Math Problem Statement

There are 44 numbered balls in a drum (think lottery). A robot randomly picks 6 balls, I also randomly pick 6 balls. In how many ways can 4 of the balls picked by me be among the 6 balls picked by the robot?

Solution

To find the number of ways you can have 4 of your balls among the 6 picked by the robot, we can break it down as follows:

  1. Choose 4 balls from your 6: This can be done in (64)\binom{6}{4} ways.
  2. Choose 2 balls from the remaining 38 balls (since 44 total - 6 robot balls = 38 left): This can be done in (382)\binom{38}{2} ways.

The total number of ways is given by multiplying these two combinations:

Total Ways=(64)×(382)\text{Total Ways} = \binom{6}{4} \times \binom{38}{2}

Calculating each part:

  1. (64)=15\binom{6}{4} = 15
  2. (382)=38×372=703\binom{38}{2} = \frac{38 \times 37}{2} = 703

Now multiply:

Total Ways=15×703=10455\text{Total Ways} = 15 \times 703 = 10455

Thus, there are 10,455 ways for 4 of your balls to be among the 6 picked by the robot.

Do you want more details or have any questions? Here are some related questions to consider:

  1. How would the calculation change if I picked 5 balls instead of 6?
  2. What is the probability of having at least 4 balls match?
  3. How many ways can you have exactly 2 balls match?
  4. If there are additional balls added, how would that affect the outcome?
  5. What strategies could increase the likelihood of matching more balls?

Tip: To solve similar problems, always identify how many ways you can select from different groups and use combinations effectively.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Combinatorics
Probability

Formulas

\( \binom{n}{k} \) for combinations

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12