1) The document discusses ways to count assignments of values to items allowing repetitions. It defines W(n,k) as the number of ways to assign k values to n items.
2) A recursive formula is given as W(1,k)=k and W(n+1,k)=kW(n,k), with the base case being the number of ways to assign 1 item from k values.
3) Combinations and permutations are discussed, including formulas to count the number of ordered and unordered selections of objects from a larger set.
1) The document discusses ways to count assignments of values to items allowing repetitions. It defines W(n,k) as the number of ways to assign k values to n items.
2) A recursive formula is given as W(1,k)=k and W(n+1,k)=kW(n,k), with the base case being the number of ways to assign 1 item from k values.
3) Combinations and permutations are discussed, including formulas to count the number of ordered and unordered selections of objects from a larger set.
1) The document discusses ways to count assignments of values to items allowing repetitions. It defines W(n,k) as the number of ways to assign k values to n items.
2) A recursive formula is given as W(1,k)=k and W(n+1,k)=kW(n,k), with the base case being the number of ways to assign 1 item from k values.
3) Combinations and permutations are discussed, including formulas to count the number of ordered and unordered selections of objects from a larger set.
1) The document discusses ways to count assignments of values to items allowing repetitions. It defines W(n,k) as the number of ways to assign k values to n items.
2) A recursive formula is given as W(1,k)=k and W(n+1,k)=kW(n,k), with the base case being the number of ways to assign 1 item from k values.
3) Combinations and permutations are discussed, including formulas to count the number of ordered and unordered selections of objects from a larger set.
We are given n \items," to each of which we must assign one of k \values." Each value may be used any number of times from 0 up. Let W (n; k) be the number of ways. How many di erent ways may we assign values to the items? \Di erent ways" means that one or more of the items get di erent values. Basis: W (1; k) = k (assign the one item any of k values. Induction: With n + 1 items, assign the rst in k ways, and the remaining n in W (n; k) ways. Recurrence: W (1; k) = k W (n + 1; k) = k W (n; k) k is \carried along"; induction is really on n, as if it were T (1) = k T (n) = k T (n 1) Easy solution: T (n) = kn. Example: Are there more strings of length 5 built from three symbols or strings of length 3 built from ve symbols? Consider strings of length 5 whose positions are chosen independently from symbols 0, 1, and 2. Values = f0; 1; 2g and \items" = the ve positions. Number of strings = 35 = 243. 1
Consider strings of length 3 with positions
chosen independently from symbols 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Values = f0; 1; 2; 3; 4g; \items" = three positions. Number of strings = 53 = 125.
Permutations
Suppose we are starting a Scrabble game with a
rack of 7 di erent letters (tiles). In how many di erent ways might we form a 7-letter word (sequence of letters, regardless of whether it is a legal word)? We can pick the rst letter to be any of the 7 tiles. For each choice of rst letter, there are 6 choices of second letter, or 42 choices for the rst 2 letters. Similarly, for each of these 42 choices there are 5 choices of third letter, and so on. Total number of choices = 7 6 5 2 1 = 7!. In general, the orders (permutations) of n items is n!. Inductive proof in book.
Ordered Selections
Suppose we want to begin the Scrabble game with
a 4-letter word. In how many ways might we form the word from our 7 distinct tiles? The rst letter is any of 7 tiles. For each choice of rst letter there are 6 choices of second. For each choice of 1-2, there are 5 choices of third letter. For each choice of 1-2-3 there are 4 choices of fourth letter. 2
Thus, there are 7 6 5 4 = 840 words of
4 letters out of 7. General rule: (n; m), the number of ways to pick a sequence of m things out of n, is n (n 1) (n 2) (n m + 1), i.e., the product of m integers from n downward. An equivalent formula: n!=(n m)!.
Combinations
Suppose we give up trying to make a word and
want to throw 4 of our 7 tiles back in the pile. Order the 4 selected tiles in 7!=(7 4)! = 840 ways as above. However, the same 4 tiles are selected in as many ways as we can order 4 tiles: 4! = 24. Thus, the number of di erent choices of 4 tiles out of 7, ignoring the order of selection, is 7!= (7 4)!4! = 7!=(3!4!) = 35. General rule: We can choose m items out of n, ignoring order of selection, in n!= (n m)!m! ways. n This function is usually written m and spoken \n choose m."
A Recursive De nition for
n m
Key idea: If we want to choose m things out of n,
we can either take or reject the rst item. If we take the rst, we can complete the choice by picking any m 1 of the remaining n 1. n We can do so in m 1 ways. 1 If we reject the rst item we must take any m out of the remaining n 1. Do so in nm1 ways. n Thus, we have an inductive de nition of m : Basis: n = n = 1 for all n. n 0 i.e., there is only one way to choose none or all of n elements. 3
Induction:
n m
n = m 1 + nm1 for 0 < m < n. 1 The induction parameter is a little tricky: technically it is m(n m), which is 0 for the basis (only) and decreases in the inductive step.
Inductive De nition = Direct De nition
n Use c(n; m) for the inductively de ned m . Proof is a complete induction on m(n m) that c(n; m) = n!= (n m)!m! . Basis: If m(n m) = 0 then m = 0 or m = n. If m = 0, then n!= (n m)!m! = n!=n! = 1 = c(n; 0). Note 0! = 1 is the accepted de nition. Similarly, if m = n, n!= (n m)!m! = n!=n! = 1 = c(n; n). Induction: We know c(n; m) = c(n 1; m 1) + c(n 1; m) (inductive de nition). Since the induction parameter m(n m) is less in both terms on the right than on the left, we may assume c(n 1; m 1) = (n 1)!= (n m)!(m 1)! c(n 1; m) = (n 1)!= (n m 1)!m! Adding the left sides: c(n; m). Adding right sides: n!= n m)!m! .
