Having some trouble with this combinatorics problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Calabi_Yau
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Combinatorics
AI Thread Summary
The problem involves calculating the number of derangements for six friends who randomly pick up umbrellas, ensuring none take their own. The solution can be approached using the recurrence relation Sn+1=n(Sn+Sn-1) or by applying the formula for derangements, which is the alternating sum Ʃ(-1)^i n!/i! for i from 0 to n. The discussion emphasizes that these methods provide a systematic way to arrive at the correct count without rough estimation. Understanding derangements is key to solving similar combinatorial problems effectively. The final answer reflects the complexity of arranging items under specific constraints.
Calabi_Yau
Messages
35
Reaction score
1
6 friends go to a party, each one carrying a different umbrella. They place the umbrellas outside. When the party is over, they are drunk and each one grabs an umbrella at random.
In how many ways could none of them have taken the right umbrella?

I'm having a bit trouble with this, as I can't seem to solve it without having to do some rough counting some times. Can any of you bother to solve this and explain it to me?
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
You are asking about the number of derangments Sn of a set with n elements. If you are looking for an exact answer, you can either use the recurrence relation Sn+1=n(Sn+Sn-1), or compute the alternating sum Ʃ(-1)in!/i! where i goes from 0 to n.
 
Thanks guys.
 
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...
Fermat's Last Theorem has long been one of the most famous mathematical problems, and is now one of the most famous theorems. It simply states that the equation $$ a^n+b^n=c^n $$ has no solutions with positive integers if ##n>2.## It was named after Pierre de Fermat (1607-1665). The problem itself stems from the book Arithmetica by Diophantus of Alexandria. It gained popularity because Fermat noted in his copy "Cubum autem in duos cubos, aut quadratoquadratum in duos quadratoquadratos, et...
Thread 'Imaginary Pythagorus'
I posted this in the Lame Math thread, but it's got me thinking. Is there any validity to this? Or is it really just a mathematical trick? Naively, I see that i2 + plus 12 does equal zero2. But does this have a meaning? I know one can treat the imaginary number line as just another axis like the reals, but does that mean this does represent a triangle in the complex plane with a hypotenuse of length zero? Ibix offered a rendering of the diagram using what I assume is matrix* notation...

Similar threads

Back
Top