Find all School-related info fast with the new School-Specific MBA Forum
Learn more about the recent changes... close

It is currently 21 May 2013, 12:55
Customize  |  Hide

Search
Register
New posts
Unanswered

combinatronics phrasing

  Question banks Downloads My Bookmarks Reviews  
  Oldest Best Reply
Search for:
 
Print view
First unread post
Author Message
Manager
Manager
Joined: 26 Apr 2011
Posts: 67
Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 2 [0], given: 0

GMAT Tests User
combinatronics phrasing [#permalink] New post 31 Oct 2011, 15:19
In how many different ways can a group of 8 people be divided into 4 teams of 2 people each?

OA= 105

What exactly do they mean by "different ways?" Isn't this question much different from:

"How many different groups can be made from a group of 8 people divided into 4 teams of 2 people each?"

which, wouldn't that be 8!/(6!2!) or 28.

I know no one is going to respond to this, but having done numerous questions of this type, I think this is a very important conceptual question. The way these questions are phrased can really have a profound effect.
Director
Director
Status:
Joined: 24 Jul 2011
Posts: 504
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V48
GRE 1: 1540 Q800 V740
Followers: 37

Kudos [?]: 160 [0], given: 9

Re: combinatronics phrasing [#permalink] New post 01 Nov 2011, 00:32
The OA should be 105.

The number of ways of dividing 8 people into 4 teams of 2 each = 8!/[(2!^4) * 4!] = 105

8!/(6!2!) is the number of ways of dividing 8 people into two groups of 6 people and 2 people, which is wrong as the answer to the original question.
_________________

Free profile evaluation by top b-school alumni: email us at info@gyanone.com
B-school application service http://www.gyanone.com/appone.html
[b]Visit our blog: www.gyanone.com/blog

Re: combinatronics phrasing   [#permalink] 01 Nov 2011, 00:32
    Similar topics Author Replies Last post
Similar
Topics:
 New posts Idiomatic Phrase Curly05 4 06 Jul 2003, 11:26
New posts SC-Phrases cool_jonny009 0 06 Jan 2006, 20:41
New posts Adverbial Phrases vineetgupta 2 05 Nov 2006, 01:54
New posts EXPERTS_POSTS_IN_THIS_TOPIC Combinatronics azule45 1 17 Nov 2010, 10:51
New posts Alfred, ever hungry, decides to order (Combinatronics) Bull78 1 13 Oct 2011, 13:41
Display posts from previous: Sort by

combinatronics phrasing

  Question banks Downloads My Bookmarks Reviews  
Print view
First unread post
Search for:


GMAT Club MBA Forum Home| About| Privacy Policy| Terms and Conditions| GMAT Club Rules| Contact| Sitemap

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group and phpBB SEO

Kindly note that the GMAT® test is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council®, and this site has neither been reviewed nor endorsed by GMAC®.

Main navigation

GMAT Resources

Partners

MBA Resources

www.gmac.com|www.mba.com