Working out a mind puzzle

[RichardE]

How many possible combinations can you have with 5 symbols with the possibility of no symbols being used in the combo? (so like star, Moon, Diamond, (nothing), Circle) ?

I can't think of the formula to figure it out

 

[LemonHead]

Dunno...brain hurts....too late...going to bed.

 

[Epic Fail]

Figuring out your question is the real puzzle.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: Epic Fail
Figuring out your question is the real puzzle.

Well, like say you had 5 symbols. Figuring out how many possible combos is easy enough. 5x5, now say the possible solution to whatever I'm looking for also has the possibility of not using one of the combos in the solution. (say X,X,_,X,X or _,X_X,X) how many possible combinations can I make now?

I think it should be easy (all I'm doing is taking 5 symbols and adding one possibly value to easy one). I just can't figure it out =/

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: RichardE
How many possible combinations can you have with 5 symbols with the possibility of no symbols being used in the combo? (so like star, Moon, Diamond, (nothing), Circle) ?

I can't think of the formula to figure it out

0

If you can't use any symbols in the combo, you will have no combos. Easy.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: RichardE
How many possible combinations can you have with 5 symbols with the possibility of no symbols being used in the combo? (so like star, Moon, Diamond, (nothing), Circle) ?

I can't think of the formula to figure it out

0

If you can't use any symbols in the combo, you will have no combos. Easy.

-.-


Alright, lets try this another way...


You have 5 symbols, each with a possible positive/negative value, how many combos can I possibly have.

 

[Juked07]

Your question still isn't clear. Can a symbol be repeated? Are two different combinations considered distinct if they use the same symbols in a different order?

 

[BrownTown]

IT obviously depends if they can be repeated or not, but its hardly a mind puzzle either way, just basic probability/statistics.

 

[esun]

Having 5 symbols with a +/- value is the same as having 10 values. If I want all the ways to pick 5 things from 10, where order matters, that's 10*9*8*7*6 = 30240.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I would assume that it would be the same as the number of possible combinations for 6 symbols, since the blank space could be seen as simply another symbol.

 

[Epic Fail]

Originally posted by: RichardE

Originally posted by: Epic Fail
Figuring out your question is the real puzzle.

Well, like say you had 5 symbols. Figuring out how many possible combos is easy enough. 5x5, now say the possible solution to whatever I'm looking for also has the possibility of not using one of the combos in the solution. (say X,X,_,X,X or _,X_X,X) how many possible combinations can I make now?

I think it should be easy (all I'm doing is taking 5 symbols and adding one possibly value to easy one). I just can't figure it out =/

I have no idea where your 5x5 came from, but I think you are looking for this.

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=38&threadid=2224461

 

[Oceandevi]

Magic is illegal.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: Epic Fail

Originally posted by: RichardE

Originally posted by: Epic Fail
Figuring out your question is the real puzzle.

Well, like say you had 5 symbols. Figuring out how many possible combos is easy enough. 5x5, now say the possible solution to whatever I'm looking for also has the possibility of not using one of the combos in the solution. (say X,X,_,X,X or _,X_X,X) how many possible combinations can I make now?

I think it should be easy (all I'm doing is taking 5 symbols and adding one possibly value to easy one). I just can't figure it out =/

I have no idea where your 5x5 came from, but I think you are looking for this.

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=38&threadid=2224461

Thanks :beer:

sorry for the crappy explanations btw guys

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: RichardE

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: RichardE
How many possible combinations can you have with 5 symbols with the possibility of no symbols being used in the combo? (so like star, Moon, Diamond, (nothing), Circle) ?

I can't think of the formula to figure it out

0

If you can't use any symbols in the combo, you will have no combos. Easy.

-.-


Alright, lets try this another way...


You have 5 symbols, each with a possible positive/negative value, how many combos can I possibly have.

Infinite.

What does positive/negative value have to do with it?

I could repeat one symbol an infinite number of times.

 

[Jeff7]

I'm going to advocate some new symbols:

- Bong
- Joint
- Needle + Syringe
- Razor blade + glass
- Spraypaint

Hopefully at least one of them "opens" my mind enough to allow any of this to make sense.



What is the purpose of this exercise? What are you trying to accomplish?

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: RichardE
How many possible combinations can you have with 5 symbols with the possibility of no symbols being used in the combo? (so like star, Moon, Diamond, (nothing), Circle) ?

I can't think of the formula to figure it out

its actually easy... just consider no symbol as another symbol... instead of 5 choices you have 6.

possibilities = 6^n
(where n is the total length of your desired string)

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: RichardE
How many possible combinations can you have with 5 symbols with the possibility of no symbols being used in the combo? (so like star, Moon, Diamond, (nothing), Circle) ?

I can't think of the formula to figure it out

2^6

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: RichardE
How many possible combinations can you have with 5 symbols with the possibility of no symbols being used in the combo? (so like star, Moon, Diamond, (nothing), Circle) ?

I can't think of the formula to figure it out

Well the "nothing" option is just a 6th possible symbol. So you want to make a "word" using 5 symbols drawn from this pool of six. Well assuming that order does matter you have 6 possible symbols for the first slot, 6 for the next etc etc.. meaning you have 6^5 possible "words". 7776. Assuming the null or empty word counts if not then 7775. I might be over counting some cases as I'm not exactly clear what you would count and not count as duplicate cases.