SOLUTION: The letters of the name TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE are rearranged randomly. What is the probability of getting the arrangement I AM LORD VOLDEMORT? Same letters are identical and indi

Algebra.Com
Question 1097692: The letters of the name TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE are rearranged randomly.
What is the probability of getting the arrangement I AM LORD VOLDEMORT?
Same letters are identical and indistinguishable.
Express your answer as a fraction in lowest terms.

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20060)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
First we calculate how many indistinguishable 
permutations of the 16 letters:

A,D,D,E,I,L,L,M,M,O,O,O,R,R,T,V

If the letters were distinguishable the 
answer would be 16!

However there are:
 
2 indistinguishable D's,
2 indistinguishable L's,
2 indistinguishable M's,
3 indistinguishable O's,
2 indistinguishable R's.

So we must divide the 16! by 2!2!2!3!2!



That works out to be 217945728000.

So the probability is 1 way out of 217945728000 or 

Edwin

RELATED QUESTIONS

The letters of the word TEARS are rearranged randomly. What is the probability that the... (answered by Edwin McCravy)
The letters of the word STATISTICS are arranged randomly. What is the probability the... (answered by jim_thompson5910,Edwin McCravy,KMST,ikleyn)
How many ways can the letters e,a,t,m,s be arranged? What is the probability that a... (answered by ewatrrr)
there are 26 letters in the alphabet, the probability of someone's name starting with z... (answered by solver91311)
consider the letters a,b,c,d,e,f and g . what is the probability that a randomly... (answered by Edwin McCravy)
on my homework i have to find the probability and put the answer in a percent . the... (answered by Alan3354,ikleyn)
The probability that the random arrangement of letters will result in "personnel" (answered by ikleyn)
All of the arrangements of the letters in the word ALGEBRA are written on a list, and... (answered by galactus)
What is the probability that a random arrangement of the letters in the word `SEVEN' will (answered by math_tutor2020,greenestamps,Alan3354)