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Analyzing combinatorics
problems involving flags and
playing cards presents common
pitfalls for students—pitfalls that
can be avoided.
402 Mathematics Teacher | Vol. 103, No. 6 • February 2010
Copyright © 2010 The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. www.nctm.org. All rights reserved.
This material may not be copied or distributed electronically or in any other format without written permission from NCTM.
Errors in
Counting
Problems
Scott A. Annin and Kevin S. Lai
M
athematics teachers are often asked,
“What is the most difficult topic
for you to teach?” Our answer is
teaching students to count. The
concepts can be challenging and
slippery to apply in problems. Many times, no
rigid procedures or formulas can be used to solve
the problems directly, and students simply do not
know where or how to approach them. Further,
subtle differences in how questions are posed can
necessitate entirely different solution techniques.
This article will draw attention to some errors
that students fall victim to when solving counting
problems, examine the differences between correct
solutions and solutions often given by misdirected
students, and provide some problems to encourage
practice in this challenging area.
Combinatorics is an important topic in the
mathematics curriculum. It can help students
develop their reasoning skills—making conjectures,
generalizing, thinking systematically—and their
7 1 8 8 8 8
8 6 •• 22 •• 26+•27+• 2• 2 ++ 71=•• 2
2 + 1 = 129
129 + 1 = 129
ways to choose 7 7stripes
to color blue,8and 8the
last
8 2 + (27 ) = 256 + 1024 = 1280
stripe must be either red or (green.
2) = (8)( Hence,
2) = 16 1there
are
7 <fig.4> <fig.4>
8 Exactly 6 blue stripes Exactly 7 blue stripes Exactly 8 blue stripes
7 (2) = (8)(2) = 16
13 413 44 4
• • • = •2808 = 2808
such flags. Fig. 3 The solution 2 to problem22 212isabout
2 half the original, incorrect solution.
4
2
4
4
2 4
(13 4
2 ) (12) = 5616,
2 2
ways to choose 2 of the 4 suits of the second rank.
4
Multiplication
4 of the various
choices21available
23 here would give
the answer 2
4 4
(13)4 (12)4 = 5616,
(134)42(12) 2 = 5616,
2 2
2
2
whichis
13twice as large as it
13
should 2 4 4faulty
be.
213 This reasoning,
2 2 2 = (78)(6)(6) = 2808
4 4
44
224
213 4
3 2 = (78)( 4 )(6) = 1872.
2 2
iStockphoto.com
13 4 4
1344 = (78)(6)(6) = 2808
2 2 2 = (78)(6)(6) = 2808
213
2 2 2
13 4 4
1344 = (78)( 4 )(6) = 1872.
22 3322 = (78)( 4 )(6) = 1872.
406 Mathematics Teacher | Vol. 103, No. 6 • February 2010
6 76 7 6 7
4 4 13 4 4
13 • 13 • • 12 • =• 3744 12 • = 2808
2 • 2 • 2= 3744
3 2
<fig.5>
Ways to choose a Ways to choose 3 Ways to choose another Ways to choose 2
rank for 3 cards cards from one rank rank for 2 cards 4that
4cards of rank
13 • • 12 • = 3744
3 2
Fig. 5 The correct solution to problem 4 contains a factor of (13)(12) rather than the factor of 13C2, which occurs in the
incorrect solution.
12
2
(1) ABC DEF GHI JKL (2) ABC GHI DEF JKL (3) DEF ABC GHI JKL
(4) DEF GHI ABC JKL (5) GHI ABC DEF JKL (6) GHI DEF ABC JKL
(7) ABC DEF JKL GHI (8) ABC GHI JKL DEF (9)10DEF ABC JKL GHI
3
(10) DEF GHI JKL ABC (11) GHI ABC JKL DEF (12) GHI DEF JKL ABC
(13) ABC JKL DEF GHI (14) ABC JKL GHI DEF (15) DEF JKL ABC GHI
(16) DEF JKL GHI ABC (17) GHI JKL ABC DEF (18)
12GHI 10JKL DEF ABC
(19) JKL ABC DEF GHI (20) JKL ABC GHI DEF (21) = (66ABC
2 3 DEF
JKL ) = 7920.
)(120GHI
(22) JKL DEF GHI ABC (23) JKL GHI ABC DEF (24) JKL GHI DEF ABC
Fig. 6 The same 4 groups of 3 occur 24 times when an order on groups is imposed. 12 9 6
3 3 3 = (220)(84 )(20) = 369, 600.
RELATED PROBLEMS One might be tempted to give the answer
Here are some related problems that also demon-
strate this subtle distinction in the problems above. 4
Try to solve these two before reading the solutions. 2 = 6,