Why Do Some Students Appear to Be Double-Counted in Math Enrollment Figures?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a hypothetical scenario involving student enrollment figures in math courses at FLC High School. Participants are attempting to determine how many grade 12 students are not enrolled in any math class, given overlapping enrollments in Data Management, Advanced Functions, and Calculus. The conversation includes mathematical reasoning and attempts to resolve discrepancies in the enrollment totals.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants calculate that there are 158 students at FLC High School, with specific enrollments in each math course and overlapping enrollments among them.
  • One participant reports consistently arriving at a total of -10 students not enrolled in any math class, suggesting a potential error in the problem statement or in their calculations.
  • Another participant agrees with the -10 result and questions the accuracy of the problem as presented by the teacher.
  • Several participants attempt to create a Venn diagram to visualize the overlaps in enrollments, leading to different interpretations of how to count students taking multiple courses.
  • One participant proposes that students taking multiple courses should not be counted in the totals for exclusive enrollments, suggesting a calculation of 14 students not enrolled in any math class based on their interpretation.
  • A later reply supports this interpretation, indicating agreement that those taking all three courses should not be included in the counts for those taking just two courses.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the correct interpretation of the enrollment figures and how to account for students taking multiple courses. There is no consensus on the correct number of students not enrolled in any math class, with multiple competing views presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants note potential issues with the wording of the problem and the calculations leading to negative enrollment figures, indicating that assumptions about student counts and overlaps may not be fully resolved.

Dethrone
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The question as follows:

Hypothetically, there are 158 grade 12 students at FLC High School, 92 have enrolled in Data Management, 71 have enrolled in Advanced Functions, and 40 have enrolled in Calculus. The math students include 14 who are taking both Data Management and Advanced Functions, 18 are taking Data Management and Calculus, 11 are taking Advanced Functions and Calculus. Lastly there are 8 brave souls taking all three maths.How many grade 12 students at FLC High school not enrolled in any math class?

Note: I keep getting -10 as an answer.
According to my teacher this question isn't wrong and it's do-able.
But there is a trick. (?)

+++++

Additional Info:

Ended up with 8 in the center of the diagram.

10 between calculus and data.
6 between data and Advanced Functions.
3 between Advanced Functions and Calculus.

Lastly 60 in Data, 54 in Advanced Functions, and 19 in Calculus.

These are all the students enrolled in the courses.

So to get not not enrolled I did:

=158-68-19-54-6-10-3-6-8
=-10

(Or total students in grade 12 - ∑all the numbers in the Venn Diagram

The problem is I can't have negative number for students not enrolled in any math course.
They are more people taking math courses then there are students.in the school.
 
Last edited:
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Hello, Rido12!

There are 158 students at FLC High School.
92 in Data Management (D).
71 in Advanced Functions (A).
40 in Calculus (C).
14 in both D and A.
18 in both D and C.
11 in both A and C.
8 in all three.

How many students are not enrolled in any math class?

Note: I keep getting -10 as an answer. . I agree.
According to my teacher this question isn't wrong
. . and it's do-able.
Either your teacher has a typo in the problem
. . or you copied it incorrectly.

Code:
              * * *       x x x
          *     D     x     A     x
        *           x   *           x
       *           x     *           x
                      6
      *           x       *           x
      *    68     x       *     54    x
      *           x o o o *           x
                o           o
       *      o    x  8  *    o      x
        *    o  10  x   *   3  o    x
          *           x           x
            o * * *       x x x o
            o                   o
            o                   o
                     19
             o                 o
              o               o
                o     C     o
                    o o o
I too get a total 168 students.
 
soroban said:
Hello, Rido12!


Either your teacher has a typo in the problem
. . or you copied it incorrectly.

Code:
              * * *       x x x
          *     D     x     A     x
        *           x   *           x
       *           x     *           x
                      6
      *           x       *           x
      *    68     x       *     54    x
      *           x o o o *           x
                o           o
       *      o    x  8  *    o      x
        *    o  10  x   *   3  o    x
          *           x           x
            o * * *       x x x o
            o                   o
            o                   o
                     19
             o                 o
              o               o
                o     C     o
                    o o o
I too get a total 168 students.

I've attempted a solution that might work.

Because of the wording of the question,
Code:
              * * *       x x x
          *     D     x     A     x
        *           x   *           x
       *           x     *           x
                      14
      *           x       *           x
      *   52     x       *  38  x
      *           x o o o *           x
                o           o
       *      o    x  8  *    o      x
        *    o  18  x   *   11 o    x
          *           x           x
            o * * *       x x x o
            o                   o
            o                   o
                    3
             o                 o
              o               o
                o     C     o
                    o o o

The people that were exclusively taking for example Data Management and Calculus, DO NOT go under the people that have done Data Management Calculus Advanced Functions. Am I right or wrong?

If you add them together and subtract, (158-144) = 14 students are doing none.

Can anyone confirm?
 
Last edited:
Rido12 said:
I've attempted a solution that might work.

Because of the wording of the question,
Code:
              * * *       x x x
          *     D     x     A     x
        *           x   *           x
       *           x     *           x
                      14
      *           x       *           x
      *   52     x       *  38  x
      *           x o o o *           x
                o           o
       *      o    x  8  *    o      x
        *    o  18  x   *   11 o    x
          *           x           x
            o * * *       x x x o
            o                   o
            o                   o
                    3
             o                 o
              o               o
                o     C     o
                    o o o

The people that were exclusively taking for example Data Management and Calculus, DO NOT go under the people that have done Data Management Calculus Advanced Functions. Am I right or wrong?

If you add them together and subtract, (158-144) = 14 students are doing none.

Can anyone confirm?

This looks right to me. I think you are correct in your surmise that those taking A and D are not in the group taking all three.
 

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