1987 IMO Problems/ Problem 1

Problem
Let Pn (k) be the number of permutations of the set {1, 2, … , n}, n  1, which have exactly k
n
fixed points. Prove that  k  Pn (k )  n ! .
k 0

Remark: A permutation f of a set S is a one-to-one mapping of S onto itself. An element i in S

is called a fixed point of the permutation f if f(i)  i.

1 uae n txd 1, 2, 3, … , n udef;vHk;awGudk permutation awGvkyfr,f/ Permutation

wpfckcsif;pDrSm
1 eHygwfu yxrae&mrSmyJ&Sdae&iftJ'D 1 eHygwfudk fixed point vdkYowfrSwfr,f/
2 eHygwfu 'kwd,ae&mrSm&Sdae&if tJ'D 2 eHygwfonf fixed point wpfck/ tp&Sdonfjzifhayhg/
Oyrm 1 3 2 4 rSm fixed point ESpfck&r,f/
2 1 3 4 rSm fixed point ESpfck&Sdw,f/
ykpämu 1, 2, … , n udk permutation awGwnfaqmuf/
- fixed point wpfckrSrygwmawG a&wGufjyD; ta&twGufudk P(0) xm;/
- fixed point wpfckbJygwmawG a&wGufjyD; ta&twGufudk P(1) xm;/
- fixed point ESpfckwnf;bJ&SdwmawG ta&twGufudk P(2) vdkYxm;/
. . .
- fixed point k ckwnf;bJ&SdwmawG (exactly k fixed points) ta&twGufudk P(k)
vdkYxm;/ 'gqdk&if 1 . P(1) + 2 . P(2) + … + k . P(k) + … + n . P(n) = n! wJh/
n
 k  P(k )  n !  
k 0

ykpämudkydkem;vnfatmif erlemeJYMunfhr,f/
1, 2, 3, 4 udkpDr,f/ tpDtpOfwpfckpDrSm fixed point awGudk a&wGufr,f/
fixed point fixed point
pOf Permutation
ta&twGuf pOf Permutation
ta&twGuf
1 1234 4 13 3124 1
2 1243 2 14 3142 0
3 1324 2 15 3214 2
4 1342 1 16 3241 1
5 1423 1 17 3412 0
6 1432 2 18 3421 0
7 2134 2 19 4123 0
8 2143 0 20 4132 1
9 2314 1 21 4213 1
10 2341 0 22 4231 2
11 2413 0 23 4312 0
12 2431 1 24 4321 0
 2 
 

tckerlemrSm
P(0) = fixed point rygwJhta&twGuf = 9
P(1) = fixed point wpfckwnf;ygwJhta&twGuf = 8
P(2) = 6, P(3) = 0, P(4) = 1
4
0 9 + 1  8 + 2  6 + 4  1 =  k  P (k ) = 0 + 8 + 12 + 4 = 24 = 4! &w,f/
k 0

ykpäm&JU tajzMunfh&atmif-
n n
- jy&r,fh  k  P(n)  n ! &JU0JbufrSmygwJh u  k  P(n)  n !   wu,fawmh
k 0   k 0   
permutation awGrSmygwJh fixed point awGtm;vHk;&JU ta&twGufygyJ/
- 'gaMumifhfixed point awGtm;vHk;&JU ta&twGufudk aemufjrifenf;wpfenf;eJU
wGufMunfhr,f/ tJ'Denf;u udef;awGeJU Munfhr,f/
- 1 udef;onf fixed point b,feSpfcgjzpfEdkifrvJ/ 1 udef; yxrae&mb,feSpfcgvJ/
- 1 udef; fixed point jzpfjyD; usefwJh n  1 udef;vHk;awGudk BudKufovdkpD&if(n  1)!
&r,f/
- 'gaMumifh 1 udef;onf fixed point (n  1)! cgjzpfEdkifw,f/
- xdkenf;wl 2 udef;onf fixed point taeeJU (n  1)! ygw,f/
- xdkenf;wl 3 udef;onf fixed point taeeJU (n  1)! ygw,f / . . .
- xdkenf;wl n udef;onf fixed point taeeJU (n  1)! ygw,f /
'gaMumifh fixed point pkpkaygif;ta&twGufonf
udef;vHk;ta&twGuf  (n  1)!  n  ( n  1)!  n!
qdk&if jy&r,fhnDrQjcif;&JU nmbufjcrf;yg/
0Jbuf = fixed point tm;vHk;ta&twGuf = nmbufjzpfvdkY
n
 k  P(n)  n !     &ygNyD/
k 0

'DykpämudkwGuf&mrSm
fixed point ta&twGufudk-
- permutation wpfckcsif;pDygwJh fixed point ta&twGufwGufNyD; pkpkaygif;&SmwJh
0Jbufjcrf;eJU
- 1 udef; 2 udef;pojzifhudef;awGfixed point ta&twGufwGufNyD;
&SmwJhnmbufjcrf;onf
onfcombinations ykpämwGuf&mrSmtoHk;rsm;wJh counting by two methods enf;yg/
 3 
 

Art of Problem Solving u tajzudkatmufrSmazmfjyygw,f/

Solution: (Art of Problem Solving)
The sum in question simply counts the total number of fixed points in all permutations of the
set. But for any elementiof the set, there are (n – 1)! permutations which have i as a fixed
point. Therefore
n
 k  Pn (k )  n !  
k 0

as desired.

Slightly Clearer Solution:

For any k, if there are Pn(k) permutations that have k fixed points, then we know that each
fixed point is counted once in the product k. Pn(k). Therefore the given sum is simply the
number of fixed points among all permutations of {1, 2, …, n}. However, if we take any x
such that 1  x  n and x is a fixed point, there are (n – 1)! ways to arrange the other numbers
in the set.Therefore our desired
sum becomes n (n – 1)!  n! so we are done.

Solution 2
1
The probability of any number i where 1  i  n being a fixed point is . Thus, the expected
n
1
value of the number of fixed points is n = – 1.
n
n k  Pn ( k )
The expected value is also  .
k 0 n!
n k  P (k )
Thus,  nn!  1
k 0  
n k  P (k )
or  nn!  n!.
k 0