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Discrete Mathematics (550.171) Exam I Solutions To Practice Problems

The document provides solutions to practice problems for a Discrete Mathematics exam. It covers topics like logical statements, set operations, partitions, and counting principles. For problem 13, it determines that if a set of size n is to be partitioned into a part of size 4 and the remaining elements, there are n4 ways to do this if n ≥ 4 and n ≠ 8, and 8C4 = 70 ways if n = 8.

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249 views

Discrete Mathematics (550.171) Exam I Solutions To Practice Problems

The document provides solutions to practice problems for a Discrete Mathematics exam. It covers topics like logical statements, set operations, partitions, and counting principles. For problem 13, it determines that if a set of size n is to be partitioned into a part of size 4 and the remaining elements, there are n4 ways to do this if n ≥ 4 and n ≠ 8, and 8C4 = 70 ways if n = 8.

Uploaded by

Ajamal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Discrete Mathematics (550.

171) Exam I
Solutions to Practice Problems

1. Consider the true statement: If A then B.


(a) What is the contrapositive of this statement?
ANSWER: If not B then not A.
(b) What is the converse of this statement?
ANSWER: If B then A.
(c) Use truth tables to determine if the converse is equivalent to the original statement.
ANSWER: They are not logically equivalent
A
F
F
T
T

B
F
T
F
T

If A then B
Possible
Possible
Impossible
Possible

If B then A
Possible
Impossible
Possible
Possible

2. Let U = {2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9} be the universe. Let


A = {x U : 3|x},

B = A,

C = {y U : 2|y}.

What is
(a) 2B ?
(b) B M C?
ANSWERS: A = {3, 6, 9}, B = {2, 5, 8}, C = {2, 6, 8}.
(a) 2B = {, {2}, {5}, {8}, {2, 5}, {2, 8}, {5, 8}, {2, 5, 8}}
(b) B M C = (B C) (C B) = {5} {6} = {5, 6}
3. Consider the following fragment of code (italicized text are comments)
a = 0
b = 0
for j = 1 to 50
if 2|j
a = a + 1
if 3|j

b = b + 1
end if (3|j)
end if (2|j)
end for
end
Let A and B be sets such that after the for loop has finished all of its iterations,
|A| = a and |A B| = b.
(a) Use set builder notation to describe A and B.
ANSWER: Let U = {x N : 1 x 50}. Then A = {x U : 2|x}, and
B = {x U : 3|x}.
(b) Use the inclusion-exclusion principle to determine |A B|.
ANSWER: Since half of the numbers U are even, a = |A| = 25. By similar
reasoning, since 3(16) = 48, |B| = 16. Since |A B| = {x U : 6|x}, |A B| = 8.
|A B| = |A| + |B| |A B| = 25 + 16 8 = 33.
4. How many 3-digit numbers can be formed by using the six digits {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} if
(a) repetitions of digits are allowed;
ANSWER: By the multiplication principle since there are 6 choices for each
digit, the answer is 63 .
(b) the number is to be odd and repetitions are NOT allowed;
ANSWER: Again we use the multiplication principle. Can pick the ones digit in
3 ways. Once that number is selected, there are 5 choices for the hundreds digit
and 4 choices for the tens digit (or vice versa). Total is 5 4 3 = 60.
(c) the number must contain the digit 2 and repetitions are allowed?
ANSWER: If 2 first appears (reading left to right) in the hundreds place then
there are 62 ways to complete the number. If 2 first appears (reading left to right)
in the tens place then there are 5 choices for the hundreds digit and 6 choices for
the ones digit. If 2 first appears (reading left to right) in the ones place then there
are 52 choices for the first two digits. Summing we have: 62 + 5(6) + 52 possible
numbers.
5. Let n N. Prove that n4 n2 is divisible by 3. Hint: There are 3 cases to consider;
n = 3k + 1 (where k Z) is one of them.
First observe that
n4 n2 = n2 (n2 1) = n2 (n 1)(n + 1).

Let n be a natural number. Then the remainder when n is divided by 3 is either 0, 1,


or 2. Thus there are three cases to consider.
Remainder is 0. Then k Z such that n = 3k. Thus
n4 n2 = (3k)2 ((3k) 1)((3k) + 1) = 3[3k 2 ((3k) 1)((3k) + 1)] = 3p,
where p Z. Thus 3|(n4 n2 ).
Remainder is 1. Then k Z such that n = 3k + 1. Thus
n4 n2 = (3k + 1)2 (3k)((3k + 1) + 1) = 3q,
where q Z. Thus 3|(n4 n2 ).
Remainder is 2. Then k Z such that n = 3k + 2. Thus
n4 n2 = (3k + 2)2 ((3k + 2) 1)((3k + 2) + 1) = 3(k + 1)(3k + 2)2 (3k + 1) = 3r,
where r Z. Thus 3|(n4 n2 ).
= . (Do NOT use proof
6. Let A and B be sets. Prove that A B if and only if A B
by picture.)
So
ANSWER: Suppose A B and let x A. Then x B which means x 6 B.

A B = .
= . Let y A. Then y 6 B
so y B. Thus A B.
Now suppose A B
7. Let A, B, and C be sets. Prove
A (B C) = (A B) (A C).
ANSWER: Let y = (a, b) A (B C). Then a A and b (B C). Thus b B
and b C so (a, b) A B and (a, b) A C. Thus y (A B) (A C).
Now suppose y = (a, b) (AB)(AC). Then (a, b) (AB) and (a, b) (AC).
So a A and b B C. Thus y = (a, b) A (B C).
8. Let A be a set of nonzero integers and let be the relation on A A defined by
(a, b) (c, d) whenever a + d = b + c.
Prove that is an equivalence relation.
ANSWER: We need to show that is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive.
Reflexive. Let x = (a, b) be an element of A A. Since a + b = b + a, x x.

Symmetric. Let x = (a, b) and y = (c, d) be elements of A A. Suppose x y.


Then a + d = b + c. But this means c + b = d + a. Thus y x.
Transitive. Let x = (a, b), y = (c, d), z = (e, f ) be elements of A A and suppose
x y and y z. Then a + d = b + c so c = a + d b. But c + f = d + e so
a + d b + f = d + e. Thus a + f = b + e, which means x z.
9. Let R = {(x, y) : N N : x y}. Show that R is a partial order relation on N.
ANSWER: We need to show that R is reflexive, antisymmetric, and transitive.
Reflexive. Let x N. Since x x, (x, x) R. Thus R is reflexive.
Antisymmetric. Let x, y N and suppose (x, y) R and (y, x) R. Then x y
and y x. Thus x = y and R is antisymmetric.
Transitive. Let x, y, z N and suppose (x, y) R and (y, z) R. Then x y
and y z. Thus x z and R is transitive.

10. Let A and B be sets. Prove that A = B if and only if A = B.


ANSWER: First suppose A = B.
Then x
and A B.

Let x A.
/ A so x
/ B. Thus x B
Then x
A.

Let x B.
/ B so x
/ A. Thus x A and B

We conclude A = B.

Now suppose A = B.
Thus x B and A B.
Let x A. Then x
/ A so x
/ B.
so x
Thus x A and B A.
Let x B. Then x
/B
/ A.
We conclude A = B.
11. Let A = {1, 2, 3} and let B = {4, 5}. Let R = (A A) (B B).
(a) Prove that R is an equivalence relation on A B.
ANSWER: Since A and B are small we can write out the elements of R:
R = {(1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 3), (2, 1), (2, 2), (2, 3), (3, 1), (3, 2), (3, 3), (4, 4), (4, 5), (5, 4)(5, 5)}
and the elements of A B:
A B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
We need to show R is reflexive, symmetric, and transitive.

Reflexive. Let x A B. If x A then (x, x) A A so (x, x) R. If


x B then (x, x) B B so (x, x) R. Thus R is reflexive.
Symmetric. Let x, y A B and suppose (x, y) R. Since A and B are
disjoint there are only two cases to consider.
Case I: (x, y) A A. This means x, y A so (y, x) A A. Thus
(y, x) R.
Case II: (x, y) B B. This means x, y B so (y, x) B B. Thus
(y, x) R.
Thus, R is symmetric.
Transitive. Let x, y, z A B and suppose (x, y), (y, z) R. There are two
cases to consider:
Case I: (x, y) and (y, z) are both in A A or both in B B. If they are
both in A A then x, y, z A so (x, z) A A which means (x, z) R.
If they are both in B B then x, y, z B so (x, z) B B which means
(x, z) R.
Case II: (x, y) and (y, z) are not both in A A (or not both in B B).
WLOG assume (x, y) A A and (y, z) B B. Then x, y A and
y, z B. This is impossible since A B = . Thus, Case II cannot occur.
We conclude R is transitive.
(b) Find the equivalence classes of R.
ANSWER: We have
[1] = {1, 2, 3} = [2] = [3]
[4] = {4, 5} = [5]
12. Let P be a partition of set S. Let a, b S. Let Pa and Pb be parts of P such that
a Pa and b Pb .
(a) If b Pa , determine Pa Pb .
ANSWER: Since b Pb and b Pa , Pa Pb 6= . Since distinct parts of a
partition must be pairwise disjoint, it must be the case that Pa = Pb . That is
Pa Pb = Pa = Pb .
(b) If b
/ Pa , determine Pa Pb .
ANSWER: Since distinct parts of a partition must be pairwise disjoint, it must
be the case that Pa Pb = .
13. Let n N. In how many ways can we partition an n-element set into two parts if one
of the parts must have exactly 4 elements and the other part contains all the remaining
elements?

ANSWER: We create the partition as follows: first determine the four elements to
put in the first part; next, place all the remaining elements into the second part.
If n < 4, no partitions can be formed to meet the requirements.

If n 4 and n 6= 8, then there are n4 possible partitions.

If n = 8, then there are 21 84 possible partitions. (To see why this is the case,
observe that 84 counts all subsets of size 4. Thus {{1, 2, 3, 4}, {5, 6, 7, 8}} and
{{5, 6, 7, 8}, {1, 2, 3, 4}} would be considered as different partitions when in fact
they are not.)

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