Three colors to paint each side of a square, how many different squares?

[kaleidoscope]

Homework Statement

If you have a square and can paint each side with one of three different colours, how many completely different arrays can you get? (rotated squares don't count)

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I was thinking 3^4 / 4 but, that is not an integer, (3^4 - 1) / 4 is an integer but why would you substract 1?

 

[dacruick]

You just have 4 edges of the square that you can colour? and does the order of the colours matter?

 

[dacruick]

Try this link right here. Combinations with repetition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combination#Number_of_combinations_with_repetition

 

[HallsofIvy]

You might also want to consider if the same square rotated would counted as the same:
in other words would red, black, green, black be the same as black, red, black, green or different (both starting at the top of the square and going clockwise)?

 

[dacruick]

(rotated squares don't count)

You might also want to consider if the same square rotated would count

I think my link will give you the information you need to solve it. I got an answer that I checked quickly by writing out all of the combinations.

 

[kaleidoscope]

I think my link will give you the information you need to solve it. I got an answer that I checked quickly by writing out all of the combinations.

Thanks. I thought we needed a permutation.

 

[kaleidoscope]

We actually need permutations and the answer should be around 24. I'm still looking for a solution.