Practice

#4 Counting in Two Ways

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#4.1
#4.1

Handshakes

Double counting Grade 7 Grade 8 ★☆☆☆☆

In a room of \(10\) people, everyone shook hands with everyone else. How many handshakes occurred?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P001
Difficulty: Level 1 of 5
Tag: Double counting
Grade: Grade 7, Grade 8
#4.2
#4.2

Student and Club

Incidence Grade 7 Grade 8 ★☆☆☆☆

In a class of \(20\) students, each attends exactly \(2\) clubs. How many pairs \((student,club)\) are there?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P002
Difficulty: Level 1 of 5
Tag: Incidence
Grade: Grade 7, Grade 8
#4.3
#4.3

Rows and Columns

Double counting Grade 7 Grade 8 ★☆☆☆☆

A table contains numbers. Explain why the sum of row sums equals the sum of column sums.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P003
Difficulty: Level 1 of 5
Tag: Double counting
Grade: Grade 7, Grade 8
#4.4
#4.4

Letter in a Word

Strings Grade 7 Grade 8 ★☆☆☆☆

There are \(12\) words of length \(5\). How many pairs \((word,position)\) are there?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P004
Difficulty: Level 1 of 5
Tag: Strings
Grade: Grade 7, Grade 8
#4.5
#4.5

Edges of a Complete Graph

Graphs Grade 7 Grade 8 ★☆☆☆☆

How many edges are in a graph with \(6\) vertices where every pair of vertices is connected by an edge?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P005
Difficulty: Level 1 of 5
Tag: Graphs
Grade: Grade 7, Grade 8
#4.6
#4.6

Odd Degrees

Graphs Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★☆☆☆

Prove that in every graph, the number of vertices of odd degree is even.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P006
Difficulty: Level 2 of 5
Tag: Graphs
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.7
#4.7

A Club with Many Students

Pigeonhole principle Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★☆☆☆

Across \(8\) clubs there are \(60\) memberships. Prove that some club has at least \(8\) students.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P007
Difficulty: Level 2 of 5
Tag: Pigeonhole principle
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.8
#4.8

Sum of Subset Sizes

Identity Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★☆☆☆

For a set of \(5\) elements, find the sum of the sizes of all its subsets.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P008
Difficulty: Level 2 of 5
Tag: Identity
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.9
#4.9

Subset and Element

Identity Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★☆☆☆

How many pairs \((S,x)\), where \(S\subset\{1,\ldots,6\}\) and \(x\in S\), are there?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P009
Difficulty: Level 2 of 5
Tag: Identity
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.10
#4.10

Paths of Length Two

Counting Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★☆☆☆

In the complete graph on \(6\) vertices, how many ordered paths \(A-B-C\) with distinct \(A,B,C\) are there?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P010
Difficulty: Level 2 of 5
Tag: Counting
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.11
#4.11

Endpoints of Diagonals

Incidence Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★☆☆☆

Derive the formula for the number of diagonals of an \(n\)-gon by counting diagonal endpoints.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P011
Difficulty: Level 2 of 5
Tag: Incidence
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.12
#4.12

Who Solved Many Problems

Existence Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★☆☆☆

\(25\) students solved \(100\) problems in total. Prove that some student solved at least \(4\) problems.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P012
Difficulty: Level 2 of 5
Tag: Existence
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.13
#4.13

General Identity on Subset Sizes

Identity Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

Prove combinatorially that \(\sum_{k=0}^n kC(n,k)=n2^{n-1}\).

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P013
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Identity
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.14
#4.14

Sum of Pairs in Initial Segments

Identity Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

Prove that \(C(2,2)+C(3,2)+\cdots+C(n,2)=C(n+1,3)\).

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P014
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Identity
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.15
#4.15

Shared Memberships

Sets Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

A school has \(40\) students and \(5\) clubs. Each student attends exactly \(2\) clubs. Prove that some club has at least \(16\) students.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P015
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Sets
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.16
#4.16

Nested Pairs of Subsets

Double counting Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

How many pairs \((A,B)\) of subsets of an \(n\)-element set satisfy \(A\subset B\)?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P016
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Double counting
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.17
#4.17

Segments Between Points

Pairs Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

There are \(12\) marked points in the plane, no three collinear. How many segments with endpoints among the marked points can be drawn?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P017
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Pairs
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.18
#4.18

Player with at Least Average Wins

Average Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

In a tournament, each of \(n\) players played each other exactly once, with no draws. Prove that some player won at least \((n-1)/2\) games.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P018
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Average
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.19
#4.19

Rectangles by Pairs of Lines

Double counting Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

How many rectangles are in a \(5\) by \(6\) grid of cells?

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P019
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Double counting
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.20
#4.20

Committees and Members

Average Grade 8 Grade 9 ★★★☆☆

There are \(12\) committees, each with \(5\) people, and \(20\) people total participate. Prove that some person belongs to at least \(3\) committees.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P020
Difficulty: Level 3 of 5
Tag: Average
Grade: Grade 8, Grade 9
#4.21
#4.21

Many Acquaintances

Average Grade 9 ★★★★☆

In a group of \(15\) people, each person knows at least \(7\) others. Prove that there are at least \(53\) acquainted pairs.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P021
Difficulty: Level 4 of 5
Tag: Average
Grade: Grade 9
#4.22
#4.22

Square of Subset Size

Identity Grade 9 ★★★★☆

Prove combinatorially that \(\sum_{k=0}^n k^2C(n,k)=n(n+1)2^{n-2}\).

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P022
Difficulty: Level 4 of 5
Tag: Identity
Grade: Grade 9
#4.23
#4.23

Points and Lines

Incidence Grade 9 ★★★★☆

There are \(9\) lines, each with \(5\) marked points. Each marked point lies on exactly \(3\) lines. Find the number of marked points.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P023
Difficulty: Level 4 of 5
Tag: Incidence
Grade: Grade 9
#4.24
#4.24

Seventeen Triples

Double counting Grade 9 ★★★★★

From a \(10\)-element set, \(17\) three-element subsets are chosen. Prove that two chosen subsets have at least two common elements.

Details
Problem: COM-B1-M04-P024
Difficulty: Level 5 of 5
Tag: Double counting
Grade: Grade 9