MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS

WITH APPLICATIONS
NORTHWESTERN POLYTECHNICAL UNIVERISTY
XIE WENXIAN
2016. 09
THE SECOND EDITION

INFORMATION

Teacher: Xie Wenxian ( )

Department: Applied mathematics
Email: wenxianxie@nwpu.edu.cn
Telephone: 13619261725
Office time: Friday, 14:00-15:40 for this course.

Grading: 10% , attendance

30%, test in class and homework

60%, final exam

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

INTRODUCTION
COMBINATIONAL METHODS
BINOMIAL COEFFICIENTS
THE THEORY IN PRACTICE

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Statistics provides the models that are needed to study situations

involving uncertainties, in the same way as calculus provides the
models that are needed to describe the concepts of Newtonian
physics
Probability and Statistics may be found in mid-eighteenth century
motivated by interest in games of chance
Popular in finance, social sciences and information and computer
science, quality assurance and reliability, astronomy, agricultural
and industrial experiments,

1.2 COMBINATIONAL METHODS

Basic principle of counting (the counting rule for

compound events, rule for the multiplication of choices)
Permutations
Combinations
partitions

Theorem 1.1
If an operation consists of two steps, of which the first can
be done in ways and for each of these the second can be
done in ways, then the whole operation can be done in
ways.
Note: Here operation stands for any kind of procedure,
process or method of selection.
Explanation: the outcome can be denoted by the ordered
pair , .
See example 1.1 and example 1.2.

Example 1.1

The application of Theorem 1.1

Suppose that someone wants to go by bus, by train, or by

plane on a weeks vacation to one of the following 5 cities:
Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guangzhou, Nanjing
In how many ways can be done for him?
Solution: For each city, he has three ways to get there, so
the trip can be carried out in = possible ways.

Tree diagram: branches possibilities

Example 1.2

The application of Theorem 1.1

How many possible outcomes are there when we roll a

pair of dice, one red and one green?
Solution: The red die can land in any one of six ways, and
for each of these six ways the green die can also land in
six ways. Therefore, the pair of dice can land in
= ways.

Let us think ----Example 1.1 *

There are 3 ways to get to the hilltop, and 4 ways to get
down from the hilltop. Find the number of different ways
for climbing the hill.
Theorem 1.1 is used for the case where an operation
consists of only two steps.

Question 1

If an operation consists of two or more steps, how to

calculate the possibility?
For example: Roll three dices, red, green and yellow, and
how many possible outcomes are there? Then, we have
the next Theorem 1.2.

Theorem 1.2

If an operation consists of steps, of which the first can

be done in ways and for each of these the second can
be done in ways, for each of the first two the third
step can be done in ways, and so forth, then the whole
operation can be done in ways.

See example 1.3 and example 1.4.

Example 1.3

The application of Theorem 1.2

A quality control inspector wishes to select a part for

inspection from each of four different bins containing
, , parts, respectively. In how many different
ways can she choose the four parts?
Solution: The total number of ways is =
ways by Theorem 1.2.
Note: Four steps in this operation.

Example 1.4

The application of Theorem 1.2

In how many different ways can one answer all the

questions of a true-false test consisting of 20 questions?
Solution: Altogether there are = =
, , ways by Theorem 1.2.

Note: only one of these corresponds to the case where all

questions are correct; only one of these corresponds to
the case where all questions are wrong.

Let us think ----Example 1.4 *

The application of Theorem 1.2

If you toss a coin for times, and each toss you can find
a head or a tail turned up. In how many different ways
can you toss?
Solution: Altogether there are = ways by
Theorem 1.2.
Note: the coin can land in two ways, head or tail turned
up. There are steps in this operation.

Question 2

lead to permutations

Sometimes, we are interested in the problem of the

different ways in which a group of objects can be ordered
or arranged. We might want to know:
In how many different ways can distinct books be
arranged on the book shelf?
In how many different ways can persons be lined in a
queue?
Note: The preceding problems belong to permutations.

Example 1.5
leads to Theorem 1.3

How many permutations are there of the letters

, ?

Solution: Using Theorem 1.2, since there are three

choices to select a letter for the first position, then two
for the second position, leaving only one letter for the
third position, the total number of permutations is
= .
3 ways

2 ways

1 ways

Step 1

Step 2

step3

Theorem 1.3---- Permutation

Different arrangements for different persons, letters,

numbers or any distinct objects are called permutation.
Theorem 1.3 The number of permutations of distinct
objects is ! ( factorial)

Note: we represent the product by

the symbol !
See example 1.6 and example 1.7.

Example 1.6

The application of Theorem 1.3

In how many different ways can the five starting

players of a basketball team be introduced to the
public?
Solution: there are = ways in
which they can be introduced.
Note: Five steps in this operation or by Theorem 1.3
directly.

Example 1.6* ----Response to Question 2

The application of Theorem 1.3

In how many different ways can distinct books be

arranged on the book shelf?
In how many different ways can persons be lined in
a queue?
Solution: Using Theorem 1.3, the answers are easy to
get.

Question 3----Example 1.7

leads to Theorem 1.4

The number of permutations of the four letters

, , is , but what is the number of
permutations if we take only two of the four letters or,
as it is usually put, if we take the four letters two at a
time ?
Solution: we have two positions to fill, with four choices
for the first and then three choices for the second.
Therefore, the number of permutations is = .
Note: We can give the Generalization of this argument
as follows:

Theorem 1.4

distinct objects taken at a time, for > , can be arranged

in + ways, we denote this product
by , and let = by definition.
Theorem 1.4 The number of permutations of distinct
!
objects taken at a time is =
for = , , , , .
Proof.

See example 1.8 and example 1.9.

Example 1.8

The application of Theorem 1.4

Four names are drawn from among the members

of a club for the offices of president, vice president,
treasurer and secretary. In how many different ways
can this be done?
Solution: the number of permutations is

!
!

= = , .

Example 1.8 *

The application of Theorem 1.4

If I want to select students from this class (maybe

students) to participate the basketball, football and
table tennis games, respectively. In how many different
ways can I select?
Solution: the number of permutations is

!
!

= .

Who wants to be the representative of this course?

Example 1.9

The application of Theorem 1.4

In how many different ways can a local chapter of the

American Society schedule three speakers for three
different meetings if they are all available on any of five
possible dates?
Solution: since we must choose three of the five dates
and the order in which they are chosen(assigned to the
three speakers) matters, we get =

!
!

= .

Question 4----circular permutations

Permutations that occur when objects are arranged in

a circle are called circular permutations.
How to calculate circular permutations?
In this case, two circular permutations are not
considered different (and are counted only once) if
corresponding objects in the two arrangements have
the same objects to their left and to their right.

Example 1.10
Leads to Theorem 1.5

How many circular permutations are there of four

persons playing bridge?
Solution: if we arbitrarily consider the position of one
of the four players as fixed, we can seat the other
three players in ! = ways. In other words, there are
six different circular permutations.
John

Generally, we have

Tom

Kevin
Jack

Theorem 1.5----circular permutations

Theorem 1.5 The number of permutations of distinct

objects arranged in a circle is ( )!.

Note: in the preceding theorems, the objects are all

distinct in the operations. The following discuss may be
different.

Question 4----Example 1.11

leads to Theorem 1.6

How many different permutations are there of the

letters in the word ?
Solution: we distinguish the two s by labeling them
and , there are ! = different permutations of
the symbols , , , . Since each pair of
permutations with subscripts yields but one
arrangement without subscripts, the total number of
arrangements of the letters in the word is

= .
!

For instance, and both yield .

Example 1.12
leads to Theorem 1.6

In how many different ways can three copies of one novel

and one copy each of four other novels be arranged on a
shelf?
Solution: we denote the three copies of the first novel by
, , and the other four novels by , , , .
The number of different permutations is ! with subscripts.
Since there are ! Permutations of , , that lead
to the same permutation of , , , , , , .
!
Therefore, we find there are only = ways in which
!
the seven books can be arranged on a shelf.

Theorem 1.6

The number of permutations of objects of which

are of one kind, are of a second kind, ,
are of a th kind, and + + + =
is !/(! ! !).

Example 1.13

The application of Theorem 1.6

In how many ways can two paintings by Monet, three

paintings by Renoir, and two paintings by Degas by
hung side by side on a museum wall if we do not
distinguish between the paintings by the same artists?
Solution: Using Theorem 1.6, we get

!
!!!

= .

Question5----Example 1.14*----Combinations
leads to of Theorem 1.7

If we want to select balloons from balloons with different

colors, in how many ways can we select without regard to the
order of the selection?
This is the problem of combinations.
Solution: if we care about the order in which the balloons are
selected, the answer is the number of permutations of
distinct objects taken at a time, that is = .
But each set of balloons would then be counted ! =
times. If we do not care about the order in which the

balloons are selected, there are only = ways.

!

Example 1.14

leads to Theorem 1.7 ----combination

In how many different ways can a person gathering data for

a market research organization select of the
households living in a certain apartment complex?
Solution: if we care about the order in which the households
are selected, the answer is = . But each
set of three households would then be counted ! = times.
If we do not care about the order in which the households

= , ways in which the

are selected, there are only
!
person gathering the data can do his work.

Theorem 1.7---- Combinations

If objects can be selected from among distinct objects

without regard to the order in which they are selected, such
selections (arrangements) are called combinations.

,
Dividing by !, and denoting this result by the symbol

we thus have
Theorem 1.7 The number of combinations of distinct objects

!
taken at a time is
=
,for = , , , . , .
! !

Example 1.15

The application of Theorem 1.7 ----combination

In how many different ways can six tosses of a coin

yield two heads and four tails?
Solution: the question is the same as asking for the
number of ways in which we can select the two tosses
!

on which heads is to occur. There are

=
= .
!!

Example 1.16

The application of Theorem 1.7 ----combination

How many different committees of two chemists and

one physicist can be formed from the four chemists
and three physicists on the faculty of a small college?
Solution: Since two of four chemists can be selected in

= ways and one of three physicists can be

selected in
= ways, therefore, the total number

of committees is = .

Example 1.17

Leads to Theorem 1.8 ----Partition

In how many ways can a set of four objects be partitioned

into three subsets containing, respectively, two, one, and
one of the objects?
Solution: The two objects going into the first subset can be

chosen in
= ways, the object going into the second

= ways, the object

subset can then be chosen in

going into the third subset can then be chosen in

=

way. Thus, there are = partitions.

Partition

Partition of the objects into two subsets containing the

objects that are selected and the objects that are left:
a combination of objects selected from a set of distinct
objects.
Symbolically, the subsets , , , constitute a
partition of set , if = and =
for all .

Theorem 1.8

The number of ways in which a set of distinct objects can

be partitioned into subsets with objects in the first
subset, objects in the second subset,, and objects in

!
the th subset is , , , =

! ! !
Proof.
See example 1.18.

Example 1.18

The application of Theorem 1.8 ----Partition

In how many ways can seven businessmen attending a

convention be assigned to one triple and two double
hotel rooms?

=
Solution: Using Theorem 1.8, we have
, ,
!
= ways.
!!!

1.3 BINOMIAL COEFFICIENTS

If is positive integer and we multiply out +

is .
by term, the coefficient of

term

The number of ways in which we can choose the factors

providing the s.
is referred as a Binomial coefficient.

1.3 BINOMIAL COEFFICIENTS

for any positive

Theorem 1.9 + =
integer .
Theorem 1.10 For any positive integer and = , , , , ,

Proof.
See example 1.19 -1.21.

Example 1.19-1.21

The application of Theorem 1.10 ---- Binomial coefficient

(Example 1.20)

= and
= , find
Given
= ,
,

and
= .

Solution: So easy!

Theorem 1.11 and 1.12

Theorem 1.11 For any positive integer and = , , , ,

+
=

Proof.
See example 1.19 and example 1.21.
Theorem 1.12
Proof.

+
=

Pascals triangle

The application of Theorem 1.11 ----binomial coefficients

? ?
? ? ?

The first and last entries of each row is one.

Each other entry in any given row is
obtained by Theorem 1.11.

Example 1.22

Verify Theorem 1.12 numerically

Verify Theorem 1.12 numerically for = , =

, = .

Solution: So easy!

Note:
= whenever is positive integer and is a

positive integer greater than .

Example 1.23

multinomial coefficients----also Theorem 1.8

What is the coefficient of in the expansion of

+ + ?
Solution: substituting = , = , = , =
, into the preceding formula, we get
!
=
! ! !
Hint: Theorem 1.8
!

, , , = ! ! !

Test in class and homework

Test in class: 1.14, 1.21, 1.37, Pick up after class.

Homework1: 1.5, 1.15, 1.16, 1.22, 1.41, 1.44,1.50, 1.52,
do by yourself (print name, and student ID number),
be picked up before next class.
Homework2: Preview all of the chapter 2.

1.4 THE THEORY IN PRACTICE