Math Problem Statement

To solve this problem, we need to determine the probability that four randomly generated subsets of ({1, 2, 3, 4, 5}) have no elements in common and their union is ({1, 2, 3, 4, 5}).

Total Subsets: Each subset of ({1, 2, 3, 4, 5}) can be any of the (2^5 = 32) subsets. Since Tom presses the button 4 times, there are (32^4) possible outcomes.

Valid Subsets: We need to count the number of ways to choose four subsets such that:

Each element of ({1, 2, 3, 4, 5}) appears in exactly one of the four subsets.

No element is repeated in any subset.

Distribution of Elements: We can think of distributing the 5 elements into 4 distinct subsets. This is equivalent to finding the number of surjective (onto) functions from a set of 5 elements to a set of 4 elements.

Counting Surjective Functions: The number of surjective functions from a set of size (n) to a set of size (k) is given by:

k!⋅S(n,k)

where (S(n, k)) is the Stirling number of the second kind, representing the number of ways to partition (n) elements into (k) non-empty subsets.

For (n = 5) and (k = 4):

S(5,4)=10

Therefore, the number of surjective functions is:

4!⋅S(5,4)=24⋅10=240

Probability Calculation: The probability (P) that the four subsets have no elements in common and their union is ({1, 2, 3, 4, 5}) is:

P=324240​=1048576240​=6553615​

Finding (p + q): The irreducible fraction is (\frac{15}{65536}), so (p = 65536) and (q = 15). Therefore, (p + q = 65536 + 15 = 65551).

So, (p + q) is 65551.rm with this

Solution

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Combinatorics
Set Theory
Probability

Formulas

Total subsets: 2^n
Surjective function formula: k! ⋅ S(n, k)
Probability formula: P = Valid Subsets / Total Subsets

Theorems

Stirling numbers of the second kind
Surjective functions in combinatorics

Suitable Grade Level

Undergraduate level (Combinatorics)