Questions tagged [combinatorics]
A puzzle based on combinatorics, which is the study of counting discrete structures. Use with [mathematics]
709
questions
5
votes
2answers
192 views
Running Out of Digits, Level 3
The challenge idea is credited to HelloWorld1337.
You initially have x of each digit from 0 to 9. This means you have x * 10 digits in total. This count for each digit is shown in the table below.
...
6
votes
2answers
458 views
Covering a 15x15 grid with rectangles
You are given a 15x15 grid and asked to cover it with rectangles whose dimensions are a power of 2. For example you can use rectangles 8x1 and 4x4, but not 2x3. The rectangles must cover every cell of ...
10
votes
1answer
426 views
Grid infection with diagonal adjacencies
A community consists of 81 houses laid out in a 9 x 9 square grid. Every household is friends with their eight orthogonal and diagonal neighbors (except for the houses on the perimeter which have only ...
15
votes
5answers
665 views
Domino tiling on 8x8 checkerboard with four squares removed
I once posted this problem on the (now deleted) Area 51 Math Puzzles proposal. It was well-received there, but obviously I didn't get an answer. I still don't know the answer, and I'm not even sure if ...
2
votes
4answers
202 views
The Greenhouse Problem version 2
This is an extension of Nilster's great puzzle: The Greenhouse Problem
The task is the same, but this time sprinklers cover only a 3x3 square around them. For completeness, here is the full set of ...
2
votes
1answer
172 views
How long will it take to hand out the shuffled papers?
A teacher has $n$ students sit in a circle in her classroom. She holds in her hands a perfectly shuffled stack of the students' graded homework, with Juan's on top. She is currently standing in front ...
4
votes
2answers
289 views
Mathematics for the English major
An entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #48: Unusual tag mix
I was looking at the unusual tag mixes post, and one of the ones listed is combinatorics and english. I thought "who's going to be ...
1
vote
2answers
212 views
Dividing the first 10 primes into groups whose sum is prime [closed]
Take the first 10 primes. Can you divide them into $g$ disjoint groups, such that the sum of numbers in each group is prime. In particular can you make this work for every value of $g$ in the range $[...
1
vote
3answers
93 views
5x5 grid with no tetrominoes containing repeating colors
Paint the cells of a 5x5 grid with 𝑛 colors, such that every possible tetromino found in the grid uses 4 different colors. What is the smallest value of 𝑛 possible in such a coloring?
Here is a ...
3
votes
3answers
359 views
4x4 grid with no trominoes containing repeating colors
Paint the cells of a 4x4 grid with 𝑛 colors, such that every possible tromino found in the grid uses 3 different colors. What is the smallest value of 𝑛 possible in such a coloring?
5
votes
4answers
562 views
8x8 square with no adjacent numbers summing to a prime
Can you fill a 8x8 grid with numbers from 1 to 8 such that:
Every number occurs exactly once in each row and in each column (Latin square).
No two adjacent (horizontally or vertically) numbers sum to ...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
4x4 square with no increasing triples
Can you fill a 4x4 grid with numbers from 1 to 4 such that:
Every number occurs exactly once in each row and in each column (Latin square).
No row or column contains 3 adjacent numbers that are all ...
8
votes
2answers
997 views
How many descendants can this spaceship crew produce?
A spaceship is on a very long voyage. It starts with a crew of 4 women and 4 men, none of whom are related by blood. How many descendants at most can this 8-person crew produce without inbreeding? ...
3
votes
1answer
189 views
Moving coins in a grid
Here is a great puzzle from Ed Pegg Jr.
Place two coins in the center cell of the following grid. Now you can choose a coin X and move the second coin Y one cell in the direction of the arrow under ...
1
vote
1answer
151 views
Cut the string!
There are five pieces of blue string on the table with different lengths, the total length of which is 30 cm. There are also five pieces of red string with different lengths, the total length of which ...
4
votes
2answers
241 views
Place 4 players to make 6 distances between pairs
Is it possible to place 4 players on a football field in such a way that the 6 distances between every pair of them are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 meters?
Source: Moscow Math Olympiad 2001 (Look Inside to Page ...
8
votes
2answers
367 views
Rack 'Em Up! 🎱
In a game of English eight-ball pool, a set of 15 balls are arranged or 'racked' in the shape of an equilateral triangle. In order for the balls to be racked fairly, they must be arranged like so:
<...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
The maximum period of dancing program
Sixteen people named A, B, ..., P are standing in line in the order ABC...P. They "dance", or swap places, according to some predefined instructions. ...
12
votes
3answers
891 views
8 soldiers lining up for the morning assembly
There are 8 soldiers, gathering and lining up every morning for their military service. The commander at the head of these soldiers demands that the morning lineup of these soldiers be arranged ...
3
votes
2answers
145 views
Generalized rectangular tilings with no “fault lines”
I recently came across this question:
One rectangle, indivisible
The goal is, by tiling 2x1 rectangles, to create a larger rectangle that cannot be split into 2 smaller rectangles.
But my question is ...
4
votes
2answers
337 views
The 7 face up/down card
Note: This puzzle is a very old puzzle I got from the Internet, however I changed it a bit to be more interesting.
INSTRUCTIONS
You have got 7 blank cards. You are playing with a friend of yours. Your ...
-3
votes
1answer
136 views
a 17X17 grid filled with trominoes of three different colors
Let's have an 17x17 grid. We can fill this grid with 96 trominoes of three different colors, 32 trominoes of each color. On this particular grid the empty single square is the position A1. By visual ...
4
votes
1answer
270 views
Alice and Bob playing Neighboring Sums Game
Alice and Bob are playing the neighbouring game
which is originally single game to get the highest point at the end.
You start with an empty 4x4 grid. At each
turn you can choose an empty cell and ...
7
votes
2answers
340 views
Pentomino tiling on wrap-around 5x5 grids
It is known that P pentominoes cannot tile a 5x5 square board.
Q1: If the east and west edges of the 5x5 square board are "wrapping around" (if you move a piece through one of the edges, the ...
-2
votes
1answer
238 views
How many shapes can you form with squares? [closed]
There is a 6 by 6 dot-grid. You will draw two squares by joining the dots.
The squares cannot have common dots/points or areas.
Rotations or reflections of a drawing are considered distinct.
In How ...
4
votes
1answer
266 views
Grids with trominoes
Let's have two 8x8 grids. By visual inspection we see they are filled with trominoes of three different colors. There are 7 trominoes of each color. On the grids the trominoes are not allowed to touch ...
3
votes
1answer
211 views
n rows and 18 columns
I haven't posted for a long long time, so here is an interesting combinatorics problem!
There is a table with 𝑛 rows and 18 columns. Each of its cells contains a 0 or a 1. The table
satisfies the ...
7
votes
4answers
790 views
Neighboring sums 5x5 game
You start with an empty 5x5 grid. At each turn you choose an empty cell and place a value in it. The placed value is given by the following rules:
If the chosen cell has no neighboring (horizontal or ...
11
votes
4answers
945 views
Neighboring sums 4x4 game
Here is an interesting game. You start with an empty 4x4 grid. At each turn you can choose an empty cell and place a value in it. The placed value is given by the following rules:
If the chosen cell ...
2
votes
1answer
308 views
Forming pairs of trominoes on an 8X8 grid
On an 8x8 grid I put 21 trominoes of thee different colors. Each group of 7 trominoes has one color. By visual inspection we see the trominoes cover the whole surface except the single empty square ...
5
votes
3answers
295 views
Optimal Strategy for Matching Pairs
I found a reality TV show recently that I thought would make a fun puzzle. On the show are 10 men and 10 women that have been "matched by experts" (ie. randomly paired). Their goal is to ...
-3
votes
1answer
143 views
Self-intersecting polygonal chains in a hexagon [closed]
This is continuation of this Q&A. Given a regular hexagon with center at point O:
Question: How many self-intersecting polygonal chains are there that connect 7 points?
The self-intersecting ...
6
votes
1answer
189 views
Plus-sized amoeba escapes
As an extension to @WhatsUp 's question here, the rules of which are included below, with the following differences:
In one of the squares, there lives an amoeba (marked as a circle in the following ...
21
votes
2answers
737 views
Amoebas escaping the prison
There is an infinite grid of squares.
In one of the squares, there lives an amoeba (marked as a circle in the following pictures).
Amoebas cannot move, but they can perform their unique action: an ...
2
votes
2answers
142 views
Prime stepping stones
Start by placing number $1$ anywhere on an infinite square grid. Now place numbers $2, 3, 4, \ldots, K$ in order. A number $k$ can be placed if the following rules hold:
It must be adjacent (...
0
votes
2answers
98 views
Car registration similarity [closed]
In my city, car registration plates contain 3 numbers (0 to 9) and 3 letters (A to Z). Today I've noticed that my neighbour's car has the same registration as my car except for one character. Should I ...
10
votes
2answers
500 views
What is the minimum number of problems in the pool? [closed]
Using a pool of problems, 16 tests will be formed, following certain conditions:
Every test should have the same number of problems.
Any problem should be included in at most 8 tests.
Every group of ...
13
votes
1answer
552 views
The tip of a colorful triangle
Original source: Problem 1 of British Informatics Olympiad 2017, Round 1
You're given a bunch of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) balls. I arrange some balls on a line. Then I ask you to complete the ...
7
votes
1answer
179 views
My two button microwave
Long ago, I encountered a microwave with a display in the "HH:MM:SS" format. But instead of a number pad, you entered the desired time through two buttons:
An "up" button, which ...
8
votes
1answer
217 views
Generalized color balls in a 4x4 grid
This is a generalization of the Colored balls in a 4x4 grid puzzle that was proposed by Darrel Hoffman.
Colored balls from 4 different colors are placed in a 4x4 grid. There is at least one ball from ...
8
votes
4answers
989 views
Colored balls in a 4x4 grid
Colored balls are placed in a 4x4 grid. A move consists of swapping two adjacent (horizontally or vertically) balls. What is the least number of moves required to form 4 connected components*, one for ...
5
votes
1answer
451 views
All values in a 6x6 Super Minesweeper grid
In a Super™ Minesweeper grid each cell is either a mine or a value. A value in row $𝑟$ and column $𝑐$ represents the total number of mines located in row $𝑟$ or column $𝑐$
Can you fill a 6x6 Super™...
4
votes
1answer
232 views
Most 5s in a 5x5 Super Minesweeper grid
In a Super™ Minesweeper grid each cell is either a mine or a value. A value in row $𝑟$ and column $𝑐$ represents the total number of mines located in row $𝑟$ or column $𝑐$.
What is the most number ...
10
votes
1answer
666 views
All values in a 5x5 Super Minesweeper grid
In a Super™ Minesweeper grid each cell is either a mine or a value. A value in row $r$ and column $c$ represents the total number of mines located in row $r$ or column $c$.
Can you fill a 5x5 Super™ ...
-1
votes
2answers
320 views
How many triangles can you obtain using the 6 vertices and center of a regular hexagon?
Let's say there is a regular hexagon with center at point O.
Question 1. How many triangles can you obtain using the 6 vertices and its center?
Question 2. What is the largest number of different ...
3
votes
1answer
186 views
Variation of 100 Prisoners' names in boxes
100 Prisoners' Names in Boxes
The following puzzle is a variation of the above puzzle.
Names in Boxes
The names of 4 prisoners are placed in 4 wooden boxes , one name to a box, and the boxes are ...
9
votes
2answers
372 views
Maximize my flags
You are given the next list of 48 flags.
For each pair of flags that are side by side, you score 1 point per color they share as a frontier. For instance France and Finland score 1 point thanks to ...
2
votes
2answers
138 views
Presidential Election
This puzzle was inspired by the current 2020 US presidential election.
You are running for president in a country with 10 states. To win a state you must conduct more rallies than your opponent. ...
1
vote
1answer
100 views
Special arrangement of 16 cards
This puzzle is from Martin Gardner.
You are given 16 cards containing all aces, kings, queens and jacks from a standard deck of cards. Can you arrange them in a 4x4 grid such that each row and each ...
3
votes
4answers
156 views
Given pairs of weights find individual values
The problem is as follows:
A kid has five marbles. These marbles have different weights and the
child weighs them in pairs in all possible ways. He records the
weights in his notebook. These are the ...
