Worked solution
Use flavour multiplicities rather than physical bar identities
(a) A teacher wants to set a class test for 25 students. Each student receives the same questions, but in a different order. Find the least number of questions she must set.
(b) Sally has 12 chocolate bars: white 4, milk 3, dark 4 and hazelnut 1. She intends to give one bar each to three of her best friends in school.
(i) Find the number of ways she can do it.
(ii) One particular friend has a nut allergy and should not be given the hazelnut bar. Find the number of ways Sally can now give her friends the chocolates.
[2015/ACJC/II/7]
CJC · Review problems · Question 10
Answer
(a) 5 questions; (b)(i) 54; (ii) 45.
(a) Find the first factorial reaching 25
For n different questions, there are orders. Since and , the least n is 5.
(b) Read the complete inventory
The source table is white:4, milk:3, dark:4, hazelnut:1. Friends are distinct recipients; same-flavour bars are treated as indistinguishable. Any non-hazelnut flavour can supply all three friends, but hazelnut can go to at most one.
(b)(i) Method 1: all distinct, all same, or AAB
All distinct flavours: . All the same: , since only the three non-hazelnut flavours have enough bars. For exactly one repeated flavour, choose the repeated non-hazelnut flavour in 3 ways, a different flavour in 3 ways, then its position pattern in ways:27. The source writes this equal count as ; the second factor is numerically 3, the available different-flavour choices. Total .
(b)(i) Method 2: split by hazelnut use
If no friend gets hazelnut, each gets one of 3 flavours: . If one gets hazelnut, choose that recipient in ways and the other two flavours independently in 3 ways each: . Total 54.
(b)(ii) Method 1: exclude the allergic recipient’s hazelnut assignments
If the particular friend receives hazelnut, the other two receive different non-hazelnut flavours in ways or the same flavour in ways. This gives forbidden assignments. Hence .
(b)(ii) Method 2: split by allowed hazelnut use
No hazelnut gives 27. Hazelnut given to one of the other two friends gives . Thus .
Common mistakes
There is only one hazelnut bar. A count of 4³ would allow it to be given to several friends.
Solution notes
All source table cells, every printed alternative method and case, source 3 C2 factor and complete allergy-complement explanation retained. This question prints no marks.