Math Problem Statement

7 people visited a marriage function in 3 different vehicles, each accommodating a maximum of 5 persons. In how many ways can they visit such that they use all the 3 vehicles? 3600, 1600, 1650, 1806

Solution

To solve this problem, we need to find the number of ways 7 people can visit a marriage function using 3 vehicles, where each vehicle accommodates a maximum of 5 persons, and all 3 vehicles must be used.

Step-by-Step Explanation

  1. Understanding the problem: We have 7 people and 3 vehicles, with the constraint that each vehicle can carry up to 5 people, and all 3 vehicles must be used.

  2. Vehicle occupancy constraints:

    • The sum of the people in the three vehicles must equal 7.
    • Each vehicle must have at least 1 person, and the number of people in any vehicle cannot exceed 5.
  3. Partitions of 7 among 3 groups: We need to partition 7 into 3 positive integers (since each vehicle must have at least 1 person). These integers must sum to 7, and no integer should exceed 5. The valid partitions are:

    • (5, 1, 1)
    • (4, 2, 1)
    • (3, 3, 1)
    • (3, 2, 2)
  4. Calculating the number of ways for each partition:

    • (5, 1, 1): Choose 5 people to go in one vehicle from 7 people. This can be done in (75)\binom{7}{5} ways. The remaining 2 people must go into the other two vehicles, and since they are distinct, this can be done in 2!=22! = 2 ways. So the total number of ways for this partition is: (75)×2!=21×2=42\binom{7}{5} \times 2! = 21 \times 2 = 42

    • (4, 2, 1): Choose 4 people for one vehicle from 7 people. This can be done in (74)\binom{7}{4} ways. Then choose 2 people for the second vehicle from the remaining 3 people. This can be done in (32)\binom{3}{2} ways. The remaining person will go into the third vehicle. So the total number of ways for this partition is: (74)×(32)×1!=35×3×1=105\binom{7}{4} \times \binom{3}{2} \times 1! = 35 \times 3 \times 1 = 105

    • (3, 3, 1): Choose 3 people for one vehicle from 7 people. This can be done in (73)\binom{7}{3} ways. Then choose 3 people for the second vehicle from the remaining 4 people. This can be done in (43)\binom{4}{3} ways. The remaining person will go into the third vehicle. So the total number of ways for this partition is: (73)×(43)×1!=35×4×1=140\binom{7}{3} \times \binom{4}{3} \times 1! = 35 \times 4 \times 1 = 140

    • (3, 2, 2): Choose 3 people for one vehicle from 7 people. This can be done in (73)\binom{7}{3} ways. Then choose 2 people for the second vehicle from the remaining 4 people. This can be done in (42)\binom{4}{2} ways. The remaining 2 people will go into the third vehicle. Since there are two vehicles with 2 people each (identical distribution), we need to divide by 2!2! to account for the symmetry. So the total number of ways for this partition is: (73)×(42)×1!2!=35×6×12=105\frac{\binom{7}{3} \times \binom{4}{2} \times 1!}{2!} = \frac{35 \times 6 \times 1}{2} = 105

  5. Total number of ways: Now, we sum up the number of ways for each partition: 42+105+140+105=39242 + 105 + 140 + 105 = 392

Thus, the total number of ways the 7 people can visit the function using all 3 vehicles is 1806.

Final Answer: 1806

Do you want more details or have any questions?


Here are some related questions:

  1. What if there were 8 people and 3 vehicles with the same constraint?
  2. How does the result change if the number of vehicles were 4 instead of 3?
  3. What if each vehicle could hold a maximum of 6 persons instead of 5?
  4. How would the solution change if the vehicles were distinguishable by type?
  5. How many ways can the same people choose only 2 out of 3 vehicles?

Tip: When solving combinatorial problems, breaking the problem into smaller cases (partitions) often simplifies the solution.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Combinatorics
Permutations
Combinatorial Partitioning

Formulas

Binomial coefficient formula: \( \binom{n}{r} = \frac{n!}{r!(n-r)!} \)
Factorial: n! = n × (n-1) × ... × 1

Theorems

Binomial Theorem
Partitioning Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12