Remember seeing reru on the kitchen shelves there enough episode: of Seinfeld)?
A First Course in Probability (10th Edition)
10th Edition
ISBN:9780134753119
Author:Sheldon Ross
Publisher:Sheldon Ross
Chapter1: Combinatorial Analysis
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1.1P: a. How many different 7-place license plates are possible if the first 2 places are for letters and...
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Question
![**Seinfeld Cereal Box Puzzle**
*Question 9*
Remember seeing reruns of the old *Seinfeld* show? You may have noticed the array of cereal boxes on the kitchen shelves. How many ways could the set decorator arrange 7 boxes of cereal? Were there enough episodes of the program so they could accomplish that goal (there were 180 episodes of *Seinfeld*)?
**Discussion:**
This question explores the concept of permutations in combinatorics. It challenges students to calculate the number of different ways to arrange 7 unique items (cereal boxes). The task involves determining if the number of possible arrangements exceeds the total number of episodes (180) of the *Seinfeld* series.
**Solution Approach:**
1. **Calculate the permutations of 7 boxes:**
- The number of ways to arrange 7 unique items is given by \(7!\) (7 factorial), which is the product of all positive integers up to 7.
2. **Comparison with Seinfeld episodes:**
- After calculating \(7!\), compare the result with 180 to determine if there are more arrangements than episodes.
This serves as a practical application of permutations, connecting mathematical concepts with a cultural reference.](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2F6a01157b-f13c-43bf-adb3-4f12e47a4127%2F98de4bf8-91de-430f-be29-ffb06f5f9d34%2Fs5i3axu_processed.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Transcribed Image Text:**Seinfeld Cereal Box Puzzle**
*Question 9*
Remember seeing reruns of the old *Seinfeld* show? You may have noticed the array of cereal boxes on the kitchen shelves. How many ways could the set decorator arrange 7 boxes of cereal? Were there enough episodes of the program so they could accomplish that goal (there were 180 episodes of *Seinfeld*)?
**Discussion:**
This question explores the concept of permutations in combinatorics. It challenges students to calculate the number of different ways to arrange 7 unique items (cereal boxes). The task involves determining if the number of possible arrangements exceeds the total number of episodes (180) of the *Seinfeld* series.
**Solution Approach:**
1. **Calculate the permutations of 7 boxes:**
- The number of ways to arrange 7 unique items is given by \(7!\) (7 factorial), which is the product of all positive integers up to 7.
2. **Comparison with Seinfeld episodes:**
- After calculating \(7!\), compare the result with 180 to determine if there are more arrangements than episodes.
This serves as a practical application of permutations, connecting mathematical concepts with a cultural reference.
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