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#1 2016-01-04 01:45:15

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Ice cream toppings

An ice cream parlor has 14 different ice cream toppings. How many ice cream cones can we make, provided that we must place exactly 4 different toppings on each and also the cones must have at maximum one common topping with each other?

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#2 2016-01-04 04:33:55

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

Does the order of the toppings count? For instance, chocolate, sherbert, vanilla, strawberry as opposed to strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, sherbert.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#3 2016-01-04 04:40:21

Agnishom
Real Member
From: Riemann Sphere
Registered: 2011-01-29
Posts: 24,974
Website

Re: Ice cream toppings

Please take me to the parlor


'And fun? If maths is fun, then getting a tooth extraction is fun. A viral infection is fun. Rabies shots are fun.'
'God exists because Mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists because we cannot prove it'
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.

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#4 2016-01-04 08:47:17

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

I do not know where it is and besides ice cream is bad for your teeth.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#5 2016-01-04 09:08:11

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Re: Ice cream toppings

No, order does not count.

bobbym wrote:

Does the order of the toppings count? For instance, chocolate, sherbert, vanilla, strawberry as opposed to strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, sherbert.

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#6 2016-01-04 09:09:17

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Re: Ice cream toppings

Let alone with 4 toppings!!

bobbym wrote:

I do not know where it is and besides ice cream is bad for your teeth.

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#7 2016-01-04 12:16:15

Agnishom
Real Member
From: Riemann Sphere
Registered: 2011-01-29
Posts: 24,974
Website

Re: Ice cream toppings

[ignore this post]

Last edited by Agnishom (2016-01-04 13:26:20)


'And fun? If maths is fun, then getting a tooth extraction is fun. A viral infection is fun. Rabies shots are fun.'
'God exists because Mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists because we cannot prove it'
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.

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#8 2016-01-04 13:13:33

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

Does that handle the last condition?


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#9 2016-01-04 13:26:36

Agnishom
Real Member
From: Riemann Sphere
Registered: 2011-01-29
Posts: 24,974
Website

Re: Ice cream toppings

Nope. I did not see that.


'And fun? If maths is fun, then getting a tooth extraction is fun. A viral infection is fun. Rabies shots are fun.'
'God exists because Mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists because we cannot prove it'
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.

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#10 2016-01-04 13:31:50

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

It is a bit tougher but see if you can come up with an answer.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#11 2016-01-04 15:12:00

Relentless
Member
Registered: 2015-12-15
Posts: 631

Re: Ice cream toppings

Isn't the case where they have exactly one topping in common, just fourteen divided by 3, rounded down? And the case where they have no toppings in common, fourteen divided by four, rounded down? Since none of the four or three remaining toppings can appear twice. Or have I misinterpreted something? Since I guess it is supposed to be more difficult

Last edited by Relentless (2016-01-04 15:13:48)

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#12 2016-01-04 20:24:23

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Re: Ice cream toppings

Just to clarify, there is an adequate quantity of each topping & ice cream and also infinite number of cones! (blood sugar levels skyrocket...)

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#13 2016-01-06 03:49:42

Agnishom
Real Member
From: Riemann Sphere
Registered: 2011-01-29
Posts: 24,974
Website

Re: Ice cream toppings

bobbym wrote:

It is a bit tougher but see if you can come up with an answer.

I wish I could but I do not understand the question


'And fun? If maths is fun, then getting a tooth extraction is fun. A viral infection is fun. Rabies shots are fun.'
'God exists because Mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists because we cannot prove it'
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.

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#14 2016-01-06 04:19:47

Relentless
Member
Registered: 2015-12-15
Posts: 631

Re: Ice cream toppings

I am not sure either. It occurs to me that the "maximum one common topping" means that all of the ice cream cones must have unique toppings, except for one topping which may appear on several cones. But then the problem is simple; the answer is merely four cones with at least three sharing a topping (one topping unused if they all share one), and I don't think this is right.

Can anyone elaborate on the last condition or illustrate it with an example?

Last edited by Relentless (2016-01-06 04:23:18)

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#15 2016-01-06 05:08:45

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Re: Ice cream toppings

OK maybe I did not express it properly (sorry, english is not my native language):
Let's say we have infinite quantity of ice cream and cones and various toppings, also in adequate quantity each.
Let's name them T1, T2, T3...  T14. One cone can have for example T1, T2, T5 and T12. Another can have T1, T3, T4 and T8 and another T2, T3, T9 and T11...
...and so on.

In other words, any two cones of ice cream cannot have more than one topping in common.

Last edited by anna_gg (2016-01-06 05:46:58)

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#16 2016-01-06 06:51:39

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

Hi;

I think I understand the question but am having some difficulty in solving it.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#17 2016-01-06 14:52:47

Relentless
Member
Registered: 2015-12-15
Posts: 631

Re: Ice cream toppings

Hi - can you explain it? I am still not sure what is allowed.

Edit: So more than one topping can be repeated, but no topping can be repeated more than once? I will think on it and see if I get anywhere at all (:

Last edited by Relentless (2016-01-06 19:06:19)

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#18 2016-01-06 21:22:35

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Re: Ice cream toppings

I am trying to think of some other wording to help you understand smile Maybe the word "toppings" is confusing.
We have, for example:
1. Caramel sauce
2. M&Ms
3. Hot Fudge
4. Peanut butter
5. Oreo
6. Whipped cream
7. Strawberry sauce
...
and so on (14 different ingredients)
Each cone must have 4 of the above toppings (for example, Oreo, Strawberry sauce, Caramel Sauce and Peanut butter) but between ANY TWO ice-cream cones we cannot have more than ONE topping in common.

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#19 2016-01-06 21:34:09

Relentless
Member
Registered: 2015-12-15
Posts: 631

Re: Ice cream toppings

Thank you, I think I understand (: Sorry for my confusion!

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#20 2016-01-07 22:27:25

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

It seems there are different answers for different first selections. The largest number of cones I can find so far is 12. This seems small.


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#21 2016-01-08 00:29:55

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Re: Ice cream toppings

This is similar to the car plates problem, that must differ by one or two digits etc. I don't think I can solve that one either smile

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#22 2016-01-08 08:27:22

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

The last bit,

also the cones must have at maximum one common topping with each other?

is what makes the answer so short.

What is this license problem?


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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#23 2016-01-08 16:20:33

Agnishom
Real Member
From: Riemann Sphere
Registered: 2011-01-29
Posts: 24,974
Website

Re: Ice cream toppings

anna_gg wrote:

I am trying to think of some other wording to help you understand smile Maybe the word "toppings" is confusing.
We have, for example:
1. Caramel sauce
2. M&Ms
3. Hot Fudge
4. Peanut butter
5. Oreo
6. Whipped cream
7. Strawberry sauce
...
and so on (14 different ingredients)
Each cone must have 4 of the above toppings (for example, Oreo, Strawberry sauce, Caramel Sauce and Peanut butter) but between ANY TWO ice-cream cones we cannot have more than ONE topping in common.

Please take me there


'And fun? If maths is fun, then getting a tooth extraction is fun. A viral infection is fun. Rabies shots are fun.'
'God exists because Mathematics is consistent, and the devil exists because we cannot prove it'
I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.

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#24 2016-01-12 08:05:40

anna_gg
Member
Registered: 2012-01-10
Posts: 232

Re: Ice cream toppings

bobbym wrote:

The last bit,

also the cones must have at maximum one common topping with each other?

is what makes the answer so short.

What is this license problem?

The license problem is the following (with several variations):
In Riddleland, the license plates are composed of 8 digits, each from 0 to 9. All plates must differ from each other in at least 2 of the 8 positions. What is the maximum number of plates that can be issued?

Last edited by anna_gg (2016-01-12 08:29:24)

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#25 2016-01-12 08:10:03

bobbym
bumpkin
From: Bumpkinland
Registered: 2009-04-12
Posts: 109,606

Re: Ice cream toppings

Hi;

Can you please give the answer to the ice cream problem?


In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

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