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

In summary, an IT-company with 12 hired workers wants to assign them to four different jobs in the following numbers: 4 workers on the first job, 3 on the second, 3 on the third, and 2 on the last job. The total number of ways to do this is 277,200. This can be calculated by finding the number of ways to select 4 out of 12 workers, then 3 out of the remaining 8, then 3 out of the remaining 5, and finally 2 out of the last 2. Alternatively, this can be calculated by multiplying the combinations of workers for each job together.
  • #1
Norway
50
3

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
 
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  • #2
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
 
  • #3
So it's something like ...
[tex]{12 \choose 4} \cdot {8 \choose 3} \cdot {5 \choose 3} \cdot {2 \choose 2} [/tex]
?
Thanks anyway :)
 
  • #4
should get same answer either way
 

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

1. What is combinatorics?

Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics that deals with counting and arranging objects or elements in a systematic way. It involves the study of combinations, permutations, and arrangements of objects.

2. What is the problem with "12 workers, 4 jobs, 277200 solutions"?

The problem involves finding the number of ways to assign 12 workers to 4 jobs, with each worker only assigned to one job. This creates a combinatorial problem as we need to consider different combinations and permutations of worker-job assignments.

3. How do you approach this combinatorial problem?

To solve this problem, we can use the formula for combinations (nCr) to determine the number of ways to choose 4 workers from a group of 12 workers. We then multiply this by the number of ways to assign the remaining 8 workers to the remaining 3 jobs, using the formula for permutations (nPr). The final answer is the product of these two calculations.

4. Can you provide a step-by-step solution?

Step 1: Use nCr formula to determine the number of ways to select 4 workers from 12 workers
Step 2: Use nPr formula to determine the number of ways to assign the remaining 8 workers to 3 jobs
Step 3: Multiply the results from Steps 1 and 2 to get the total number of solutions
Step 4: Simplify the result using basic arithmetic
Final answer: 12,600 solutions

5. Can this problem be solved using a different method?

Yes, there are other methods that can be used to solve this problem, such as using a tree diagram or creating a table of all possible combinations and eliminating duplicate solutions. However, the formula approach is the most efficient and accurate method for solving combinatorial problems.

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