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Printjmc
counting and probability senior
Problem
A PE class has 12 students, 6 girls and 6 boys. The coach has 4 jerseys in each of 3 colors to mark 3 teams for a soccer tournament. If the coach wants at least one girl and at least one boy on each team, how many ways can he give out the jerseys? (Jerseys of the same color are indistinguishable.)
Solution
In all, disregarding the gender rule, there are ways of assigning the teams. We will count the number of ways a team can have all boys or all girls and subtract from this total.
There are 2 choices for the violating gender and 3 choices for the violating color. Once these are picked, there are ways to choose the violating team, and ways to pick the other two teams, for a total of ways to choose a violating team. However, this procedure double-counts the assignments that make one team all girls and another all boys. There are 3 choices for the girls team and then 2 choices for the boys team, and ways to choose the teams, for a total of double-counted arrangements, leaving ways to make a team all girls or all boys. Subtracting this from the total, we get ways for the coach to assign the teams.
There are 2 choices for the violating gender and 3 choices for the violating color. Once these are picked, there are ways to choose the violating team, and ways to pick the other two teams, for a total of ways to choose a violating team. However, this procedure double-counts the assignments that make one team all girls and another all boys. There are 3 choices for the girls team and then 2 choices for the boys team, and ways to choose the teams, for a total of double-counted arrangements, leaving ways to make a team all girls or all boys. Subtracting this from the total, we get ways for the coach to assign the teams.
Final answer
29700