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Ace800
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Doubt: How many ways can you arrange 10 non-identical balls in 4 ident 21 Oct 2017, 13:27
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How can I solve the below question without writing down the cases? If boxes were also non-identical, I know the answer will be 10^4. Is there any such formula for this case?

Q: How many ways can you arrange 10 non-identical balls in 4 identical boxes? (assuming 1 or more boxes can be empty)

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Doubt: How many ways can you arrange 10 non-identical balls in 4 ident 21 Oct 2017, 22:07
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How can I solve the below question without writing down the cases? If boxes were also non-identical, I know the answer will be 10^4. Is there any such formula for this case?

Q: How many ways can you arrange 10 non-identical balls in 4 identical boxes? (assuming 1 or more boxes can be empty)
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hi..

this is going to be a lengthy calculation..

you have to look into different cases....
1) all 10 in one - 4 ways
2) 9 in one and 1 in second- so choose two out of 4.. 4C2

further carry on for different combinations .
this post may help you
https://gmatclub.com/forum/topic215915.html#p1667366
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Ace800
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Doubt: How many ways can you arrange 10 non-identical balls in 4 ident 22 Oct 2017, 11:55
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chetan2u


hi..

this is going to be a lengthy calculation..

you have to look into different cases....
1) all 10 in one - 4 ways
2) 9 in one and 1 in second- so choose two out of 4.. 4C2

further carry on for different combinations .
this post may help you
https://gmatclub.com/forum/topic215915.html#p1667366
Show more

Hi Chetan,

Thanks for your help.

I was wondering if there was any formula that can be used instead of writing down each case. For instance:
if N Balls and P Baskets ( both identical )then ways=N
If N Balls and P Baskets (both non-identical) then ways= P^N
If Balls are identical but baskets are not, then ways= (N+P-1)!/N!(p-1)!

I am wondering if there is any such formula for this case as well which can be used readily instead of writing down each case?? I feel like there might be because the other cases all seem to have one..I just don't know what it is though...

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