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#26 Help Me ! » problem needing a mathematical formula » 2008-01-14 11:17:41

momofmathkid
Replies: 5

My child brought home this "challenge" question from school.  It's beyond me...sad, I know.  Can anyone help me so I can help her?  She figured out the answer (we think it's right), but doesn't know how to put it into a mathematical formula.  Here it is:

If 10 people meet at a party, and each person shakes hands of everyone else exactly once, how many handshakes are there in all?  Try to find out the mathematical fomula, or rule, to solve this for "n" people.  For example, if you were to input 2 and get 6 back, the formula would be n=3 or n=3n.  Help the mom, please!

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