ERIC Number: EJ769569
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0730-8639
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A Generalization of "n Choose r"
Skurnick, Ronald
Mathematics and Computer Education, v39 n3 p206-217 Fall 2005
The subject matter presented in this article can be used in the classroom to enrich the learning experience of students taking a course that includes a unit on combinatorics, such as discrete mathematics, graph theory, or probability. In order to provide such students with the background needed to appreciate the significance of the generalization of "n choose r" described herein, it is recommended that their teachers introduce them to the concept of "n choose r" (indicating its combinatorial significance, its definition in terms of factorials, and its relationship to the Binomial Theorem), the topic of bit strings, and the theory of generating functions. In this article, the author generalizes the concept of "n choose r" and then derives several formulas. This generalization of "n choose r" leads, in a natural way, to a generalization of the notion of Pascal's Triangle. This latter generalization is presented in a separate article that also appears in this issue of Mathematics and Computer Education, entitled "Pascal's Infinite Set of Triangles".
Descriptors: Geometric Concepts, Probability, Learning Experience, Generalization, Mathematics Activities, Mathematical Concepts, Mathematics Instruction, Validity, Mathematical Logic, Correlation, Equations (Mathematics)
MATYC Journal Inc. Mathematics and Computer Education, P.O. Box 158, Old Bethpage, NY 11804. Tel: 516-822-5475; Web site: http://www.macejournal.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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