Functions and Pigeonhole principle

Example

* Can assume co domain N U {0}

Solution
Example
Formula for number of Functions
 Number of Functions
• If a set A has m elements and set B has n
elements, then the number of functions
possible from A to B is nm.

• For example, if set A = {3, 4, 5}, B = {a, b}.

– The total number of possible functions from A to
B = 23 = 8
Number of one to one functions
Number of onto functions
 Example-1
• Find the number of injective function from A
to B where A = { a,b,c } and B = { 1,2,3,4,5}
 Example-2
• Count the number of surjective functions from
A to B where A={1,2,3,4} and B={a,b}.
 Pigeonhole Principle
• The pigeonhole principle states that if n items
are put into m containers, with n>m, then at
least one container must contain more than
one item.
• Also known as shoe box argument.
• If there are many pigeons and a few
pigeonholes then there must be some
pigeonhole occupied by two or more pigeons.
• Let D and R be finite sets if |D| >|R|, then for
any function f from DR, there exists d1,d2
∈D such that f(d1)=f(d2)
• For any function f from DR there exists i
elements d1,d2….di in D, i = ⌈ |D|/|R|⌉ such
that f(d1)=f(d2)…f(di).
 Example-1
• If 50 bicycles are colored with 7 colors then at
least how many bicycles have the same color ?
 Example-2
• Let T be an equilateral triangle whose sides
are of length 1 unit. Show that if any 5 points
are chosen lying on or inside triangle, then
two of them must be no more than 0.5 unit
apart.
 Example-3
A chess player wants to prepare for a
championship match by playing some practice
games in 77 days. She wants to play at least one
game a day but not more than 132 games
altogether. Show that no matter how she
schedules the games, there is a period of
consecutive days during which she plays exactly
21 games.
Solution