around the table a linear or circular permutation?

b. How many possible seating arrangements are there?

.........
Solution:

a. circular

b. (6 − 1)!

Problem 6
A poker hand is 5 cards (a set) chosen without replacement from a deck of 52 playing
cards. How many possible poker hands? In how many ways can you get a hand with
3 red cards and 2 black cards?

.........
Solution:

52


5

26 26



3 2

MATH 230 Probability Exercise 1

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Problem 7
How many ways can eight people (including Mandy and Cindy) line up for a bus, if
Mandy and Cindy refuse to stand together?

.........
Solution:

Total possible ways to line up all 8 people (no restriction): 8!.

Mandy & Cindy line up together: 2.7!
therefore, Mandy & Cindy don’t line up together: 8! − 2.7!

Problem 8
How many ways are there to choose 4 letters from 10 distinct letters in which the
order of choosing does not matter and repetition is not allowed?

.........
Solution:

10


4

Problem 9
How many ways are there to choose 4 letters from 10 distinct letters in which the
order of choosing does matter and repetition is not allowed?

.........
Solution:

10!/6!

MATH 230 Probability Exercise 1

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Problem 10
How many integers, greater than 999 but not greater than 4000, can be formed with
the digits 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, if repetition of digits is allowed?

.........
Solution:

From 1000 →< 4000 there are 3.5.5.5 = 375 possible choices (for different positions)+
for 4000 there is only 1 choice=375+1=376

Problem 11
Consider the palindrome RADAR. Whichever way you read it, from left to right or
from right to left, you get the same word. Find the maximum possible number of
5-letter palindromes from the 26 letters?

.........
Solution:

26.25.24

Problem 12
If 3 students are randomly chosen from a class of 30 to form a committee

a. what is the total number of different committees that can be created?

b. how many different ways can the committee be created, if the chosen students
would be nominated as president, vice president, and the secretary?

.........
Solution:

MATH 230 Probability Exercise 1

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30


a. 3

b. 30!/(30 − 3)!

Problem 13
Assume a committee of 10 has to be selected from a group of 100 people, of which 40
are men and 60 are women. How many ways are there to choose the committee so
that exactly half of the members are men?

.........
Solution:

40 60



5
. 5

Problem 14
If a fair coin is tossed 50 times, find the maximum possible number of outcomes with
25 heads

.........
Solution:

50


25

MATH 230 Probability Exercise 1

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Problem 15
Consider a group of 10 people. If everyone shakes hands with everyone else, how
many handshakes take place?

.........
Solution:

10


2

MATH 230 Probability Exercise 1