Math Problem Statement

A singles tournament had six players. Each player played every other player only once, with no ties. If Helen won 4 games, Ines won 3 games, Janet won 2 games, Kendra won 2 games and Lara won 2 games, how many games did Monica win?

Solution

The tournament has 6 players, and each player plays against every other player exactly once. The total number of games played in a round-robin tournament with nn players is given by:

(n2)=n(n1)2\binom{n}{2} = \frac{n(n-1)}{2}

For n=6n = 6:

(62)=6(61)2=6×52=15 games\binom{6}{2} = \frac{6(6-1)}{2} = \frac{6 \times 5}{2} = 15 \text{ games}

The number of wins listed so far is:

  • Helen: 4 wins
  • Ines: 3 wins
  • Janet: 2 wins
  • Kendra: 2 wins
  • Lara: 2 wins

The sum of the wins is:

4+3+2+2+2=134 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 13

Since there are a total of 15 games and each game has exactly one winner, the total number of wins must also be 15. Thus, Monica must have won the remaining:

1513=2 games15 - 13 = 2 \text{ games}

Therefore, Monica won 2 games.


Would you like more details or have any questions? Here are five related questions you might find interesting:

  1. How many total games would there be if there were 8 players in the tournament?
  2. What is the general formula for the number of games in a round-robin tournament with nn players?
  3. If a player won all of their games, how many games would they have won in this 6-player tournament?
  4. How would the number of games change if players played each other twice instead of once?
  5. What is the difference between a round-robin tournament and a knockout tournament?

Tip: In a round-robin tournament, every player faces every other player, so you can use combinations to calculate the total number of games.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Combinatorics
Counting
Round-robin tournament

Formulas

Total games in a round-robin tournament: \( \binom{n}{2} = \frac{n(n-1)}{2} \)

Theorems

Combination formula for selecting pairs (\( \binom{n}{2} \))

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8