SavitribaiPhule Pune University, Pune

M.Sc.-I (Mathematics)
MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
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Practical-1
Two Basic Counting Principles, Simple Arrangements and Selections
1. Given 10 different English books, six different French books, and four different German
books,
(a) How many ways are there to select one book?
(b) How many ways are there to select three books, one of each language?
(c) How many ways are there to make a row of three books in which exactly one
language is missing (the order of the three books makes a difference)?
2. How many ways are there to pick two different cards from a standard 52-card deck such that,
(a) The first card is an Ace and the second card is not a Queen?
(b) The first card is a spade and the second card is not a Queen?
3. How many integers between 1,000 and 10,000 are there with (make sure to avoid sequences of
digits with leading 0s):
(a) Distinct digits?
(b) Repetition of digits allowed but with no 2 or 4?
(c) Distinct digits and at least one of 2 and 4 must appear?
4. If two different integers between 1 and 100 inclusive are chosen at random, what is the
probability that the difference of the two numbers is 15?
5. How many ways are there to seat six different boys and six different girls along one side of a
long table with 12 seats? How many ways if boys and girls alternate seats?
6. How many ways can a committee be formed from four men and six women with
(a) At least two men and at least twice as many women as men?
(b) Between three and five people, and Ms. Wonder is excluded?
(c) Five people, and not all of the three O’Hara sisters can be on the committee?
(d) Four members, at least two of whom are women, and Mr. and Mrs. Baggins cannot both be
chosen?
7. How many subsets of 3 different integers between 1 and 90 inclusive are there whose sum is
(a) An even number?
(b) Divisible by 3?
(c) Divisible by 4?
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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-2

Arrangements and Selections with Repetitions, Distributions

1. (a) How many 8-digit numbers can be formed with the digits 3, 5, and 7?
(b) What fraction of the numbers in part (a) have three 3s, two 5s, and three 7s?
2. Ten different people walk into a delicatessen to buy a sandwich. Four always order tuna fish,
two always order chicken, two always order roast beef, and two order any of the three types of
sandwich.
(a) How many different sequences of sandwiches are possible?
(b) How many different (unordered) collections of sandwiches are possible?
3. How many arrangements of the letters in PEPPERMILL are there with
(a) The M appearing to the left of all the vowels?
(b) The first P appearing before the first L?
4. When a coin is flipped 𝑛 times, what is the probability that
(a) The first head comes after exactly 𝑚 tails?
(b) The ith head comes after exactly 𝑚 tails?
5. In a bridge deal, what is the probability that:
(a) West has four spades, two hearts, four diamonds, and three clubs?
(b) North and South have four spades, West has three spades, and East has two
spades?
(c) One player has all the Aces?
(d) All players have a (4, 3, 3, 3) division of suits?
6. How many ways are there to distribute 18 chocolate doughnuts, 12 cinnamon doughnuts, and
14 powdered sugar doughnuts among four school principals if each principal demands at least
two doughnuts of each kind?
7. How many integer solutions are there to 𝑥1 + 𝑥2 + 𝑥3 = 0with𝑥𝑖 ≥ −5?
8. How many nonnegative integer solutions are there to the inequalities
𝑥1 + 𝑥2 +··· +𝑥6 ≤ 20and 𝑥1 + 𝑥2 + 𝑥3 ≤ 7?
9. How many subsets of six integers chosen (without repetition) from 1,2, … ,20 are there with no
consecutive integers (e.g., if 5 is in the subset, then 4 and 6 cannot be in it)?
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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-3

Binomial Identities

1
1. Show that 𝐶(2𝑛, 𝑛) + 𝐶(2𝑛, 𝑛 − 1) = 2 𝐶(2𝑛 + 2 𝑛 + 1).

2. Show by a combinatorial argument that

2𝑛 𝑛 𝑛+𝑟−1 𝑛
(a) ( 2 ) = 2( 2 ) + 𝑛2 (b) (𝑛 − 𝑟)( 𝑟
)( 𝑟 ) = 𝑛(𝑛+𝑟−1
2𝑟
)(2𝑟
𝑟
).

3. (a) Evaluate ∑𝑛𝑘=0 12(𝑘 + 1)𝑘(𝑘 − 1)

(b) Evaluate ∑𝑛
𝑘=0(2 + 3𝑘)
2

(c) Evaluate ∑𝑛
𝑘=0 𝑘(𝑛 − 𝑘).

𝑘 𝑛+1 𝑚
4. Show that∑𝑛
𝑘=𝑚( 𝑟 ) = ( 𝑟+1 ) − (𝑟+1).

𝑃(𝑚+𝑛,𝑚+1)
5. Show that∑𝑛−1
𝑘=0 𝑃(𝑚 + 𝑘, 𝑚) = .
𝑚+1

2
6. Show that [(𝑛0) + (𝑛1) + (𝑛2) + ⋯ + (𝑛𝑛)] = ∑2𝑛 2𝑛
𝑘=0( 𝑘 ).

𝑚!(𝑛−𝑘)! 𝑛+1
7. Show that ∑𝑚
𝑘=0 𝑛!(𝑚−𝑘)! = 𝑛−𝑚+1 , 𝑚 ≤ 𝑛.

8. Show for sums over all𝑖1 + 𝑖2 +··· +𝑖𝑘 = 𝑛, 𝑖𝑘 ≥ 0, that

a) ∑ 𝑃(𝑛; 𝑖1 , 𝑖2 , … , 𝑖𝑘 ) = 𝑘 𝑛

b) ∑ 𝑖1 𝑖2 … 𝑖𝑘 𝑃(𝑛; 𝑖1 , 𝑖2 , … , 𝑖𝑘 ) = 𝑃(𝑛, 𝑘)𝑘 𝑛−𝑘 .

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-4
Generating Functions

1. Build a generating function for 𝑎𝑟 , the number of integer solutions to the following equations:
(a) 𝑒1 + 𝑒2 + 𝑒3 + 𝑒4 + 𝑒5 = 𝑟, 0 ≤ 𝑒𝑖 ≤ 5
(b) 𝑒1 + 𝑒2 + 𝑒3 = 𝑟, 0 ≤ 𝑒𝑖 ≤ 6
(c) 𝑒1 + 𝑒2 + 𝑒3 + 𝑒4 = 𝑟, 2 ≤ 𝑒𝑖 ≤ 7, 𝑒1 even, 𝑒2 odd
(d) 𝑒1 + 𝑒2 + 𝑒3 + 𝑒4 = 𝑟, 0 ≤ 𝑒𝑖
(e) 𝑒1 + 𝑒2 + 𝑒3 + 𝑒4 = 𝑟, 0 < 𝑒𝑖 , 𝑒2 , 𝑒4 odd, 𝑒4 ≤ 3.
2. Build a generating function for𝑎𝑟 , the number of 𝑟 selections from
(a) Five red, five black, and four white balls
(b) Five jelly beans, five licorice sticks, eight lollipops with at least one of each type of candy
(c) Unlimited amounts of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
(d) Six types of lightbulbs with an odd number of the first and second types.
3. Find a generating function for 𝑎𝑟 , the number of ways to distribute 𝑟 identical objects into 𝑞
distinct boxes with an odd number between 𝑟1 and 𝑠1 in the first box, an even number between
𝑟2 and 𝑠2 in the second box, and at most three in the other boxes. Note that 𝑟1 and 𝑠1 are
assumed to be odd numbers;𝑟2 and 𝑠2 are assumed to be even numbers.
4. Find a generating function for the number of integers between 0 and 999,999 whose sum of
digits is 𝑟.
5. Find a generating function for 𝑎𝑟 , the number of ways a roll of six distinct dice can show a sum
of 𝑟 if
(a) The first three dice are odd and the second three even
(b) The 𝑖th die does not show a value of 𝑖.
6. Find a generating function 𝑔(𝑥, 𝑦) whose coefficient of 𝑥 𝑟 𝑦 𝑠 is the number of ways to
distribute 𝑟 chocolate bars and 𝑠 lollipops among five children such that no child gets more
than three lollipops.
𝑟 𝑟 𝑟 𝑟
7. Find a generating function (𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 , … , 𝑥𝑚 )whose coefficient of 𝑥11 𝑥22 𝑥33 … 𝑥𝑚𝑚 is the
number of ways 𝑛 people can pick a total of 𝑟1 chairs of type 1, 𝑟2 chairs of type 2,...,𝑟𝑚 chairs
of type 𝑚 if
(a) Each person picks one chair
(b) Each person picks either two chairs of one type or no chairs at all
(c) Person 𝑖 picks up to 𝑖 chairs of exactly one type.
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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-5

Calculating Coefficients ofGenerating Functions

1. a) Find the coefficient of 𝑥10 in (1 + 𝑥 + 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 3 +···)𝑛 .

b)Find the coefficient of 𝑥 𝑟 in (𝑥 5 + 𝑥 6 + 𝑥 7 +···)8 .

2. Find the coefficient of 𝑥 47 in

(𝑥10 + 𝑥11 +··· +𝑥 25 )(𝑥 + 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 3 +··· +𝑥15 )(𝑥 20 +··· +𝑥 45 ).
3. Find the coefficient of 𝑥11 in
𝑥+3 (1−𝑥 2 )5
a) 𝑥 2 (1 − 𝑥)−10 b) c)
1−2𝑥+𝑥 2 (1−𝑥)5

4. Use generating functions to find the number of ways to select 10 balls from a large pile of red,
white, and blue balls if
(a) The selection has at least two balls of each colour
(b) The selection has at most two red balls
(c) The selection has an even number of blue balls.
5. How many ways are there to split six copies of one book, seven copies of a second book, and
11 copies of a third book between two teachers if each teacher gets 12 books and each teacher
gets at least two copies of each book?
m n m+n
6. Use generating functions to show that∑rk=0( k )(r−k) = ( r ).
𝑛 𝑘+5 𝑛−𝑘
2
7. Evaluate a)∑𝑘=n
1
( 𝑘 )b)∑𝑚
𝑘=0(𝑚−𝑘 ).

8. Suppose a red die is rolled once and then a green die is rolled as many times as the value on the
red die. If 𝑎𝑟 is the number of ways that the (variable length) sequence of rolls of the green die
can sum to 𝑟, show that the generating function for 𝑎𝑟 is 𝑓(𝑓(𝑥)), where 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 + 𝑥 2 +
𝑥 3 + 𝑥 4 + 𝑥 5 + 𝑥 6 ).
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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-6

Partitions

1. Find a generating function for 𝑎𝑟 , the number of partitions of 𝑟 into

(a) Even integers (b) Distinct odd integers.
2. Find a generating function for the number of integer solutions of2𝑥 + 3𝑦 + 7𝑧 = 𝑟 with (a)
𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 ≥ 0(b) 0 ≤ 𝑧 ≤ 2 ≤ 𝑦 ≤ 8 ≤ 𝑥.
3. (a) Show that the number of partitions of 10 into distinct parts (integers) is equal to the number
of partitions of 10 into odd parts by listing all partitions of these two types.
(b) Show algebraically that the generating function for partitions ofrinto distinct parts equals
the generating function for partitions of 𝑟 into odd parts, and hence the numbers of these two
types of partitions are equal.
4. Let 𝑅(𝑟, 𝑘) denote the number of partitions of the integer 𝑟 into 𝑘 parts.
(a) Show that 𝑅(𝑟, 𝑘) = 𝑅(𝑟 − 1, 𝑘 − 1) + 𝑅(𝑟 − 𝑘, 𝑘).
(b) Show that∑𝑟𝑘=1 𝑅(𝑛 − 𝑟, 𝑘) = 𝑅(𝑛, 𝑟).
5. Show that any number of partitions of 2𝑟 + 𝑘 into 𝑟 + 𝑘 parts is the same for any 𝑘.
6. (a) Find a generating function for 𝑎𝑛 , the number of partitions that add up to at most 𝑛.
(b) Find a generating function for 𝑎𝑛 , the number of partitions of 𝑛 into three parts in which no
part is larger than the sum of the other two.
(c) Find a generating function for 𝑎𝑛 , the number of different (incongruent) triangles with
integral sides and perimeter𝑛.
7. Show that the number of partitions of𝑟 + 𝑘 into 𝑘 parts is equal to
(a) The number of partitions of 𝑟 + (𝑘+1
2
)into 𝑘 distinct parts
(b) The number of partitions of 𝑟 into parts of size ≤ 𝑘.
𝑛
8. Let { }denote the number of partitions of 𝑛 distinct objects into 𝑘 nonempty subsets. Show
𝑘
𝑛+1 𝑛 𝑘
that { } = 𝑘{ }+{ }.
𝑘 𝑘 𝑛−1
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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-7

Exponential Generating Functions, A Summation Method

1. How many 𝑟-digit ternary sequences are there with

(a) An even number of 0s?
(b) An even number of 0s and even number of 1s?
(c) At least one 0 and at least one 1?
2. How many 10-letter words are there in which each of the letters 𝑒, 𝑛, 𝑟, 𝑠 occur
(a) At most once? (b) At least once?
3. Find an exponential generating function with
(a) 𝑎𝑟 = 1/(𝑟 + 1) (b) 𝑎𝑟 = 𝑟!.
4. (a) Find the exponential generating functions for 𝑝𝑟 , the probability that the first two boxes
each have at least one object when 𝑟 distinct objects are randomly distributed into n distinct
boxes.
(b) Determine 𝑝𝑟 .
5. Find ordinary generating functions whose coefficient ar equals
(a) 𝑟(b) 13 (c) 3𝑟 2 (d) 3𝑟 + 7(e)𝑟(𝑟 − 1)(𝑟 − 2)(𝑟 − 3).
6. Find a generating function for (a) 𝑎𝑟 = (𝑟 − 1)2 (b) 𝑎𝑟 = 1/𝑟.
7. Find a generating function with 𝑎𝑟 = 𝑟(𝑟 + 2).
8. Evaluate the following sums (using generating functions):
(a) 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + ⋯ + 𝑛
(b) 13 + 13 + 13 + ⋯ + 13
(c) 0 + 3 + 1 +··· +3𝑛2
(d) 7 + 10 + 12 + ⋯ + (3𝑛 + 7).
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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course

Practical-8

Recurrence Relations Models

1. Find a recurrence relation for the number an of binary sequences oflength n that do not contain
the pattern 11.
2. Find a recurrence relation for the number an of ternary sequences oflength n that contain 2
consecutive digits that are the same. What arethe initial conditions? Find a6 .
3. [Rabbits and the Fibonacci Number]
[This problem posed by Fibonacci (Leonordo Pisano) in 13th century]
A young pair of rabbits (one of each sex) is placed in an island. A pair of rabbitsdoes not breed
until they are two months old, after 2 months, each pair of rabbitsproduces another pair each
month. Find a recurrence relation for the number ofpairs of rabbits on the island after n months,
assuming that no rabbits ever die.
4. Find the recurrence relation and give initial conditions for the number of bitstrings of length n
that do not have two consecutive 0’s. How many such bitstrings are there of length 5?
5. (a) Find a recurrence relation for the number of ways to go n kilometersby foot walking at
3 km/hr or jogging at 6 km/hr or runningat 10 km/hr; at the end of the hour a choice is made
of how to gonext hour.
(b) How many ways are there to go 12 kilometers?

6. Let {an} be a sequence that satisfies the recurrence relation an = an-1 – an-2 for
n = 2, 3, 4, . . . and suppose that a0 = 3 and a1 = 5. What are a2 and a3 ?

7. Derive the recurrence relation for the number of subsets of n element set.

8. Determine whether the sequence {an} where an = 3n for every non negative integer
n, is a solution of the recurrence relation an = 2an-1 – an-2 for n = 2, 3, 4, ….
Answer the same question where an = 2n and an = 5.

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-9

Recurrence Relations & Divide-and- Conquer Relations

1. Find recurrence relation for the number of regionsinto which the plane divided by n lines, if no two
of the lines are parallel and no three of the lines gothrough the same point. Also find their solution.
2. Let an = 2n + 5.3n for n = 0, 1, 2, . . .

(a) Find a0, a1, a2, a3 and a4

(b) Show that a2 = 5a1 – 6a0 , a3 = 5a2 – 6a1 and a4 = 5a3 – 6a2
(c) Show that an = 5an-1 – 6an-2n 2.
3. Show that the sequence {an} is solution of recurrence relation an = an-1 + 2 an-2+ 2n – 9. If
(a) an = – n + 2
(b)an = 5(–1)n – n + 2
(c)an = 7.2n – n + 2

4. Solve the following recurrence relations assuming that n is a power of 2 ( leaving a constant A to be
determined)
(a) an = 2an/2 + 5
(b) an = 2an/4 + n
(c) an = 2an/2 + 2n - 1
(d) an = 3an/3 + 4
(e) an = 16an/2 + 5n
5. Find and solve the recurrence relations for the number of matches played in a tournament with n
players, where n is a power of 2.
6. a) Use divide-and-conquer approach to divise a procedure to find the largest number in a set
of n distinct integers.
b) Give recurrence relation for the number of comparisons performed by your procedure.
c) Solve the recurrence relation obtained in part (b).

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-10

Linear Recurrence Relations

1. Given that a0 = 0, a1 = 1, a2 = 4, and a3 = 12 satisfy the recurrence relation ar + C1 ar-1 +C2 ar-2 = 0.
Determine ar.
2. Solve the recurrence relation for the Fibonacci sequence ar = ar-1+ ar-2.

3. Solve the difference equation ar + 6ar-1 + 12 ar-2 + 8 ar-3 = 0

4. Solve the recurrence relation 2ar = 7ar-1 – 3ar-2 with initial conditions a0 = 1,a1 = 1.
5. Solve the recurrence relation ar – 4ar-1 – 11 ar-2 + 30 ar-3 = 0 for r 3.

6. Solve the recurrence relation ar–12 ar-2 + 16 ar-3 = 0 forr 3 and a0 = 4, a1 = – 8,a2 = – 12.

7. Solve the recurrence relation an+1 = 2an + an-1 for n ≥ 2 with initial conditions a1 = 3, a2 = 7.
8. Solve the following homogeneous recurrence relations :-
(a) an = 3an-1 + 4an-2for n  2; a0 = a1 = 1
(b)an − 7an-1 + 10an-2 = 0 ; a0 = 4, a1 = 17.
(c) an − 6an-1 + 25an-2 = 0 for n  3; a1 = 1, a2 = 0.

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-11

Inhomogeneous Recurrence Relations

1. Solve the following non-homogeneous recurrence relation.

ar + 5ar-1 + 6ar-2 = 42(4)r where a2 = 278, a3 = 962.
2. The solution of the recurrence relation C0 ar + C1 ar-1 +C2 ar-2 = f(r) is 3r + 4r +2, given
that f(r) = 6 r, determine C0, C1 and C2.

3. Solve the following non- homogeneous recurrence relations:

(a) ar - 2 ar-1 + ar-2 = 3 – 4r, where ao = 1, a1 = 1.
(b) an − 6an-1 + 9an-2 = 3n+1 , where a0 = 0, a1 = 1.
(c) an + an-1 − 6an-2 = (2 + 6n)5n, where a0 = 1, a1 = 2.
(d) an+3 + 2an+2 − 5an+1 − 6an = 32.
4. Solve the recurrence relation an – an-2 = n − 2.
5. Find the particular solution of the difference equation: ar + 5ar-1 + 6ar-2 = 3r2.
6. Find particular solution of difference equation: ar + ar-1 = 3 r.2r.
7. Find particular solution of difference equation: ar – 4ar-1 + 4ar-2 = (r + 1) .2r.
8. Solve the recurrence relation: ar – 7 ar-1 + 10 ar-2 = 3r, given that a0 = 0 and a1 = 1
9. Solve recurrence relation: an+2 + 2an+1 + an + 9.2n = 0

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-12

Counting with venn Diagrams

1. How many 8-letter “words” using the 26-letter alphabet (letters can repeated) either begin or
end with a vowel?
2. How many n-digits ternary sequences are there in which at least one pair of consecutive digits
are the same?
3. What is te probability that a 7-card hand has at least one pair (possibly two pairs, three of a
kind, full house, or four of a kind)?
4. How many 5-digit numbers(including leading 0s) are there with exactly one 8 and no digit
appearing exactly three time s?
5. Among 700 families, 150 families have no children, 180 have only boys, and 200 have only
girls. How many families have boy(s) and girls(s)?
6. Suppose a bookcase has 300 books, 70 in French and 100 about mathematics. How many non-
French books not about mathematics are there if
(a) There are 40 French mathematics books?
(b) There are 60 French nonmathematics books?
7. If you pick an integer between 1 and 1000, what is the probability that it is either divisible by 7
or even (or both)?
8. How many numbers between 1 and 30 are relatively prime to 30?
9. How many numbers between 1 and 280 are relatively prime to 280?

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-13

Inclusion-Exclusion Formula

1. List all derangement of (3, 4, 1, 2).

2. How many m-digits decimal sequences(using digits 0,1,2,…..,9) are there in which digits 1,2,3
all appear?
3. What is the probability that a 9-card hand at least one 4 of a kind?
4. What is the probability that a 13-card bridge hand has
(a) At least one card in each suit?
(b) At least one void in each suit?
(c) At least one of each type of face card (face cards are Aces, Kings, Queens and Jacks)?
5. How many arrangements are there of a, a, a, b, b, b, c, c, c, without three consecutive letters the
same?
6. Hoe are permutations of the 26 letters are there that contain none of the sequences MATH,
RUNS, FORM or JOE?
7. How many ways are there to distribute 26 identical balls into 6 distinct boxes with at most six
balls in any of the first three boxes?

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-14

Restricted Positions and Rook Polynomials

1. Describe the associated chessboard of darkened squares for finding all derangements of 1, 21,
3, 4, 5.
2. A computer dating service wants to match four women each with one of five men. If women 1
is incompatible with men 3 and 5; women 2 is incompatible with men 1 and 2: women 3 is
incompatible with men 4 ; and women 4 is incompatible with men 2 and 4, how many matches
of the four women are there?
3. Calculate the number of words that can be formed by rearranging the letters EERRIE so that no
letters appears at one of its original positions-for example, no E as the first, second or sixth
letter.
4. Find the rook polynomial for a full n x n board.
5. Find two different chessboards (not row or column rearrangements of one another) that have
the same rook polynomial.

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 MTS- 415(C) – Combinatorics: Practical Course
Practical-15

The Pigeonhole Principle

1. Apply Pigeonhole Principle to each of the following :-

(a) What is the minimum number of cards that must be selected from a standard deck of 52 cards
to guarantee that atleast three cards of the same suit are chosen?
(b) Show that if there are 30 students in a class, then atleast two have their last names beginning
with the same letter.
2. Apply Principle of Inclusion-Exclusion to each of the following :-
(a) How many integers between 1 and 567 are divisible by either 3 or 5 or 7?
(b) Among 600 families, 100 families have no children, 200 have only boys and 200 have only
girls. How many families have boys and girls?
3. Given a group of n women and their husbands, how many people must be choosen from this
group of 2n people to guarantee the set contains a married couple?
4. Show that at a party of 20 people, there are two people who have the same number of friends?
5. Show that given any set of seven distinct integers, there must exist two integers in the set whose
sum or difference is a multiple of 10?
6. In a round-robin tournament, show that there must be two players with the same number of
wins if no player loses all matches?
7. Given 10 French books, 20 Spanish books, 8 German books, 15 Russian books, and 25 Italian
books, how many books must be chosen to guarantee that there are 12 books of the same
language?
8. If there are 48 different pairs of people who know each other at a party of 20 people, then show
that some person has four or fewer acquaintances.
9. A professor tells three jokes in her ethics course each year. How large a set of jokes does the
professor need in order never to repeat the exact same triple of jokes over a period of 12 years?
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