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The problem in the post is given in a very uncertain mode/formulation.
I am not about more accurate wording, but about making a sense, in general.
Clearly, to be (to become) a real Math problem, it should be re-formulated.
It could be interpreted in this way.
9 different items should be distributed among n persons.
Each person can get one or more items, or can get no items, at all.
Find the number of different possible distributions.
I don't know if my interpretation is exactly what you keep in your mind.
But it is very nice Math problem from combinatorics.
1-st item can go to any of n persons (n options).
2-nd item can go to any of n persons (n options).
3-rd item can go to any of n persons (n options).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9-th item can go to any of n persons (n options).
In all, there are ways to distribute 9 items among n persons under given conditions. ANSWER
Solved.