maths.free › Combinatorics & Graph Theory › Pigeonhole principle and inclusion, exclusion

Pigeonhole principle and inclusion, exclusion

Two counting ideas that prove things without listing anything.

Pigeonhole: more pigeons than holes means some hole holds two. Inclusion, exclusion: |A ∪ B| = |A| + |B| − |A ∩ B|, and the alternating sum continues for more sets. Picture it: a Venn diagram; the overlap is what you counted twice. Think it: inclusion, exclusion is the Möbius function of the subset lattice.

Kushanda muenzaniso · {1,2,3,4} union {3,4,5,6}

Set-Theory · Sets

{1,2,3,4} union {3,4,5,6}

Step by step

  1. A = \left\{1, 2, 3, 4\right\},\quad B = \left\{3, 4, 5, 6\right\}

    The two sets.

  2. A \cup B = \left\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\right\}

    Keep everything in either set.

  3. |A| = 4,\ |B| = 4,\ |A \cup B| = 6

    Cardinalities. Note |A ∪ B| = |A| + |B| − |A ∩ B|.

Kuratidza mhinduro
A \cup B = \left\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\right\}

Zvino iwe Choose a problem, or type or draw your own. Every step, a picture, the answer hidden until you ask.

Tenga yako yemahara

Mubhadharo wakasununguka unowedzera mazita ezvidzidzo, zvinyorwa zvezvidzidzo zvawakati wazvigadzirira, zvidzidzo zvawave uchizvigadzirisa, uye mudzidzisi waungabvunza nezvechidzidzo ichi. Maths inowanikwa kune vese, vasiri vadzidzi kana vadzidzi. Kuwana mazita ezvidzidzo zvinodiwa kunogona kuitwa pawebsite ye Maths.

Kutanga Kupinda

Mazita anoshandiswa pano

Tinya chero chiratidzo kuti uone chirevo chakazara, vhidhiyo, uye kuti chii chinoreva chero chiratidzo.

Maitiro: Pigeonhole principle and inclusion, exclusion

  1. The two sets.
  2. Keep everything in either set.
  3. Cardinalities. Note |A ∪ B| = |A| + |B| − |A ∩ B|.

Mabvunzo vanhu vanobvunza

Permutation or combination?

Ask whether order matters. A lock code is a permutation (order matters); a hand of cards is a combination (it does not).

What is a graph in this sense?

Dots (vertices) joined by lines (edges), not a plot. Road maps, social networks and molecules are graphs; questions like "is there a route" and "how few colours" are graph theory.

More in Combinatorics & Graph Theory

The counting principlesBinomial coefficients and Pascal's triangleRecurrences and generating functionsGraphs: vertices, edges, degreesPaths, cycles, trees, Euler and HamiltonColouring and planar graphs