N. VILENKIN COMBINATORIAL MATHEMATICS FOR RECREATION Translated from the Russian by George Yankovsky MIR PUBLISHERS Moscow‘UDC 519.1=20 First published 1972 Revised from the 1969 Russian edition Ha asraniicxom ssuKeCONTENTS 5 preface... 2. eee eee ees © 7 A bookshelf problem... ...... 40 Sanerent a renlonnenarte ores King Arthur's Round Table... . . 40 OF COMBINATORICS She's got a date... .. eee ee Superstitious cyclists... 2... g A session in telepathy... ..... . 4B Permutations with repetitions... .. | 9 General problem of derangements... . 44 Number systems........... 10 Subfactorials . pe Secret lock. ..----... 2. 41 Caravan in the deserts) 1) 48 Morse code... ........... ‘1 Merry-goround ...., 2.2... 6. Wigwag code... ss... .. ff Standing in line ata ticket office... . 48 Electronic digital computer... . 42 The problem of the two ranks... .. 54 Genetic code... .......... 43 New properties of combinations... . Sf General rules of combinatorics... . 13 uaprER IV, THE COMBINATORICS Domino problem ........... 45 oF PARTITIONS ‘The crew of a spaceship... ..... 15 ; Checkerboard problems... .. . eRe ee cS How many people don't kxow foreign Placing objects into cells... 6... 55 i 5 17 A bouquet of flowers... . cee anguages! vee ww ee - The number-of-divisors problem... . 56 The principle of inclusion and exclusion 18 icing apples 3 Where's the mistake? ..... 2... 20 ee ‘The sieve of Eratosthenes Oe eine pia ey ve Mailing photographs . 2... 2... ST CHAPTER IT, PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATIONS Flags on masts... ......... 58 Football championship ........ 22 Total number of signals... ..... 59 Permutations without repetitions... . 22 Particle statistics... ....--. 59 A science club. ........... 22 Partitions of integers... ...... 59 Permutations of nelements . . .. . . - 23 Mailing packages... .. 1... 60 The problem of the rooks |... ... 23 General problem of postage stamps... 6 Linguistic problems. ......... 24 Combinatorial problems of information Round dance... .......... 25 theory. ....... pe ee OL Permutations with repetitions... . , 25 Entrance-exams problem... ... . . ot Anagrams . 2... 2... ee eee 26 Paying money. ........... 62 Combinations ............ 27 Buyingeandy..... 2... .- + 68 Genoese lottery ............ 29 Getting change ...........-. 64 Buying cakes... .......... 80 Partitioning integers... . tee 68 Combinations with repetitions sees. Bf Arrays of dots. . 2... 1 we + 6 The football championship again... . 32, Dual arrays»... 1... +2. 67 Properties of combinations... . . 33 Euler’s formula, .-..- ~~ vee 87 A particular case of the principle of CEAPTERtT Tome meronce into pectasion [ena kexeitsioe a ae 37 Wandering abouttown......... 70 Alternating sums of combinations... . 37 THe arithmetic square ss ee CHAPTER IIT. COMBINATORIAL PROBLEMS WITH Figurate numbers... ........ 74 RESTRICTIONS ‘The arithmetic triangle... ..... 72 Lions and tigers. .......... 39 The extended arithmetic triangle... . 73 Building a stairway. ......... 39 Thechessking............ %