Math Problem Statement

A college offers tutoring in Math, English, Chemistry, and Biology. The number of students enrolled in each subject is listed below. The college can only afford to hire 18 tutors. Using Huntington-Hill's method determine the initial geometric means and the initial allocations with the standard divisor. You do not need to finish the apportionment. Subject Students Enrolled Initial Geometric Mean Initial Allocation Math 305 Correct7.4833147735479 Incorrect English 220 Correct5.4772255750517 Incorrect Chemistry 140 Correct3.4641016151378 Incorrect Biology 80 Correct1.4142135623731 Incorrect Give decimal answers accurate to at least 3 decimal places

Solution

To determine the initial allocations using Huntington-Hill's method, the process involves the following key steps:

Steps for Huntington-Hill's Apportionment Method:

  1. Standard Divisor Calculation:

    • First, calculate the standard divisor (SD) by dividing the total number of students by the number of available tutors.

    Standard Divisor (SD)=Total Students EnrolledTotal Tutors\text{Standard Divisor (SD)} = \frac{\text{Total Students Enrolled}}{\text{Total Tutors}}

  2. Initial Allocation:

    • To get the initial allocation for each subject, divide the number of students enrolled in each subject by the standard divisor.

    Initial Allocation=Students EnrolledStandard Divisor\text{Initial Allocation} = \frac{\text{Students Enrolled}}{\text{Standard Divisor}}

  3. Geometric Mean Calculation:

    • The geometric mean for an allocation nn is calculated as:

    Geometric Mean=n(n+1)\text{Geometric Mean} = \sqrt{n(n+1)} This is used to determine whether to round the allocation up or down. The initial allocation is compared with the geometric mean. If the initial allocation is greater than the geometric mean, round up. Otherwise, round down.

Step 1: Calculate the Standard Divisor

The total number of students enrolled is:

305(Math)+220(English)+140(Chemistry)+80(Biology)=745305 \, (\text{Math}) + 220 \, (\text{English}) + 140 \, (\text{Chemistry}) + 80 \, (\text{Biology}) = 745

The total number of tutors available is 18. Therefore, the standard divisor (SD) is:

SD=7451841.389\text{SD} = \frac{745}{18} \approx 41.389

Step 2: Calculate the Initial Allocations

  • Math:
    30541.3897.371\frac{305}{41.389} \approx 7.371

  • English:
    22041.3895.315\frac{220}{41.389} \approx 5.315

  • Chemistry:
    14041.3893.383\frac{140}{41.389} \approx 3.383

  • Biology:
    8041.3891.933\frac{80}{41.389} \approx 1.933

Step 3: Compare with Geometric Means

We are given the geometric means for each subject:

  • Math: 7.483
  • English: 5.477
  • Chemistry: 3.464
  • Biology: 1.414

Initial Allocations vs. Geometric Means:

  • Math:
    The initial allocation for Math is 7.371, which is less than the geometric mean of 7.483, so we round down.

  • English:
    The initial allocation for English is 5.315, which is less than the geometric mean of 5.477, so we round down.

  • Chemistry:
    The initial allocation for Chemistry is 3.383, which is less than the geometric mean of 3.464, so we round down.

  • Biology:
    The initial allocation for Biology is 1.933, which is greater than the geometric mean of 1.414, so we round up.

Summary:

  • Math: Round down to 7
  • English: Round down to 5
  • Chemistry: Round down to 3
  • Biology: Round up to 2

These are the initial allocations before further adjustments are made in the Huntington-Hill method.

Would you like more details or have any questions?


Here are 5 related questions you can explore:

  1. How does the Huntington-Hill method compare to other apportionment methods?
  2. What are other applications of the Huntington-Hill method outside of tutoring allocation?
  3. How does rounding affect the final distribution of resources?
  4. Can the Huntington-Hill method handle fractional allocations effectively?
  5. What happens if the total number of students changes after an initial allocation?

Tip: Huntington-Hill's method is widely used in political apportionment, like distributing seats in legislatures based on population.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Apportionment Methods
Huntington-Hill Method
Geometric Mean
Division

Formulas

Standard Divisor (SD) = Total Students / Total Tutors
Initial Allocation = Students Enrolled / Standard Divisor
Geometric Mean = sqrt(n(n+1))

Theorems

Huntington-Hill Apportionment Method

Suitable Grade Level

College Level Mathematics