Combinatorics problem (coloring squares)
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I'm having some trouble with a combinatorics problem and I was thinking maybe somebody could give me a little help. I've been thinking about it the entire day and I can't get my head around it. It goes like this.
You have 12 pencils of different colors.
How many ways are there to color 2*n (n>2) squares (as in 2 rows, n columns) such that no 2 adjacent squares are painted the same color.
Sorry if my wording is a little bit confusing I translated the problem from spanish. I'll attach an image for better understanding.
Here's the image
I can't do it in any way. I've done this before with n=2 (a square made of 4 smaller squares) and it's a matter of separating into 2 cases, but here I have infinite? cases. It's really confusing.
If someone could give me a clue it'd of great help. Thanks!
combinatorics coloring
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm having some trouble with a combinatorics problem and I was thinking maybe somebody could give me a little help. I've been thinking about it the entire day and I can't get my head around it. It goes like this.
You have 12 pencils of different colors.
How many ways are there to color 2*n (n>2) squares (as in 2 rows, n columns) such that no 2 adjacent squares are painted the same color.
Sorry if my wording is a little bit confusing I translated the problem from spanish. I'll attach an image for better understanding.
Here's the image
I can't do it in any way. I've done this before with n=2 (a square made of 4 smaller squares) and it's a matter of separating into 2 cases, but here I have infinite? cases. It's really confusing.
If someone could give me a clue it'd of great help. Thanks!
combinatorics coloring
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
You might be able to infer a pattern by solving easier versions of the same question. For example, for $n=2$, was there some pattern for the number of colorings as a function of $p$?
$endgroup$
– David Diaz
Dec 20 '18 at 4:30
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@DavidDiaz Hm well I couldn't find a general formula because the number of options you have to color a certain square depends on how you've previously colores its adjacent. So I had to separate in 2 cases, whether the "non-adjacent" squares were the same color or not. Hope it makes sense?
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:38
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I'm having some trouble with a combinatorics problem and I was thinking maybe somebody could give me a little help. I've been thinking about it the entire day and I can't get my head around it. It goes like this.
You have 12 pencils of different colors.
How many ways are there to color 2*n (n>2) squares (as in 2 rows, n columns) such that no 2 adjacent squares are painted the same color.
Sorry if my wording is a little bit confusing I translated the problem from spanish. I'll attach an image for better understanding.
Here's the image
I can't do it in any way. I've done this before with n=2 (a square made of 4 smaller squares) and it's a matter of separating into 2 cases, but here I have infinite? cases. It's really confusing.
If someone could give me a clue it'd of great help. Thanks!
combinatorics coloring
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
$endgroup$
I'm having some trouble with a combinatorics problem and I was thinking maybe somebody could give me a little help. I've been thinking about it the entire day and I can't get my head around it. It goes like this.
You have 12 pencils of different colors.
How many ways are there to color 2*n (n>2) squares (as in 2 rows, n columns) such that no 2 adjacent squares are painted the same color.
Sorry if my wording is a little bit confusing I translated the problem from spanish. I'll attach an image for better understanding.
Here's the image
I can't do it in any way. I've done this before with n=2 (a square made of 4 smaller squares) and it's a matter of separating into 2 cases, but here I have infinite? cases. It's really confusing.
If someone could give me a clue it'd of great help. Thanks!
combinatorics coloring
combinatorics coloring
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
asked Dec 20 '18 at 4:22
DirewolfoxDirewolfox
406
406
$begingroup$
You might be able to infer a pattern by solving easier versions of the same question. For example, for $n=2$, was there some pattern for the number of colorings as a function of $p$?
$endgroup$
– David Diaz
Dec 20 '18 at 4:30
$begingroup$
@DavidDiaz Hm well I couldn't find a general formula because the number of options you have to color a certain square depends on how you've previously colores its adjacent. So I had to separate in 2 cases, whether the "non-adjacent" squares were the same color or not. Hope it makes sense?
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:38
add a comment |
$begingroup$
You might be able to infer a pattern by solving easier versions of the same question. For example, for $n=2$, was there some pattern for the number of colorings as a function of $p$?
$endgroup$
– David Diaz
Dec 20 '18 at 4:30
$begingroup$
@DavidDiaz Hm well I couldn't find a general formula because the number of options you have to color a certain square depends on how you've previously colores its adjacent. So I had to separate in 2 cases, whether the "non-adjacent" squares were the same color or not. Hope it makes sense?
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:38
$begingroup$
You might be able to infer a pattern by solving easier versions of the same question. For example, for $n=2$, was there some pattern for the number of colorings as a function of $p$?
$endgroup$
– David Diaz
Dec 20 '18 at 4:30
$begingroup$
You might be able to infer a pattern by solving easier versions of the same question. For example, for $n=2$, was there some pattern for the number of colorings as a function of $p$?
$endgroup$
– David Diaz
Dec 20 '18 at 4:30
$begingroup$
@DavidDiaz Hm well I couldn't find a general formula because the number of options you have to color a certain square depends on how you've previously colores its adjacent. So I had to separate in 2 cases, whether the "non-adjacent" squares were the same color or not. Hope it makes sense?
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:38
$begingroup$
@DavidDiaz Hm well I couldn't find a general formula because the number of options you have to color a certain square depends on how you've previously colores its adjacent. So I had to separate in 2 cases, whether the "non-adjacent" squares were the same color or not. Hope it makes sense?
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:38
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Think of coloring each column. How many ways to color the first column? Now for the second column, you have $10$ ways to color the top square different from the bottom square of the first column and $1$ way to color the top square the same as the bottom square of the first column. How many ways to color the whole second column? Now argue there are the same number of ways to color each column after the first.
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I think I kind of got it. Would it be something like 132*(111)^(n-1)? For instance, if I had 3 columns would it be 132*111*111? Thanks
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:51
$begingroup$
Yes, that is correct
$endgroup$
– Ross Millikan
Dec 20 '18 at 4:52
$begingroup$
Thank you so so much. Have a great day.
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:53
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
Think of coloring each column. How many ways to color the first column? Now for the second column, you have $10$ ways to color the top square different from the bottom square of the first column and $1$ way to color the top square the same as the bottom square of the first column. How many ways to color the whole second column? Now argue there are the same number of ways to color each column after the first.
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I think I kind of got it. Would it be something like 132*(111)^(n-1)? For instance, if I had 3 columns would it be 132*111*111? Thanks
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:51
$begingroup$
Yes, that is correct
$endgroup$
– Ross Millikan
Dec 20 '18 at 4:52
$begingroup$
Thank you so so much. Have a great day.
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:53
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Think of coloring each column. How many ways to color the first column? Now for the second column, you have $10$ ways to color the top square different from the bottom square of the first column and $1$ way to color the top square the same as the bottom square of the first column. How many ways to color the whole second column? Now argue there are the same number of ways to color each column after the first.
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I think I kind of got it. Would it be something like 132*(111)^(n-1)? For instance, if I had 3 columns would it be 132*111*111? Thanks
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:51
$begingroup$
Yes, that is correct
$endgroup$
– Ross Millikan
Dec 20 '18 at 4:52
$begingroup$
Thank you so so much. Have a great day.
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:53
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Think of coloring each column. How many ways to color the first column? Now for the second column, you have $10$ ways to color the top square different from the bottom square of the first column and $1$ way to color the top square the same as the bottom square of the first column. How many ways to color the whole second column? Now argue there are the same number of ways to color each column after the first.
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
$endgroup$
Think of coloring each column. How many ways to color the first column? Now for the second column, you have $10$ ways to color the top square different from the bottom square of the first column and $1$ way to color the top square the same as the bottom square of the first column. How many ways to color the whole second column? Now argue there are the same number of ways to color each column after the first.
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
answered Dec 20 '18 at 4:32
Ross MillikanRoss Millikan
301k24200375
301k24200375
$begingroup$
I think I kind of got it. Would it be something like 132*(111)^(n-1)? For instance, if I had 3 columns would it be 132*111*111? Thanks
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:51
$begingroup$
Yes, that is correct
$endgroup$
– Ross Millikan
Dec 20 '18 at 4:52
$begingroup$
Thank you so so much. Have a great day.
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:53
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I think I kind of got it. Would it be something like 132*(111)^(n-1)? For instance, if I had 3 columns would it be 132*111*111? Thanks
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:51
$begingroup$
Yes, that is correct
$endgroup$
– Ross Millikan
Dec 20 '18 at 4:52
$begingroup$
Thank you so so much. Have a great day.
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:53
$begingroup$
I think I kind of got it. Would it be something like 132*(111)^(n-1)? For instance, if I had 3 columns would it be 132*111*111? Thanks
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:51
$begingroup$
I think I kind of got it. Would it be something like 132*(111)^(n-1)? For instance, if I had 3 columns would it be 132*111*111? Thanks
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:51
$begingroup$
Yes, that is correct
$endgroup$
– Ross Millikan
Dec 20 '18 at 4:52
$begingroup$
Yes, that is correct
$endgroup$
– Ross Millikan
Dec 20 '18 at 4:52
$begingroup$
Thank you so so much. Have a great day.
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:53
$begingroup$
Thank you so so much. Have a great day.
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:53
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
You might be able to infer a pattern by solving easier versions of the same question. For example, for $n=2$, was there some pattern for the number of colorings as a function of $p$?
$endgroup$
– David Diaz
Dec 20 '18 at 4:30
$begingroup$
@DavidDiaz Hm well I couldn't find a general formula because the number of options you have to color a certain square depends on how you've previously colores its adjacent. So I had to separate in 2 cases, whether the "non-adjacent" squares were the same color or not. Hope it makes sense?
$endgroup$
– Direwolfox
Dec 20 '18 at 4:38