Calculating Executive Committee Possibilities for a Board of 12 Directors

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In summary, the number of committees in a scientific research project can vary, but there is typically a main research committee and several subcommittees. The number of members on a scientific research committee also varies, but it is usually a small group of experts in the field. Committee members are chosen based on their expertise and qualifications, and they have specific roles and responsibilities such as reviewing proposals and ensuring ethical standards are met. While most committee members are experts in the field, there may be individuals from outside the scientific community who bring unique perspectives to the project.
  • #1
alexmahone
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A company’s board of directors has 12 members. The board must select an executive committee of
any nonzero size, consisting of a president and treasurer (these titles may or may not be conferred to
the same person). How many possible ways are there to do this?

My attempt:

The answer is the number of non-zero subsets of the board of directors, which is $2^{12}-1$. Is this correct?
 
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  • #2
I just realized that the committee {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} where 1 is the president and treasurer is probably different from the committee {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} where 2 is the president and treasurer. This complicates the problem.
 
  • #3
Alexmahone said:
A company’s board of directors has 12 members. The board must select an executive committee of
any nonzero size, consisting of a president and treasurer (these titles may or may not be conferred to
the same person). How many possible ways are there to do this?

My attempt:

The answer is the number of non-zero subsets of the board of directors, which is $2^{12}-1$. Is this correct?

Yes, I agree if we do not consider the titles to be conferred:

\(\displaystyle N=\sum_{k=1}^{12}\left({12 \choose k}\right)=2^{12}-1\)

However, if we also add in the titles, I think we need:

\(\displaystyle N=\sum_{k=1}^{12}\left({k \choose 2}\cdot{12 \choose k}\right)=67584\)

edit: I just realized I did not account for the same person holding both titles...so perhaps it should be:

\(\displaystyle N=12+\sum_{k=2}^{12}\left({k \choose 2}\cdot{12 \choose k}+k\right)=67673\)
 
  • #4
MarkFL said:
However, if we also add in the titles, I think we need:

\(\displaystyle N=\sum_{k=1}^{12}\left({k \choose 2}\cdot{12 \choose k}\right)=67584\)

Could you please explain this?
 
  • #5
Alexmahone said:
A company’s board of directors has 12 members. The board must select an executive committee of
any nonzero size, consisting of a president and treasurer (these titles may or may not be conferred to
the same person). How many possible ways are there to do this?

My attempt:

The answer is the number of non-zero subsets of the board of directors, which is $2^{12}-1$. Is this correct?
The answer to problems of this sort often depend on how you interpret the question. In this case, are you just concerned with the choice of individuals in the committee, or does the description of the committee include specifying which individual/s have the positions of president and treasurer? If for example the committee consists of three directors, call them A, B and C, then anyone of those three could be the president, and anyone of them could be the treasurer. I would interpret that as giving nine different committees, although they all have the same set of members. But your answer counts that as just one committee.

If your interpretation of the question is correct then so is your answer. But my answer would be very different, as follows. If a single member acts as both president and treasurer then there are \(\displaystyle 12\) ways to choose that person, and \(\displaystyle 2^{11}\) possible ways to complete the committee from a subset of the remaining directors. If the president and treasurer are different, then there are $12$ ways to choose the president, $11$ ways to choose the treasurer, and \(\displaystyle 2^{10}\) possible ways to complete the committee. That gives a total of \(\displaystyle 12\cdot2^{11} + 132\cdot2^{10} = 39\cdot2^{12}\) for my answer to the question.

Edit. I somehow overlooked previous comments when posting that. I now see that the problem of how to interpret the question has already been raised.
 
  • #6
Alexmahone said:
Could you please explain this?

I will explain my reasoning for my latest version, added after you quoted my post:

\(\displaystyle N=12+\sum_{k=2}^{12}\left({k \choose 2}\cdot{12 \choose k}+k\right)=67673\)

The first term ($12$) is the number of 1 person commitees, where naturally that single person (for which we have 12 choices) holds both titles.

Now the sum begins with all the two person committees...where we first consider the number of ways to choose 2 from 12, AND the number of ways to choose 2 from 2 and then we add 2 because there are two ways for each of those 2 people to hold both titles. And the sum continues in like manner for the committees making up 3-12 people.

Does this make sense?
 

FAQ: Calculating Executive Committee Possibilities for a Board of 12 Directors

How many committees are there in a scientific research project?

The number of committees in a scientific research project can vary depending on the scope and complexity of the project. Generally, there may be a main research committee and several subcommittees for specific tasks or areas of study.

How many members are typically on a scientific research committee?

The number of members on a scientific research committee can also vary, but it is typically made up of a small group of experts in the field who are responsible for overseeing and guiding the research project.

How are committee members chosen for a scientific research project?

Committee members for a scientific research project are usually selected based on their expertise and qualifications in the specific field of study. They may also be chosen based on their previous research experience and ability to collaborate effectively with others.

Are there any specific roles or responsibilities for committee members in a scientific research project?

Yes, committee members in a scientific research project have specific roles and responsibilities, such as reviewing and approving research proposals, providing guidance and feedback, and ensuring ethical standards are met throughout the project.

Can individuals outside of the scientific community be part of a research committee?

While most committee members in a scientific research project are experts in the field, there may also be individuals from outside the scientific community who bring a unique perspective or expertise to the project, such as community representatives or industry professionals.

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