Counting Integral Solutions

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Home > Quantitative aptitude questions and answers with explanation > Permutations and Combinations > Distributing Balls into
Boxes

Basics Concepts and

Formulas
(Permutations and
Combinations)
Useful Relations
(Permutations and
Combinations)
More Concepts and
Formulas
(Permutations)

Counting Integral Solutions

1.

The number of non-negative integer solutions of equation x

+ x + ... + x = r
2

The number of non-negative integer solutions of equation x + x

1

(n+r-1)

+ ... + x = r is

Permutations under
Restrictions
More Concepts and
Formulas
(Combinations)
Combinations under
Restrictions
Division and
Distribution of Objects

The number of non-negative integer solutions of equation x + x

1

= The number of ways in which r identical balls can be distributed

among n distinct boxes
= The number of selections, with repetition, of size r from a
collection of size n
=

(n+r-1)

Distributing Balls into

Boxes
Counting Integral
Solutions
More Formulas
(Permutations and
Combinations)

Examples

i.

How many solutions does the equation x

+ x

+ x

+ x = 7 have,
4

where x 0 for all 1 i 4

i

Geometrical Figures
(Permutations and
Combinations)

One solution of the equation is x =3, x =3, x =0, x =1.

Solved Examples - Set

1

x =3.

Another solution of the equation is x =1, x =0, x =3,

1

Note that x = -1, x =0, x =0, x =8 is not a solution here

1

Solved Examples - Set

2

because each x can only be a non-negative integer.

i

Solved Examples - Set

3

Here n = 4, r = 7
The total number of solutions =

Solved Examples - Set

4
Solved Examples - Set
5

+ ... + x = r

(n+r-1)

C =

(4+7-1)

10

C =
7

= 120
ii.

How many solutions does the equation x

+ x

+ x

= 15 have,
where each x is a positive integer
i

We know that the number of non-negative

solutions of equation x + x + ... + x = r
1

integer

Given question is to find out the number of solutions of

13-Nov-14 1:20 PM

Counting Integral Solutions

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http://www.careerbless.com/aptitude/qa/permutations_combinations_imp...

x + x + x = 15
1

where x 1 for all 1 i 3

i

Give one to x , one to x

1

and one to x

so that the

required number of solutions is equal to the number of

solutions of
x + x + x = 15-3 = 12
1

where x 0 for all 1 i 3.

i

Now this is in general form with n=3 and r=12

(n+r-1)

Total number of solutions =

C =

(3+12-1)

12

14

12

= 91
iii.

A lift starts at the basement with 10 people (6 men

and 4 women, excluding the operator) and all get out
th

by the time lift reaches 5 floor. Find the number of

ways in which the operator could have perceived the
people leaving the lift if all people look alike to the
operator?
The required number of ways
= Total number of non-negative integer solutions to x +
1

x + x + x + x = 10
2

Here, n=5, r=10

Hence, the required number of ways =
(5+10-1)

2.

10

14

10

(n+r-1)

= 1001

Number of Solutions to the Equation : Case 2

Let x , x , ... , x
1

be integers.

The number of solutions to the equation x + x + ... + x

1

=n

subject to the conditions a x b , a x b , ... , a x

1

m
n

is equal to the coefficient of x in

(x

a +1

a +1

+ x

+ ... + x 1)(x

+ ... + x

+ x

a +1
2

+ ... + x 2) ... (x

m)

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