document.write( "Question 1125168: In how many ways could five different envelopes be distributed into three mailboxes? The answer is 300 but I don’t understand how to do it please help \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #741486 by ikleyn(52781)\"\" \"About 
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document.write( "a)  0 envelopes in the box #3:  \"N%5B0%5D\" = \"C%5B5%5D%5E0\" + \"C%5B5%5D%5E1\" + \"C%5B5%5D%5E2\" + \"C%5B5%5D%5E3\" + \"C%5B5%5D%5E1\" + \"C%5B5%5D%5E0\" = 1 + 5 + 10 + 10 + 5 + 1 = 32 ways.\r\n" );
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document.write( "b)  1 envelope in the box #3:  \"N%5B1%5D\" = 5*(\"C%5B4%5D%5E0\" + \"C%5B4%5D%5E1\" + \"C%5B4%5D%5E2\" + \"C%5B4%5D%5E3\" + \"C%5B4%5D%5E4\") = 5*(1 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 1) = 80 ways.\r\n" );
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document.write( "c)  2 envelopes in the box #3:  \"N%5B2%5D\" = 10*(\"C%5B3%5D%5E0\" + \"C%5B3%5D%5E1\" + \"C%5B3%5D%5E2\" + \"C%5B3%5D%5E3\") = 10*(1 + 3 + 3 + 1) = 80.\r\n" );
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document.write( "d)  3 envelopes in the box #3:  \"N%5B3%5D\" = 10*(\"C%5B2%5D%5E0\" + \"C%5B2%5D%5E1\" + \"C%5B2%5D%5E2\") = 10*(1 + 2 + 1) = 40 ways.\r\n" );
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document.write( "e)  4 envelopes in the box #3:  \"N%5B4%5D\" = 5*(\"C%5B1%5D%5E0\" + \"C%5B2%5D%5E1\") = 5*2 = 10 ways.\r\n" );
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document.write( "f)  5 envelopes in the box #3:  \"N%5B5%5D\" = 1 way.\r\n" );
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document.write( "The total is the sum   32 + 80 + 80 + 40 + 10 + 1 = 243 ways.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Answer.  243 ways.\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If you have questions or if you need explanations, look into the formulas until they tell you the whole story.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice that   243 = \"3%5E5\",  and it is not eventually.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "There is another way to calculate it,  which gives the same result,  but is much shorter and much more elegant.\r
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document.write( "You need to consider the binomial expansion of  \"%28x%2By%2Bz%29%5E5\" as the sum \r\n" );
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document.write( "    \"%28x%2By%2Bz%29%5E5\" = sum of all  \"A%5Bi%2Cj%2Ck%5D%2Ax%5Ei%2Ay%5Ej%2Az%5Ek\" with the coefficients  \"A%5Bi%2Cj%2Ck%5D\",  i + j + k = 5.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Each particular term  \"x%5Ei%2Ay%5Ej%2Az%5Ek\"  with i + j + k = 5 \"marks\" each possible particular distribution \r\n" );
document.write( "of envelopes in three boxes called \"x\", \"y\" and \"z\".\r\n" );
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document.write( "The number of all possible distributions is the sum of all coefficients  \"A%5Bi%2Cj%2Ck%5D\", and it is equal to \r\n" );
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document.write( "the value of  \"%28x%2By%2Bz%29%5E5\"   at  x= 1, y= 1, z= 1,  which is exactly  \"%281%2B1%2B1%29%5E5\" = \"3%5E5\" = 243.\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "This problem is for an advanced Math circle / Math Olympiad level.\r
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Therefore,  I will not go further into details - the idea is just presented very clearly for an adequate person.\r
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