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Statistics Question
Message posted by R. Doran (via 64.12.104.43) on February 24, 2002 at 11:10 PM (ET)
There are four different types of cookies. I can choose six cookies for free. How many different combinations of cookies can I choose?
READERS RESPOND:
(In chronological order. Most recent at the bottom.)
Re: Statistics Question
Message posted by jg (via 24.42.170.149) on February 28, 2002 at 8:21 AM (ET)
6 to the 5 th which includes the possibility of not choosing a cooky
Re: Statistics Question
Message posted by Herschell (via 152.106.98.1) on March 2, 2002 at 2:38 PM (ET)
Tell me more about statistics
Re: Statistics Question
Message posted by Phil (via 66.32.157.108) on March 2, 2002 at 8:29 PM (ET)
6 to the 5th gives the number of permutations. The number of combinations would be less.I think the answer is the sum of quite a few multinomials.
Re: Statistics Question
Message posted by JG (via 128.8.22.18) on March 3, 2002 at 7:08 AM (ET)
Phil is right. Assuming that you must choose 6 cookies, then I think the answer is (6 to the 4rth)/6! - I think. You can also sume 4+12+... counting all six the same, one different, etc.
Re: Statistics Question
Message posted by Phil (via 66.32.157.108) on March 3, 2002 at 11:59 AM (ET)
This is not a simple problem. In grad school I dreaded these types of combinatoric questions. I only give one such problem to my engineering students just to show them what they are like.
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