Problems
Show the following: Pigeonhole principle strong form: Let \(q_1, \,q_2,\, . . . ,\, q_n\) be positive integers. If \(q_1+ q_2+ . . . + q_n - n + 1\) objects are put into \(n\) boxes, then either the \(1\)st box contains at least \(q_1\) objects, or the \(2\)nd box contains at least \(q_2\) objects, . . ., or the \(n\)th box contains at least \(q_n\) objects.
How can you deduce the usual Pigeonhole principle from this statement?
Prove the divisibility rule for \(25\): a number is divisible by \(25\) if and only if the number made by the last two digits of the original number is divisible by \(25\);
Can you come up with a divisibility rule for \(125\)?
Which of the following numbers are divisible by \(11\) and which are not? \[121,\, 143,\, 286, 235, \, 473,\, 798, \, 693,\, 576, \,748\] Can you write down and prove a divisibility rule which helps to determine if a three digit number is divisible by \(11\)?
In how many ways can eight rooks be arranged on the chessboard in such a way that none of them can take any other. The color of the rooks does not matter, it’s everyone against everyone.
How many five-digit numbers are there which are written in the same from left to right and from right to left? For example the numbers \(54345\) and \(12321\) satisfy the condition, but the numbers \(23423\) and \(56789\) do not.
Each cell of a \(3 \times 3\) square can be painted either black, or white, or grey. How many different ways are there to colour in this table?
A circular triangle is a triangle in which the sides are arcs of circles. Below is a circular triangle in which the sides are arcs of circles centered at the vertices opposite to the sides.
Draw how Robinson Crusoe should put pegs and ropes to tie his goat in order for the goat to graze grass in the shape of the circular triangle.
In a box there are \(20\) cards of different colours: some red, some blue and some yellow. Yellow cards outnumber red ones and there are six times as many yellow cards as blue cards. We draw some cards from the box without looking. What is the minimum number we need to draw to guarantee a red card among them?
There are two piles of rocks, \(10\) rocks in each pile. Fred and George play a game, taking the rocks away. They are allowed to take any number of rocks only from one pile per turn. The one who has nothing to take loses. If Fred starts, who has the winning strategy?
A group of \(15\) elves decided to pay a visit to their relatives in a distant village. They have a horse carriage that fits only \(5\) elves. In how many ways can they assemble the ambassador team, if at least one person in the team needs to be able to operate the carriage, and only \(5\) elves in the group can do that?