Verifying Lottery Combinations: 49 Choose 6

In summary, the conversation discussed the total combinations in a lottery with six numbers of 49 drawn, with a discrepancy in the number of combinations calculated. The correct calculation was determined to be 49 * 48 * 47 * 46 * 45 * 44 = 10,068,347,520. The conversation also touched on a related question about the number of different committees that can be formed with a certain number of students and teachers. It was determined that the initial calculation overcounted and a different approach was suggested. The conversation ended with a question about calculating the average amount won per lottery ticket.
  • #1
Physics is Phun
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if there is lottery where there are six numbers of 49 drawn and each number is discarded one drawn what are the total combinations.
I think it would be 49 choose 6 but that only gives 14 million and I figured it would be higher. can someone verify this?
thanks :smile:
 
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  • #2
I get 13,983,816. It looks like you are right.
 
  • #3
No, it's not.

It's 49 * 48 * 47 * 46 * 45 * 44 = 10,068,347,520 = 10 billion.

- Warren
 
  • #4
The order doesn't matter, so mathman is correct (it's the UK National Lottery I guess).
 
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  • #5
Ah, okay. Silly me.

- Warren
 
  • #6
Thats [tex] \left(\begin{array}{cc}49\\6\end{array}\right) [/tex], right?
 
  • #7
Yes, that's correct
 
  • #8
ok thanks. its a candian lottery Jcsd.
I've got another question not really the same but has to do with choosing so i'll put it here. It was a question I had on a quiz today. Hopefully I got it right
There is a committee to consist of 5 people if there are 15 students and 18 teachers to choose from and the committee needs atleast one student and one teacher how many different committees can be formed.
I believe i did 15c1 * 18c1 * 31c3
is this right?
 
  • #9
Physics is Phun said:
ok thanks. its a candian lottery Jcsd.
I've got another question not really the same but has to do with choosing so i'll put it here. It was a question I had on a quiz today. Hopefully I got it right
There is a committee to consist of 5 people if there are 15 students and 18 teachers to choose from and the committee needs atleast one student and one teacher how many different committees can be formed.
I believe i did 15c1 * 18c1 * 31c3
is this right?

You're overcounting. If the students are labelled 1, 2, 3,... and the teachers A,B,C,D,.. then the committee 1,A,2,3,4, corresponding to selecting 1 and A as your guaranteed teacher & student and 2, 3, 4 as the 3 chosen from the 31 people left, is counted again as 2,A,1,3,4, where 2 and A are your guaranteed student and teacher and 1,3,4 are from the 31 remaining. (note: the order I've used for the committee is supposed to reflect the reasoning behind your answer)

You could try to correct this overcounting or you could take a different approach. You have 4 acceptable possibilities to make #of students+#of teachers=5, namely 1+4, 2+3, 3+2, and 4+1. Find the number of committees in each case and add.
 
  • #10
Has anyone every calculated the average amount won per lottery ticket? (Including all those little sub prizes). I'd estimate it at max a dollar per ticket, min 10 cents per ticket, probably from 20 to 70.
 
  • #11
Alkatran said:
Has anyone every calculated the average amount won per lottery ticket? (Including all those little sub prizes). I'd estimate it at max a dollar per ticket, min 10 cents per ticket, probably from 20 to 70.

It's actyally a nice little maths project for someone to do at school, I guess that like the UK lottery the expected payout is actually dependent on how many people play the lottery and things like 'roll-overs'.
 

FAQ: Verifying Lottery Combinations: 49 Choose 6

How many possible combinations are there in "49 Choose 6" for the lottery?

There are 13,983,816 possible combinations in "49 Choose 6" for the lottery.

How do you verify if a combination is a winning one?

The winning combination is randomly generated by the lottery machine, so there is no way to verify a specific combination as a winning one until the official results are announced.

Is there a certain pattern to winning combinations in the lottery?

No, the lottery is completely random and the winning combinations are generated by a computer using a random number generator. There is no way to predict or determine a specific pattern for winning combinations.

Can the same combination be a winner multiple times?

Yes, the same combination can potentially be a winner multiple times, as the lottery is a game of chance and each draw is independent of the previous one.

Is it possible to increase your chances of winning by playing multiple combinations?

Technically, yes, playing more combinations does increase your chances of winning. However, it is important to note that the odds of winning the lottery are still very low and playing multiple combinations does not guarantee a win.

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