maths.free › Combinatorics & Graph Theory › Combinatorial Basics › The Pigeon Hole Principle

The Pigeon Hole Principle

A function f:X\longrightarrow Y is said to be 11 (read one-to-one) when f(x)\neq f(x') for all x,x'\in X with x\neq x'. A 11 function is also called an injection or we say that f is injective.

The Pigeon Hole Principle

A function \(f:X\longrightarrow Y\) is said to be \(1\)\(1\) (read one-to-one) when \(f(x)\neq f(x')\) for all \(x,x'\in X\) with \(x\neq x'\). A \(1\)\(1\) function is also called an injection or we say that \(f\) is injective. When \(f:X\longrightarrow Y\) is \(1\)\(1\), we note that \(|X|\le |Y|\). Conversely, we have the following self-evident statement, which is popularly called the Pigeon Hole principle.

In more casual language, if you must put \(n+1\) pigeons into \(n\) holes, then you must put two pigeons into the same hole.

Here is a classic result, whose proof follows immediately from the .

In , we will explore some powerful generalizations of the . All these results have the flavor of the general assertion that total disarray is impossible.

Nou jy Geen sakrekenaar los hierdie een nie, maar die stukke daarvan is kon nie wees kondifiseerbaar. Probeer een hieronder, of tik jou eie.

Hou jou eie werk

'n Vry rekening voeg notas by oor elke les, 'n verslag van wat jy klaar gemaak het, jou opgelos probleme op een plek, en' n tugmeester wat jy kan vra oor hierdie bladsy. Die wiskunde self is oop vir almal, geteken in of nie.

Meld op Meld aan

Simbools wat hier gebruik word

Maak enige simbool van die volledige definisie,'n prent en wat elke letter daarin beteken.

Vrae wat mense vra

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.

Dele van hierdie bladsy word aangepas Keller & Trotter, Applied Combinatorics (CC BY-SA 4.0). Verklaar en weer opklaar hier, foute is ons s'n.

Meer in Combinatorics & Graph Theory