Counting Techniques

2023 年 9 月 29 日

1 Basic Knowledge
1.1 terms
A permutation is an arrangement or a listing of things in which order
is important.

A combination is an arrangement or a listing of things in which order

is not important

1.2 Definition
The symbol ! (factorial) is defined as follows: 0! = 1,
and for integers n ≥ 1,
n! = n · (n − 1) · · · 1
1! = 1,
2! = 2 · 1 = 2,
3! = 3 · 2 · 1 = 6,
4! = 4 · 3 · 2 · 1 = 24,
5! = 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1 = 120,
6! = 6 · 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1 = 720.

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1.3 Permutations
(1). Different elements, with no repetition. Take r elements each time
from n distinct elements (1≤ r ≤ n).
n!
Number of permutations P (n, r) =
(n − r)!

(2).n distinct objects can be permutated in n! permutations.

We let n = r in (1) to get P (n, n) = n!

Example
In how many ways can the letters of the word MATH be arranged?

1.4 Combinations

( )Let n, r be non-negative integers such that 0 ≤ r ≤ n. The symbol

n
(reads ”n” chooses ”m”) is defined and denoted by
r
( )
n P (n, r) n!
= =
r P (r, r) r!(n − r)!
( ) ( ) ( )
n n n
Remember: = 1, = n,and =1
0 1 ( ) (n )
n n
Since n–(n–r) = r, we have =
r n−r

Unlike Permutations, Combinations are used when order does not mat-
ter. If we have n different elements, and it doesn’t matter which order
we take the(elements,
) the number of ways to take m elements where 1
n
≤ m ≤ n, is
m

Example
In a group of 2 cats, 3 dogs, and 4 pigs in how many ways can we choose a
committee of 6 animals?

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1.5 The Sum Rule
If an event E1 can happen in n1 ways, event E2 can happen in n2 ways,
event Ek can happen in nk ways, and if any event E1 , E2 , · · · or Ek happens,
the job is done, then the total ways to do the job is n1 + n2 + · · · + nk .

Example
In how many ways can one book be selected from a book shelf of 5 paperback
books and 3 hardcover books?

1.6 The Product Rule (Fundamental Counting Principle)

When a task consists of k separate parts, if the first part can be done
in n1 ways, the second part can be done in n2 ways, and so on through
the k t h part, which can be done in nk ways, then total number of possible
results for completing the task is given by the product:

n1 × n2 × n3 × · · · × n k

Example
A girl has 5 shirts, 4 skirts, and 3 pairs of shoes. How many different outfits
can she create?

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2 Problem Solving Skills
2.1 Using Charts
Two dice are rolled. How many ways are there to roll a sum of 7?

2.2 Using Tree Diagram

A designer has 3 fabric colors he may use for a dress: red, green, and
blue. Four different patterns are available for the dress. If each dress design
requires one color and one pattern, how many different dress designs are
possible?

2.3 Using Water Pipes

(2013 AMC 8 problem 20) Samantha lives 2 blocks west and 1 block
south of the southwest corner of City Park. Her school is 2 blocks east and
2 blocks north of the northeast corner of City Park. On school days she
bikes on streets to the southwest corner of City Park, then takes a diagonal
path through the park to the northeast corner, and then bikes on streets to
school. If her route is as short as possible, how many different routes can
she take?

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2.4 With Restriction
(1)How many ways can 5 distinct paperback books and 1 hardcover
book be arranged on a shelf if the hardcover must be the rightmost book
on the shelf?

(2)In how many ways can 5 books be arranged on a shelf if two of the
books must remain together, but may be interchanged?

(3)How many four –digit whole numbers do not contain the digit 1?
No digit is allowed to use more than once in any such 4-digti number.

2.5 Grouping
Theorem 1: Let the number of different objects be n. Divide n into r
groups A1 , A2 , · · · , Ar such that there are n1 objects in group A1 , n2 objects
in group A2 , ..., nr objects in the group Ar , where n1 + n2 + · · · + nr = n.
n!
The number of ways to do so is
n! !n2 ! · · · nr !

Theorem 2:Let there be r types of objects: n1 of type 1, n2 of type 2;

etc. The number of ways in which these n1 + n2 + · · · + nr = n objects can
n!
be rearranged is
n! !n2 ! · · · nr !

(1)In how many ways may we distribute 6 different books to Alex, Bob,
and Catherine such that each person gets 2 books?

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 (2)In how many ways may we distribute 7 different books to Alex, Bob,
and Catherine such that Alex and Bob each get 2 books and Catherine gets
3 books?

(3)In how many different ways can all the letters in INDIANA be ar-
ranged in a line? Assume that duplicate letters are indistinguishable.

2.6 Circular Permutations

Theorem 3: The number of circular permutations (arrangements in a
circle) of n distinct objects is (n–1)!

(1)In how many ways is it possible to seat seven people at a round table?

(2) In how many ways is it possible to seat seven people at a round

table if Alex and Bob must not sit in adjacent seats?

(3)In how many ways can four men and four women be seated at a
round table if no two men are to be in adjacent seats?

(4)In how many ways can a family of six people be seated at a round
table if the youngest kid must sit between the parents?

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2.7 Combinations with Repetitions
Theorem 4: Let n be a positive integer.
( The
) number of positive integer
n−1
solutions to x1 + x2 + · · · + xr = n is
r−1

(1)Three friends have a total of 6 identical pencils, and each one has
at least one pencil. In how many ways can this happen?

(2)In how many ways may we write the number 9 as the sum of three
positive integer summands? Here order counts, so, for example, 1 + 7 + 1
is to be regarded different from 7 + 1 + 1.

Theorem 5:Let n be a positive integer. (The number) of(non-negative

)
n+r−1 n+r−1
integer solutions to y1 + y2 + · · · + yr = n is or
r−1 n

(1)Three friends have a total of 6 identical pencils. In how many ways

can this happen?

Theorem 6:The number of ways to walk from one corner to another

corner(of an )
m by n grid can be calculated by the following formula:
m+n
N = , where m is the number of rows and n the number of
n
column.

(1)How many ways are there to get from A to B if you can only go
north or west?

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 Theorem 7: counting how many rectangles. For a rectangular grid with
m vertical lines and n horizontal
( ) ( lines, ) the total number of rectangles that
m n
can be counted is N = ×
2 2

Theorem 8: Rising(Increasing) Number. A rising number, such as

34689, is a positive integer where each digit is larger than the one to its left.
The
( )number of integers with digits in increasing order can be calculated by
9
.
n

(1)How many 3-digit increasing numbers are there?

Theorem 9: Falling (Decreasing Number). A falling number is an in-

teger whose decimal representation has the property that each digit except
the units digit is larger than the one to its right. For example, 96521 is
a falling number but 89642 is not. (The) number of integers with digits in
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decreasing order can be calculated
n

(1) How many 3-digit falling numbers are there?

Theorem 10: Palindrome Numbers. A palindrome number is a number

that is the same when written forwards or backwards. The first few palin-
drome numbers are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77,
88, 99, 101, 111, and 121.The number of palindromes with n digits can be
found by 9 is the floor function.

(1) How many 3-digit palindromes are there?

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3 Homework
(1)Any 2 points determine a line. If there are 7 points in a plane, no
3 of which lie on the same line, how many lines are determined by pairs of
these 7 points?

(2)An electrician is testing 7 different wires. For each test, the electri-
cian chooses 2 of the wires and connects them. What is the least number
of tests that must be done so that every possible pair of wires is tested?

(3)A snack machine has buttons arranged as shown above. If a selec-

tion is made by choosing 2 letters from 6 letters followed by 3 digits from
9 digits, what is the greatest number of different selections that could be
made?

(4) In the figure above, each line segment represents a one-way road
with travel permitted only in the direction indicated by the arrow. How
many different routes from A to G are possible?

(5)A boy is walking along the line starting from point A to point B.
Any point of intersection and line cannot be walked twice in one trip. How
many ways are there?

(6)In the figure shown, a path from point A to point D is determined

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by moving upward or to the right along the grid lines. How many different
paths can be drawn from A to D that must include both B and C?

(7)As shown above, a circular shape is divided into 3 regions. A certain

design is to be painted such that two regions next to each other must have
the different colors. If 6 different colors are available for the design, how
many differently pained designs are possible?

(8)If the 6 cards A, B, C, D, E, F are placed in a row so that the card

with a A on it is never at either end, how many different arrangements are
possible?

(9)As shown above, a certain design is to be painted using 2 different

colors. If 6 different colors are available for the design, how many differently
pained designs are possible?

(10)How many different even natural numbers each containing three

distinct digits can be written using just the digits 0, 2, 3, 5, and 8?

(11) In how many ways can four married couples be seated at a round
table if no two men, as well as no husband and wife are to be in adjacent
seats?

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 (12)In the figure above, each line segment represents a one-way road
with travel permitted only in the direction indicated by the arrow. How
many different routes from A to G that pass through E are possible?

(13)Ten points are placed on a circle. What is the greatest number of

different lines that can be drawn so that each line passes through two of
these points?

(14)Four lines are drawn in a plane so that there are exactly three dif-
ferent intersection points. Into how many nonoverlapping regions do these
lines divide the plane?

(15)The four distinct points P, Q, R, S lie on a line l: the five distinct

points T, U, V, W, X lie on a different line that is parallel to line l. What
is the total number of different lines that can be drawn so that each line
contains exactly two of the nine points?

(16)A number is called increasing if each of its digits is greater than the
digit immediately to its left, if there is one. How many increasing numbers
are there between 100 and 200?

(17)In a volleyball league with 5 teams, each team plays exactly 3 games
with each of the other 4 teams in the league. What is the total number of

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games played in this league?

(18)Meredith has a red hat, a blue hat, yellow hat, and a white hat.
She also has four sweaters�one red, one blue, one yellow, and one white�and
four pairs of jeans�one red, one blue, one yellow, and one white. Meredith
wants to wear a red, white, a yellow, and blue outfit consisting of one hat,
one sweater, and one pair of jeans. How many different possibilities does
she have?

(19)What is the all possible number of points of intersection of one

circle and one square?

(20)Four circles lie in the same plane. What is the maximum number
of points of intersection of them?

(21)Two circles and two straight lines lie in the same plane. If neither
the circles nor the lines are coincident, what is the maximum possible num-
ber of points of intersection?

(22)How many positive three-digit integers are there such that each
digit is an odd number less than 8?

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 (23)Jesse finds that by selecting from the different combinations of the
jackets, pants, and shirts that he owns, he can create up to 150 different
outfits, each consisting of one jacket, one pair of pants, and one shirt. If he
owns 3 jackets and 5 shirts, how many pairs of pants does Jesse own?

(24)A circle (not drawn) passes through point A in the figure above.
What could be the total number of points of intersection of this circle and
δABC?

(25)Three girls and four boys are to be seated in a row containing seven
chairs. If the chairs at both ends of the row must be occupied by girls, in
how many different ways can the children be seated?

(26)How can three-digit natural numbers are there of the form htu
where h > t > u ?

(27)How many different ways can Marco travel from Annandale to Ball-
ston? He may not visit any city more than once, and he must stay on the
roads.

(28)How many four-digit odd integers greater than 6000 can be formed
from the digits 0, 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8, if no digit may be used more than once?

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 (29) How many 3-digit numbers can be formed using the digits of 0, 1,
2, 3, and 4? No digit can be used twice in any such 3-digit number.

(30)Five students are sitting in a row. Alex and Bob are not sitting
next to each other. How many arrangements are there?

(31)Use four different colors to color the four rectangles A, B, C, and

D as shown in the figure. No two rectangles sharing the same edge can be
the same color. How many ways are there to color the rectangles?

(32)How many triples of three positive integers (x, y, z) have the prod-
uct of 24?

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