University of The People
Math 1302
Math Assignment Unit 3
Instructer: Abhitosh Kedia
February, 20, 2025
Question 1
To choose 3 courses out of 11, we can use combinations. The formula for
combinations is given by:
C(n, r) = n! / (r!(n-r)!)
where n is the total number of courses and r is the number of courses to be chosen.
In this case, we have 11 courses and we want to choose 3. So the number of ways to
choose the three courses is:
C(11, 3) = 11! / (3!(11-3)!) = 165
Since one course (English) is mandatory, we have 10 remaining courses to choose
from. To choose 2 courses out of 10, we can again use combinations:
C(10, 2) = 10! / (2!(10-2)!) = 45
Therefore, there are 165 ways to choose the three courses and 45 ways to choose the
remaining two courses.
Question 2
The number of injective (one-to-one) functions from set A to set B can be calculated
using permutations. The formula for permutations is given by:
P(n, r) = n! / (n-r)!
where n is the cardinal of set B and r is the cardinal of set A.
For example, if set A has 3 elements and set B has 5 elements, the number of injective
functions from A to B would be:
P(5, 3) = 5! / (5-3)! = 60
The number of bijective (one-to-one and onto) functions from set A to set B can be
calculated using the same formula as above. However, in this case, the cardinalities of
set A and set B should be the same.
Question 3
To find the coefficient of x^7 in the expansion of (x^3)(x+2)^10 + (x+5)^7, we need
to expand both terms separately and then add the coefficients of x^7.
The expansion of (x^3)(x+2)^10 can be found using the binomial theorem. The
coefficient of x^7 in this expansion is the coefficient of x^4 in (x+2)^10, which
is C(10, 4) = 210.
The expansion of (x+5)^7 can also be found using the binomial theorem. The
coefficient of x^7 in this expansion is C(7, 7) = 1.
Therefore, the coefficient of x^7 in the given expression is 210 + 1 = 211.
Question 4
To form a sports committee of 7 members out of 30 club members, we can use
combinations. The formula for combinations is:
C(n, r) = n! / (r!(n-r)!)
where n is the total number of club members and r is the number of members to be
chosen for the committee.
In this case, we have 30 club members and we want to choose 7 for the sports
committee. So the number of different sports committees possible is:
C(30, 7) = 30! / (7!(30-7)!) = 2035800
If it is mandatory to have the selected treasurer in the sports committee, we need to
choose 6 members from the remaining 29 club members. So the number of
committees possible in this case is:
C(29, 6) = 29! / (6!(29-6)!) = 1184040
Question 5
i. A bit string is a sequence of binary digits (0s and 1s). It represents information in a
digital form, where each digit can be either on or off.
ii. An example of a bit string with any length and weight (number of 1s) could be
"101010". Combinations help find the number of bit strings possible for this example
by calculating the number of ways to choose the positions of the 1s in the string. In
this case, we have 6 positions and we want to choose 3 positions for the 1s. So the
number of bit strings possible is given by the combination formula:
C(6, 3) = 6! / (3!(6-3)!) = 20
iii. Let's choose the 3-digit number example as "123". A derangement is a permutation
of the elements of a set such that no element appears in its original position. The
number of derangement for a set of n elements can be calculated using the formula:
!n = n! * (1 - 1/1! + 1/2! - 1/3! + ... + (-1)^n/n!)
For the example "123", the number of derangement is:
!3 = 3! * (1 - 1/1! + 1/2! - 1/3!) = 2
So there are 2 derangement possible for the number "123".
iv. a. If no digit repeats, we can use permutations to calculate the number of ways to
crack the password. Since we need to choose 4 digits from a set of 10 (0-9), the
number of ways is:
P(10, 4) = 10! / (10-4)! = 5040
b. If the digits can be repeated, we can use combinations to calculate the number of
ways to crack the password. Since we need to choose 4 digits from a set of 10 (0-9)
with repetition allowed, the number of ways is:
C(10+4-1, 4) = C(13, 4) = 715
In each of these questions, we used permutations when the order of selection mattered
(e.g., choosing courses, forming a password), and combinations when the order did
not matter (e.g., choosing committee members, choosing positions for 1s in a bit
string).
