Introductory problems

• The additive principle

If A1 , A2 , . . . , An are pairwise disjoint finite sets, then

|A1 ∪ A2 ∪ . . . ∪ An | = |A1 | + |A2 | + . . . + |An |.

• The Multiplicative Principle

If A1 , A2 , . . . , An are finite sets, then

|A1 × A2 × . . . × An | = |A1 | · |A2 | · . . . · |An |.

• Let X = {1, 2, . . . , 100} and let S = {(a, b, c)|a, b, c ∈ X, a < b, c}. Find |S|.

• The Pigeonhole Principle

If n objects are put in k < n boxes, then at least one box contains more than one
object.

• Functions on finite sets

• Let A, B be finite sets and f : A → B be a function.

If f is one-to-one (injective), then |A| ≤ |B|.
If f is onto (surjective) then |A| ≥ |B|.
If f is bijective, then |A| = |B|.

Proposed problems

1. Find the number of even integers between 20000 and 70000 in which no digit is
repeated.

2. How many different letter arrangements can be formed from the letters R, A, B, B, A?

3. In how many ways can we arrange 5 girls and 5 boys to a banquet table such that
no two girls or two boys sit next to each other? What if the table is a round table?

4. There are eight people at a dinner party, including four men and four women. In
how many ways can they be seated at a circular table if (a) there are no restrictions?
(b) no two men can be seated side by side? (c) Mr. and Mrs. Smith insist on sitting
next to each other? (d) George and Alice insist on not sitting next to each another?

5. (a) In how many ways can eight people be seated at a square table, with two persons
on each side of the table?
(b) In how many ways can 12 people be seated at a square table, with three persons
on each side of the table?

1
 6. Determine how many ways 2n people can be paired off to form n teams of 2. Prove
that ((mn)!)2 is divisible by (m!)n+1 (n!)m+1 for all positive integers m, n.
British Math Olympiad

7. A spider has one sock and one shoe for each of its eight legs. In how many different
orders can the spider put on its socks and shoes, assuming that, on each leg, the
sock must be put on before the shoe?

8. How many 3-digits numbers abc satisfy the condition a > b > c? What about
a ≥ b ≥ c?

9. If 46 pigeons are put into 10 pigeonholes, show that, for some i, there are at least
i pigeons in pigeonhole number i.

10. Suppose that 14 of the 48 beads of a necklace are colored. Show that there is a
string of seven consecutive beads of which at least three are colored.

11. Let n be a positive integer which is not divisible by 2 or 5. Prove that there is a
multiple of n consisting entirely of ones.

12. Prove that from a set of 5 integers we can choose two whose sum or difference is
divisible by 7.

13. A chess player plays at least one game every day and at most 12 games every week.
Prove that there exists a sequence of consecutive days in which he plays exactly 20
games.