Question:
Short and Simple Question :]?
anonymous
2008-12-20 04:21:39 UTC
Just a short and simple question. Thanks in advanced!

Find the number of ways in which 10 people can be divided into 5 groups consisting of 2 people in each group.
Eight answers:
strange
2008-12-20 05:58:43 UTC
There is an ambiguity in the question in that it is not clear whether or not the order of the five groups matters. The given answer tells us which was intended.



Two of the responders have given answers that are correct if the order of groups matters. This means choosing 2 people for group A, 2 for group B, and so forth through group E.



Miryana and sat have both implied that this is 113,400 and they found two valid ways to do it. One way is



(10 choose 2)*(8 choose 2)*(6 choose 2)*(4 choose 2) =



45*28*15*6 = 113,400.



The other way is 10!/2^5, which counts the number of ways of lining up ten people and divides by all the ways of switching the first with the second, the third with the fourth, and so on. This also gives 113,400.



But we know the intended answer is 945. So it must be that the order of the groups doesn't matter, i.e., any rearrangements of the five groups are not counted as different choices as long as the same pairs of people are still paired.



So we divide the other answer by 5!



113,400/120 = 945.
Shashank
2008-12-20 04:59:18 UTC
2 people can be chosen from 10 in 10C2 ways=45 ways

2 people from 8 in 8c2=28 ways

2 people from 6 in 15 ways

2 people from 4 in 6 ways

2 from 2 in 1 way.



total of 95 ways.
Mak
2008-12-20 05:47:26 UTC
1st group

2 people can be selected from 10 i.e 10C2



2nd group

2 people can be selected from 8 i.e 8C2



3rd group

2 people can be selected from 6 i.e 6C2



4th group

2 people can be selected from 4 i.e 4C2



5th group

2 people can be selected from 2 i.e 2C2



Total number of combination possible

= 10C2 + 8C2 + 6C2 + 4C2 + 2C2

= 45 + 28 + 15 + 6 + 1

= 95
prprpls
2008-12-20 04:26:39 UTC
10 x 9 / 2 = 45



10!/8! x 2
pokerface14
2008-12-20 04:33:36 UTC
10C2=45 (read as 10 people taken 2 people at a time)

10P2=90







i'm not quite sure yet coz its been a year since we've taken up this lesson
Armand Van Hoye
2008-12-20 04:57:11 UTC
10 C 2 = n! / ((r! * (n-r)!) = 10 ! / 2!*8! = 45



I consider 2-7 the same as 7-2 , because it is the same group.
sat...
2008-12-20 04:58:46 UTC
10c2 x 8c2 x 6c2 x 4c2 x 2c2
A square E
2008-12-20 04:25:35 UTC
10C2+8C2+6C2+4C2+2C2


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...