Binomial Coefficient - Factorials Part II

In summary, the problem is to divide 21 people into two teams, the Red Team and the Blue Team, with 10 people on the Red Team and 11 people on the Blue Team. This can be done in 352,716 ways, which can be calculated using the formula {n \choose k} = \prod_{j=0}^{k-1} \frac{n-j}{k-j}.
  • #1
reenmachine
Gold Member
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Homework Statement



This one is trickier than the problem in my other thread in my opinion.Twenty-one people are to be divided into two teams , The Red Team and the Blue Team.There will be 10 people on Red Team and 11 people on Blue Team.How many ways to do this?

I am not sure how to solve this problem but I have the feeling it is simply ##\binom{21}{10}## or ##\binom{21}{11}## which are the same thing since: ##\frac{21!}{10!(21-10)!} = \frac{21!}{10!11!}## and ##\frac{21!}{11!(21-11)!} = \frac{21!}{11!10!}##.

Now since 21! is a huge number , I decided to use a big number calculator online.Hopefully this is not forbidden.

Homework Equations



##\frac{21!}{11!(21-11)!} = \frac{51 090 942 171 709 440 000}{39916800 \cdot 3628800} = \frac{51 090 942 171 709 440 000}{144 850 083 840 000} = 352 716##thoughts on this one?

thank you!
 
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  • #2
Right again.
Spreadsheet software has functions for this sort of thing. In OpenOffice Calc you'd write =combin(21;10).
 
  • #3
haruspex said:
Right again.
Spreadsheet software has functions for this sort of thing. In OpenOffice Calc you'd write =combin(21;10).

Thank you!

Unfortunately I am not familiar with spreadsheet software or OpenOffice Calc.
 
  • #4
I think formally it can be done like this: ##\binom{21}{10}\times\binom{11}{11}##
 
  • #5
reenmachine said:

Homework Statement



This one is trickier than the problem in my other thread in my opinion.Twenty-one people are to be divided into two teams , The Red Team and the Blue Team.There will be 10 people on Red Team and 11 people on Blue Team.How many ways to do this?

I am not sure how to solve this problem but I have the feeling it is simply ##\binom{21}{10}## or ##\binom{21}{11}## which are the same thing since: ##\frac{21!}{10!(21-10)!} = \frac{21!}{10!11!}## and ##\frac{21!}{11!(21-11)!} = \frac{21!}{11!10!}##.

Now since 21! is a huge number , I decided to use a big number calculator online.Hopefully this is not forbidden.

Homework Equations



##\frac{21!}{11!(21-11)!} = \frac{51 090 942 171 709 440 000}{39916800 \cdot 3628800} = \frac{51 090 942 171 709 440 000}{144 850 083 840 000} = 352 716##


thoughts on this one?

thank you!

If you use software that does exact rational calculations, you can do it more easily as follows:
[tex] {n \choose k} = \frac{n(n-1)(n-2) \cdots (n-k+1)}{k (k-1) (k-2) \cdots 1}
= \frac{n}{k} \cdot \frac{n-1}{k-1} \cdot \frac{n-2}{k-2} \cdots \frac{n-k+1}{1} \\
= \prod_{j=0}^{k-1} \frac{n-j}{k-j}[/tex]
So, in your case
[tex] {21 \choose 10} = \frac{21}{10} \cdot \frac{20}{9} \cdot \frac{19}{8} \cdots \frac{12}{1} [/tex]
 

FAQ: Binomial Coefficient - Factorials Part II

1. What is the formula for calculating binomial coefficients?

The formula for calculating binomial coefficients is nCr = n! / (r! * (n-r)!), where n is the total number of items and r is the number of items being chosen.

2. What is the significance of the exclamation mark in the formula for binomial coefficients?

The exclamation mark in the formula represents the factorial function, which is used to calculate the number of possible combinations of a given number of items. It represents the product of all positive integers less than or equal to the number.

3. How can binomial coefficients be used in probability calculations?

Binomial coefficients are used in probability calculations to determine the number of possible outcomes in an event with a given number of trials and a desired outcome. This allows us to calculate the probability of getting a specific outcome in a certain number of trials.

4. Can binomial coefficients be negative or non-integer numbers?

No, binomial coefficients can only be positive integers. This is because they represent the number of ways to choose a certain number of items from a larger set, which cannot be a negative or non-integer value.

5. What is the relationship between binomial coefficients and Pascal's triangle?

Binomial coefficients can be represented in Pascal's triangle, where each number is the sum of the two numbers above it. The values in each row of Pascal's triangle correspond to the coefficients in the binomial expansion of (a+b)^n, where n is the row number and a and b are the variables being raised to the power.

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