Combinatorics Homework Help: 12 Workers, 4 Jobs, 277200 Solutions

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves combinatorics, specifically determining the number of ways to assign 12 workers to 4 different jobs with specified numbers of workers for each job.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand how to approach the problem, expressing uncertainty about the methods required. Some participants suggest a sequential selection process for the workers, while others propose using binomial coefficients to represent the selections mathematically.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring different methods to calculate the number of combinations. There is an indication of multiple interpretations regarding the approach, but no explicit consensus has been reached on the best method to use.

Contextual Notes

The original poster mentions a lack of prior experience with this type of combinatorial problem, which may influence their understanding and approach.

Norway
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Homework Statement



An IT-company with 12 hired workers, has been given four jobs. The company wants to use four workers on the first job, three on the second, three on the third and two on the last job. How many ways can the company put these 12 people on the four different jobs?

The answer's supposed to be 277 200.

The Attempt at a Solution



We've never ever done combinatorics like this, and the sole reason I'm doing this is because I'm ahead of the rest of my class. Still, I can't figure out how to figure out this problem. I've tried multiplying in different ways I know from probability math earlier, but with no luck. My guess is that matrixes(?) are needed here, but I've never done this before, so I really hope there are some kind ones around who can help me. :-)

Thanks a lot,
From Norway
 
Physics news on Phys.org
how many ways to pick 2 ppl out of 12 then how many ways to pick 3 from 10 then how many ways to pick 3 from 7, the remaining form the 4... multiply together to get answer
 
So it's something like ...
{12 \choose 4} \cdot {8 \choose 3} \cdot {5 \choose 3} \cdot {2 \choose 2}
?
Thanks anyway :)
 
should get same answer either way
 

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