Assignment 2

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course Math 152

9/16/2011 at 11:10 a.m.

If your solution to stated problem does not match the given solution, you should self-critique per instructions at

http://vhcc2.vhcc.edu/dsmith/geninfo/labrynth_created_fall_05/levl1_22/levl2_81/file3_259.htm.

Your solution, attempt at solution.

If you are unable to attempt a solution, give a phrase-by-phrase interpretation of the problem along with a statement of what you do or do not understand about it. This response should be given, based on the work you did in completing the assignment, before you look at the given solution.

002. `query 2

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Self-critique Rating:

question 11.2.12 find 10! / [ 4! (10-4)! ] without calculator

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Your Solution:

First we have to express the factorials out:

10 = 10 * 9 * 8 * 7 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1

This is the numerator

The denominator is expressed as follows:

[4! (10-4)!]

[4! (6)!]

[4*3*2*1 * (6*5*4*3*2*1)]

Since both the numerator and denominator have been expressed by factorial, this is what the fraction should now look like:

10*9*8*7*6*5*4*3*2*1 / [4*3*2*1 *(6*5*4*3*2*1)]

Since 6*5*4*3*2*1 are common in both the numerator and the denominator, they cancel each other out, leaving the equation to look like this:

10*9*8*7 / 4*3*2*1

confidence rating #$&*: 3

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Given Solution:: ** Starting with 10! / [ 4! * (10-4) ! ], we replace (10 - 4) by 6 to get 10! / ( 4! * 6! ).

Writing out the factorials our expression becomes

10 * 9 * 8 * 7 * 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 / [ ( 4 * 3 * 2 * 1) * ( 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1) ] .

The numerator and denominator could be multiplied separatedly then divided out but it's easier and more instructive to divide out like terms.

Dividing ( 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1) in the numerator by the same expression ( 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1) in the denominator leaves us

10 * 9 * 8 * 7 / (4 * 3 * 2 * 1).

Every factor of the denominator divides into a number in the numerator without remainder:

• Divide 4 in the denominator into 8 in the numerator,

• divide 3 in the denominator into 9 in the numerator and

• divide 2 in the denominator into 10 in the numerator and you end up with

• 5 * 3 * 2 * 7 = 210.

NOTE ON WHAT NOT TO DO:

You could figure out that 10! = 3628800, and that 4! * 6! = 24 * 720 = 16480, then finally divide 3628800 by 16480. But that process would lose accuracy and be ridiculously long for an expression like 100 ! / ( 30! * 70!). For this calculation the numbers involved would be hundreds of digits long. Much better to simply divide out like factors until the denominator goes away, as it always will with expressions of this form. (form n ! / (r ! * (n - r)! ). **

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Self-critique (if necessary):

OK

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Self-critique Rating:

question 11.2.31 (10th edition #25) 3 switches in a row; fund count prin to find # of possible settings

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Your Solution:

3 switches that can be either turned on or off, so each switch has two optional settings: on or off

Switch one: on or off = 2

Switch two: on or off = 2

Switch three: on or off = 2

Since each switch has two optional settings, we simply add them all together to give us a total of 6 settings.

confidence rating #$&*: 3

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Given Solution:: **

There are two possible settings for the first switch, two for the second, two for the third.

The setting of one switch is independent of the setting of any other switch so the fundamental counting principle holds.

There are therefore 2 * 2 * 2 = 8 possible setting for the three switches.

COMMON ERROR: There are six possible settings and I used fundamental counting principle : first choice 3 ways, second choice 2 ways and third choice 1 way or 3 times 2 times 1 equals 6 ways.

INSTRUCTOR CRITIQUE: You're choosing states of the switches and there are only two states on each. No single choice has 3 possibilities. Also the setting of each switch is independent of the settings of the others, so the number of possibilities on one choice is independent of the number of possibilities on the other. Each of the 3 choices therefore has 2 possibilities. **

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Self-critique (if necessary):

?????Wait, I used the fundamental counting principle and I only got 6. I reasoned since there were 3 switches, and each switch could either be on or off, that gave 2 settings for each switch, which would make a total of 6 settings. Could you re-explain how you came up with eight different ways?????

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Self-critique Rating:

@& Your reasoning is right, up to the point where you added the ways.

The fundamental counting principle tells you to multiply. 2 x 2 x 2 = 8, not 6.

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question 11.2.31 (10th edition #27) If no two adjacent switches are off why does the fundamental counting principle not apply?

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Your Solution:

The fundamental counting principle would dictate that the switches would have to independent for it to apply. But since no two adjacent switches can be off, that means that the status of one switch will have an influence on the one beside it. For example, if the first switch is off, then we know that the second switch cannot be off as well, because that is what we are given. The second switch would have to be on. This means is that switch 2 is dependent on switch 1 because it has to rely on whatever it’s setting, in order to establish its own setting. So, since these switches are dependent upon each other, the fundamental counting principle cannot be used.

confidence rating #$&*: 3

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Given Solution:: ** The reason the principle doesn’t apply is that the Fund. Counting Principle requires that the events be independent. Here the state of one switch influences the state of its neighbors (neither neighbor can be the same as that switch). So the choices are not independent.

The Fund. Counting Principle requires that the events be independent. Since this is not the case the principle does not apply. **

STUDENT QUESTION

I thought for sure I had this right, but apparently I am confused. A switch is considered

independent when it is concerned with the placement of the other switches. It is dependent if it is not concerned. These

terms seem backward to me.

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

The given condition is that no two adjacent switches can be off.

So for example if the first switch is off, the second switch cannot also be off.

Or if the middle switch is off, neither of the other two can be off.

Thus in some circumstances the state of one switch has an influence on the state of the other switches, meaning that its state is dependent on the state of the other switch, and the Fundamental Counting Principle does not apply.

I believe that in this case, you did simply reverse the meanings of 'dependent' and 'independent'.

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Self-critique (if necessary):

OK

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Self-critique Rating:

question 11.2.36 How many odd 3-digit #'s from the set {3, 4, 5}?

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Your Solution:

I used the fundamental counting principle and came up with 18. If we want to come up with an odd 3 digit number, we can reason that the first two digits of that number could be any one of the three numbers given (3, 4, or 5), since three options are given for each of the first two digits, we have 3 * 3. But since the three digit number has to be odd, we can automatically deduct the number 4 from the last digit, which only gives us 2 other options (3, or 5). So the first two digits of the number both have three options, while the last digit of the number only has two options: 3 * 3 * 2 = 18

confidence rating #$&*: 2

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Given Solution:: ** Using the box method, where in this case we draw three boxes and put one number in each:

The 1st box can be filled with any of the three so the first number of possibilities is 3

The 2nd box can also be filled with any of the three so the second number of possibilities is 3

The last digit must be odd, so there are only 2 choices for the third box.

By the Fundamental Counting Principle we therefore have 3*3*2=18 possible combinations.

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Self-critique (if necessary):

OK

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Self-critique Rating:

question 11.2.56 (10th edition 50) 10 guitars, 4 cases, 6 amps, 3 processors; # possible setups

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Your Solution:

The setup consists of one of each guitar, case, amp, and processor. So instead of actually writing and listing out all the possible combinations, we can just take each of the numbers and multiply them together to get the solution:

10*4*6*3 = 720

confidence rating #$&*: 3

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Given Solution:: A setup consists of a guitar, a case, an amp and a processor.

There are 10 choices for the guitar, 4 choices for the case, 6 choices for the amp and 3 choices for the processor.

So by the Fundamental Counting Principle there are 10 * 4 * 6 * 3 = 720 possible setups. **

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Self-critique (if necessary):

OK

You may add comments on any surprises or insights you experienced as a result of this assignment:

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&#Your work looks good. See my notes. Let me know if you have any questions. &#