Ways to Arrange the Letters In COMBINATORICS

  • Thread starter Thread starter Shoney45
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Combinatorics
Click For Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the arrangements of the letters in "COMBINATORICS" with specific conditions regarding vowels. For part (a), participants analyze how to arrange consonants and vowels, noting the need to account for repeated letters and ensuring no consecutive vowels, leading to a formula of 8!/2! multiplied by C(9,5). For part (b), the challenge is to find arrangements where vowels are in alphabetical order, which simplifies to a single ordering of the vowels. The conversation highlights different approaches, including the multinomial method and the importance of understanding combinatorial principles. Overall, the thread emphasizes the complexity of combinatorial arrangements with repeated elements and specific constraints.
Shoney45
Messages
65
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



a) How many arrangements of the letters in COMBINATORICS have no consecutive vowels?
b) In how many of the arrangements in part (a) do the vowels appear in alphabetical order?

Homework Equations



C(n,k) P(n,k)

The Attempt at a Solution



a) First I divided up the consonants and the vowels. My consonants are 2 C's, M, B, N, T, R, and S. My vowels are 2 O's, 2 I's and one A. Now I find the total number of ways to arrange the consonants = 8! Now I have to arrange my vowels such that there are no consecutive vowels. In the diagram below, the K = consonants, and the v's = vowels.

vKvKvKvKvKvKvKvKv

Since there are nine places to place vowels in order to avoid having consecutive vowels, there are C(9,5).

So the solution I am arriving at = 8! * C(9,5) total combinations.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
you may wish to consider how to treat repeated letters
 
Last edited:
hey it is not a question to be posted under calculus and beyond
 
total number of ways to arrange the consonants = 8!/2 as you have one repeated consonant
now why have you done C(9,5).

According to me you can do it using multinomial method. If you do not know what it is, then do not hesitate to ask
 
Shoney45 said:
So the solution I am arriving at = 8! * C(9,5) total combinations.

You reasoning to this point sounds correct, now you must account for the repeated letters and vowel ordering
 
Last edited:
Because the 2Cs are identical the total number to arrange consonants is not 8! but 8!/2!.

Also something similar for vowels cause u have two identical Is and two Os ,you have to divide with 2!2!=4. And u have to multiply by 5! to get a).

For b) you have only one ordering for vowels, that is AIIOO so b) is without the (5!/(2!2!)) factor
 
ashishsinghal said:
total number of ways to arrange the consonants = 8!/2 as you have one repeated consonant
now why have you done C(9,5).

According to me you can do it using multinomial method. If you do not know what it is, then do not hesitate to ask

Maybe you should read over the Original post
 
ashishsinghal said:
hey it is not a question to be posted under calculus and beyond

Yes it is. Combinatorics is most certainly in the realm of calculus and beyond if only for the fact that several ideas in Combo. use ideas from calculus. But, combinatorics is certainly a higher math.
 
Shoney45 said:

Homework Statement



a) How many arrangements of the letters in COMBINATORICS have no consecutive vowels?
b) In how many of the arrangements in part (a) do the vowels appear in alphabetical order?

Homework Equations



C(n,k) P(n,k)

The Attempt at a Solution



a) First I divided up the consonants and the vowels. My consonants are 2 C's, M, B, N, T, R, and S. My vowels are 2 O's, 2 I's and one A. Now I find the total number of ways to arrange the consonants = 8! Now I have to arrange my vowels such that there are no consecutive vowels. In the diagram below, the K = consonants, and the v's = vowels.

vKvKvKvKvKvKvKvKv

Since there are nine places to place vowels in order to avoid having consecutive vowels, there are C(9,5).

So the solution I am arriving at = 8! * C(9,5) total combinations.

l would attack this problem similarly, but do something a little different.

First, I like your Kv diagram, I'll use that here.
Second, see how many repeated consonants you have, in this case, there are 2 C's. Now, see how many ways there are to pick two of the K spots to place your two C's. So how many ways can you pick two K spots to place your 2 C's?. Now, you have 6 more K's left and 6 distinct letters with which to fill them, so there are 6! different ways to do this part. Multiply your answer from the C's above and 6! and you know how many ways there are to arrange the consonants.


Now, let's tackle the vowels. First, we note that there are two identical sets of vowels (the two o's and the two i's). There are C(9,2) ways to pick v's to place, say, the o's. Now you have 7 v's left, how many ways are there to pick v's for the i's? Now you how many v's do you have left? How many ways are there to pick a spot for the remaining a?As someone has pointed out, this last part can be answered with the product of three binomial coefficients, or with one multi-nomial coefficient. (I prefer binomial in this case.)
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
Replies
4
Views
6K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K