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44 votes
3 answers
10k views

How do I count the subsets of a set whose number of elements is divisible by 3? 4?

Let $S$ be a set of size $n$. There is an easy way to count the number of subsets with an even number of elements. Algebraically, it comes from the fact that $\displaystyle \sum_{k=0}^{n} {n \...
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
39 votes
7 answers
67k views

In how many ways can a number be expressed as a sum of consecutive numbers? [duplicate]

All the positive numbers can be expressed as a sum of one, two or more consecutive positive integers. For example $9$ can be expressed in three such ways, $2+3+4$, $4+5$ or simply $9$. In how many ...
Bhavik Ambani's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
34k views

The number of partitions of $n$ into distinct parts equals the number of partitions of $n$ into odd parts

This seems to be a common result. I've been trying to follow the bijective proof of it, which can be found easily online, but the explanations go over my head. It would be wonderful if you could give ...
rapidash's user avatar
  • 497
16 votes
3 answers
968 views

Are there any Combinatoric proofs of Bertrand's postulate?

I feel like there must exist a combinatoric proof of a theorem like: There is a prime between $n$ and $2n$, or $p$ and $p^2$ or anything similar to this stronger than there is a prime between $p$ and $...
quanta's user avatar
  • 12.5k
11 votes
4 answers
19k views

number of ordered partitions of integer

How to evaluate the number of ordered partitions of the positive integer $ 5 $? Thanks!
com's user avatar
  • 5,612
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

Number of solutions of $x_1+2x_2+\cdots+kx_k=n$?

Suppose $n$ be a given positive integer. Then the Diophantine equation $x=n$ has only $1$ solution. Just by inspection, I found that the Diophantine equation $x+2y=n$ has $\left\lfloor \dfrac{n}{2}+1\...
Bumblebee's user avatar
  • 18.4k
32 votes
3 answers
5k views

When is $\binom{n}{k}$ divisible by $n$?

Is there any way of determining if $\binom{n}{k} \equiv 0\pmod{n}$. Note that I am aware of the case when $n =p$ a prime. Other than that there does not seem to be any sort of pattern (I checked up ...
Patrick's user avatar
  • 2,106
22 votes
1 answer
28k views

Counting ways to partition a set into fixed number of subsets

Suppose we have a finite set $S$ of cardinality $n$. In how many ways can we partition it into $k$-many non empty subsets? Example: There is precisely one way to partition such a set into $n$-many ...
Mark Neuhaus's user avatar
  • 1,237
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

How to prove formula for power sum

I simply used Newton's Interpolation method and some observation in pattern and i constructed formula for power sum. Formula Let's $n$ and $m$ are the integers with $n\geq 1$ and $m\geq 0$ $$\sum_{...
Pruthviraj's user avatar
  • 2,707
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

Number of positive integral solutions of $a+b+c+d+e=20$ such that $a<b<c<d<e$ and $(a,b,c,d,e)$ is distinct

This is from a previous question paper for an entrance exam I am preparing for. https://www.allen.ac.in/apps/exam-2014/jee-advanced-2014/pdf/JEE-Main-Advanced-P-I-Maths-Paper-with-solution.pdf (Link ...
Arya's user avatar
  • 53
27 votes
2 answers
1k views

A nice formula for the Thue–Morse sequence

The Thue–Morse sequence$^{[1]}$$\!^{[2]}$ $t_n$ is an infinite binary sequence constructed by starting with $t_0=0$ and successively appending the binary complement of the sequence obtained so far: $$\...
Vladimir Reshetnikov's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

Pairs of numbers with a given LCM

How can we show that the number of pairs $(a,b)$ (where the pairs $(a, b)$ and $(b, a)$ are considered same) with $\operatorname{lcm}(a, b) = n$ is equal to $$\displaystyle\frac{(2e_1+1)(2e_2+1)...(...
IVlad's user avatar
  • 589
0 votes
3 answers
248 views

Counting non-negative integral solutions

I'm reading this passage and wondering why Number of ways in which k identical balls can be distributed into n distinct boxes = $$\binom {k+n-1}{n-1}$$ could someone explain it to me please?
Dean's user avatar
  • 175
17 votes
2 answers
3k views

Minimum Cake Cutting for a Party

You are organizing a party. However, the number of guests to attend your party can be anything from $a_1$, $a_2$, $\ldots$, $a_n$, where the $a_i$'s are positive integers. You want to be prepared, ...
Batominovski's user avatar
  • 49.8k
7 votes
3 answers
576 views

Find all natural numbers $n > 1$ and $m > 1$ such that $1!3!5!\cdots(2n - 1)! = m!$

Find all natural numbers $n > 1$ and $m > 1$ such that $1!3!5!\cdots(2n - 1)! = m!$ I have been thinking about coming up with some inequalities which would narrow the possible range of pairs $(...
Artyom Dmitriev's user avatar

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