Chapter 15: Problem 4
Let \(\mathrm{S}=\\{1,2, \ldots ., 20\\}\). A subset \(\mathrm{B}\) of \(\mathrm{S}\) is said to be "nice", if the sum of the elements of \(\mathrm{B}\) is 203 . Than the probability that a randomly chosen subset of \(\mathrm{S}\) is "nice" is : (a) \(\frac{7}{2^{20}}\) (b) \(\frac{5}{2^{20}}\) (c) \(\frac{4}{2^{20}}\) (d) \(\frac{6}{2^{20}}\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Understand the Problem
Calculate Total Sum of Set S
Find Sum of Elements in Set S \ B
Identify Subsets of S Having Sum 7
Calculate Total Number of Subsets of S
Calculate Probability of Selecting a "Nice" Subset
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Probability
- Favorable outcomes: In this problem, these are the subsets of the set \( S \) that sum to 203.
- Total outcomes: This is the total number of subsets of \( S \), which is calculated as \( 2^{20} \).
Subsets
Key details to understand:
- The total number of subsets of a set with \( n \) elements is \( 2^n \). This includes the empty set and the set itself.
- Identifying subsets with specific conditions (like a particular sum) requires evaluating combinations of elements to meet the given condition.
Arithmetic Series
The sum formula for the first \( n \) natural numbers is used here:\[\text{Sum} = \frac{n(n+1)}{2}\]Where \( n \) is the highest number in the set. For \( S = \{1, 2, \ldots, 20\} \), \( n = 20 \), yielding total sum as 210.
This sum helps determine how any excluded subsets (\( S \setminus B \)) contribute to reaching the desired sum for subset \( B \), as it provides a baseline from which to calculate needed values.
Combinatorics
- Applying combinatorics: Determine combinations of numbers that sum to a certain value, like 7 in this exercise, in the complement of the desired subset sum.
- Tools: Utilizing systematic trial and error or algorithms (like dynamic programming or backtracking) helps in listing such combinations efficiently.