Exercises I

VU Econometrics and Data Science

Introduction to Data Science Part I
2021 – 2022

Quiz Exercises

Q1. Suppose that in a state, license plates have three letters followed by three numbers,
in a way that no letter or number is repeated on a single plate. Determine the
number of possible license plates for this state.

Q2. A dancing contest has 11 competitors, of whom three are Americans, two are Mex-
icans, three are Russians, and three are Italians. If the contest result lists only the
nationality of the dancers, how many outcomes are possible?

Q3. A person has 8 friends, 5 of whom will be invited to a party.

a. How many choices are there if 2 of the friends are feuding and will not attend
together?

b. How many choices if 2 of the friends will only attend together?

Q4. In how many ways can a student choose a program of 5 courses if 9 courses are
available and 2 specific courses are compulsory for every student?

(Hint: for most of these exercises, we have a similar example in the book or the lecture slides.)

Theoretical Exercises

1. What is the coefficient of x2 y3 z2 in the expansion of (2x − y + 3z)7 ? (Hint: We have

a new theorem that specifically deals with such coefficients.)

2. Evaluate the sum

       
n n n n
+ + +···+ ,
0 1 2 n

using the binomial theorem.

1
3. Using the binomial theorem, calculate the coefficient of x n in the expansion of
(1 + x )2n = (1 + x )n (1 + x )n to prove that
  n 2
2n n
=∑ .
n i =0
i

4. Evaluate the following sum

       
n 1 n 1 n 1 n
+ + +···+ .
0 2 1 3 2 n+1 n

5. Show that, for n > 0,

n  
n
∑ (−1) i = 0. i
i =0

6. Show that
         
n n+1 n+2 n+r n+r+1
+ + +···+ = .
0 1 2 r r

2
Numerical Exercises
7. Eight people met at a New Year’s Eve party and all shake hands. How many
handshakes were there?

8. There are 9 dots placed on a circle. How many triangles can be formed within the
circle?

9. At a dinner party 6 men and 6 women sit at a round table. In how many ways can
they sit if

a. there are no restrictions?

b. men and women alternate?
c. Ted and Carol must sit together?

10. At a party, 15 married couples are seated at a round table.

a. In how many of the arrangements are all men sitting next to their husbands?
b. Suppose that of these married couples, five husbands and their partners are
older than 50 and the remaining couples are all younger than 50. In how
many of the arrangements will all men over 50 be sitting next to their partner?

11. In a hand of poker, 5 cards are dealt from a regular pack of 52 cards. In how many
of these hands are there

a. 4 kings?
b. 2 clubs and 3 hearts?
c. all hearts?
d. all same colour?

12. How many letter arrangements can be made from the letters:

a. Taradiddle?
b. Mississippi?
c. Arrange, if n and g must always be together?