Look for help with combinations

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In summary, the Triangular Number $T_n$ is the sum of $n(n+1)$ consecutive integers where $n\geq 1$, where $n$ is the number of integers in the sum. If we want to find the number of combinations of four whole numbers where order does not matter, we must sum the Triangular Numbers from $T_7$ down to $T_1$.
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I'm working on a project and I need to know how many possible combinations of 16 whole numbers there are that have a sum of 240 or less. How would I achieve this sort of thing?
 
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One thing that will matter quite a bit is whether the order matters. Well, let's see if we can poke around a bit at the answer. Suppose we wanted to find out how many combinations there were of 3 whole numbers that add to 6 or less. I think we could list them:

0+0+0
0+0+1
0+0+2
0+0+3
0+0+4
0+0+5
0+0+6
0+1+0 (Here you can see, by comparing with the second line, that I'm assuming order matters.)
0+1+1
0+1+2
0+1+3
0+1+4
0+1+5
0+2+0
0+2+1
0+2+2
0+2+3
0+2+4
0+3+0
0+3+1
0+3+2
0+3+3
0+4+0
0+4+1
0+4+2
0+5+0
0+5+1
0+6+0
1+0+0
At this point, we are starting to see a pattern. Up until the last line, I'd say we had 7+6+5+4+3+2+1 = 28 ways to write it. If we change the first digit to a 1, then each possibility is going to go down by 1. So we'd have 6+5+4+3+2+1 = 21 ways to write it. These are the Triangular Numbers, denoted by $T_n$. The definition of the Triangular Number $T_n$ is that
$$T_n=1+2+3+\dots+n,$$
and thanks to Gauss, we know that
$$T_n=\frac{n(n+1)}{2}.$$
To get our final result, we must sum the Triangular Numbers from $T_7$ down to $T_1$. That is, the answer to this smaller question is
$$N=\sum_{j=1}^7 T_j=\sum_{j=1}^7 \frac{j(j+1)}{2}=84.$$
In general,
$$N=\sum_{j=1}^n T_j=\frac16 n(n+1)(n+2).$$
This is the number of ways to get a sum of $n$ or less from three whole numbers where order matters.

But now, supposing we were to change the number of numbers to 4. How would that change our result? Well, for each value $f$ of the fourth number, we'd have $N-f$ ways to write the new sum. So, we'd have to do
$$\sum_{j=1}^7 \left[\frac16 n(n+1)(n+2)\right].$$
So, how would this work for 16 numbers?

Moreover, if we need to eliminate the idea that order matters, how could we correct these (too large) values?
 

FAQ: Look for help with combinations

What is the purpose of looking for help with combinations?

The purpose of looking for help with combinations is to find a way to efficiently and accurately calculate the number of possible combinations of a given set of items or objects. This can be useful in a variety of fields, such as mathematics, statistics, and computer science.

What are the basic principles of combinations?

The basic principles of combinations involve selecting a specific number of items from a larger set, without regard to the order in which they are chosen. This is in contrast to permutations, where the order of the items does matter. Combinations also do not allow for repetition, meaning that once an item is selected, it cannot be chosen again.

How do I calculate combinations?

To calculate combinations, you can use the formula nCr = n! / (r! * (n-r)!), where n is the total number of items in the set and r is the number of items being chosen. Alternatively, you can use combinations calculators or software programs to quickly and easily find the number of combinations.

What are some real-world applications of combinations?

Combinations have many real-world applications, such as calculating the number of possible outcomes in a game of chance, determining the number of different combinations of ingredients in a recipe, or finding the number of possible outcomes in a genetics experiment. They are also used in fields such as coding theory and cryptography.

What are some common mistakes when working with combinations?

Some common mistakes when working with combinations include forgetting to account for order or repetition, using the wrong formula, and not understanding the concept of combinations versus permutations. It is important to carefully read and understand the problem, and to double check your calculations to avoid these errors.

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