document.write( "Question 967817: I want to put a tennis schedule together. There will be 12 players or six double teams. I need a schedule that in 11 matches no one plays anyone twice. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #591556 by Theo(13342)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! you have 6 double teams. \n" ); document.write( "out of those 6 double teams, you can make c(6,2) combinations where each pair is different.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "c(6,2) is equal to 6! / (2! * 4!) which is equal to (6*5)/2 = 15 different combinations where order is not important.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "order is not important means that ab and ba count as one game, not two. \n" ); document.write( "if order was important, they would count as two games.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "let the teams be labeled team a, b, c, d, e, f.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "the 15 possible different combinations where order is not important are:\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "ab \n" ); document.write( "ac \n" ); document.write( "ad \n" ); document.write( "ae \n" ); document.write( "af\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "bc \n" ); document.write( "bd \n" ); document.write( "be \n" ); document.write( "bf\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "cd \n" ); document.write( "ce \n" ); document.write( "cf\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "de \n" ); document.write( "df\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "ef\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "if you want every team to play every other team where no teams plays the same team twice, then you can schedule 15 matches and that will do it.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "otherwise, if you can only schedule 11 matches, then pick any 11 out of the 15.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "you might want to count how many games each team is in so you can even it up as much as possible.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "for example:\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "ab counts as one for a and one for b. \n" ); document.write( "bc counts as one for b and one for c. \n" ); document.write( "total for a is 1 \n" ); document.write( "total for b is 2 \n" ); document.write( "total for c is 1. \n" ); document.write( "cd counts as one for c and one for d. \n" ); document.write( "total for c is now 2. \n" ); document.write( "total for d is 1. \n" ); document.write( "etc.\r \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "the goal is to even up the number of games as much as possible. \n" ); document.write( "you won't be able to make each team play exactly the same number of games, but you can make them more or less even.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "one possible arrangement would be:\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "ab \n" ); document.write( "ac \n" ); document.write( "af \n" ); document.write( "bc \n" ); document.write( "bd \n" ); document.write( "be \n" ); document.write( "cd \n" ); document.write( "ce \n" ); document.write( "de \n" ); document.write( "df \n" ); document.write( "ef\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "you have a count of: \n" ); document.write( "a = 3 \n" ); document.write( "b = 4 \n" ); document.write( "c = 4 \n" ); document.write( "d = 4 \n" ); document.write( "e = 4 \n" ); document.write( "f = 3\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "add them up and they total 22. \n" ); document.write( "divide that by 2 and you get 11 games.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "that's about as even as you'll be able to get it with 11 games.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |