document.write( "Question 1176487: How many different signals can be made by using at at most 2 distinct(ordered) flags if there are five flags to choose from ? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #803562 by ikleyn(52786) $\"\"$ $\"About$

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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( " At most 2 flags means 2 or 1 or 0 (if consider the absence of flags as a special signal).\r
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document.write( "So, you can display 5 signals, showing any one single separate flag of five flags that you have.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Next, you can display 5*4 = 20 signals, showing ordered pairs of distinct flags.\r\n" );
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document.write( "So, you can display, in total, 5 + 20 = 25 signals using 1 or 2 flags.\r\n" );
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document.write( "If there is an agreement that the absence of flags is a special signal, too, then you can display 25 + 1 = 26 signals.\r\n" );
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\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Notice that 26 is exactly the number of letters in English alphabet (!)\r
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