Can 1/4 of the total combinations match 6 numbers drawn from a set of 80?

In summary, the speaker is trying to figure out the number of combinations in a game where 20 numbers are drawn out of a total of 80, and whether 1/4 of the total combinations will match the drawn numbers. They also mention using a combinations calculator and discuss the possibility of picking six numbers out of 20.
  • #1
StevieTNZ
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878
Hi there,

As my Maths skills suck, I'm not entirely sure if I've worked out the following correctly:

Using the combinations calculator - http://www.mathsisfun.com/combinatorics/combinations-permutations-calculator.html - the total amount of possible numbers drawn in a game (80), and how many sets of 6 I can create using those 80 numbers (without repetition or order being important) - ends up to be 300,500,200.

In anyone game, 20 numbers of the 80 are drawn, which is equivalent to 1/4. Does that mean that 1/4 of the number of combinations I have - 300,500,200 - will match 6 of those numbers (out of 20) drawn?

E.g. I have the numbers 3, 4, 6, 10, 15, 25, 30, 45, 51, 58, 62, 63, 65, 67, 72, 73, 76, 77, 78, 80 drawn out of the 80.
One possible combination (of 6 numbers) is 15, 30, 62, 63, 78, 80. Since all six numbers are drawn, this ticket matches.

Not sure if that's clear enough, but my guess is that I need to work out the amount of combinations where n = 20 and r = 6.

But if we have n = 80, and r = 1, and 20 numbers are drawn (number of combinations being 80), 1/4 of the combinations (20) match a number drawn from a total of 80.
 
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  • #2
You can count how many combinations there are out of the 20 you have drawn by just seeing how many ways out of 20 numbers you can pick six of them
 
  • #3
Thanks for that. I thought that was the way to go about it.
 

Related to Can 1/4 of the total combinations match 6 numbers drawn from a set of 80?

1. What is a combination of numbers?

A combination of numbers is a mathematical concept that refers to a unique set of numbers that can be formed by selecting a group of numbers from a larger set without any repetition.

2. How many combinations of numbers are possible?

The number of possible combinations of numbers depends on the size of the original set and the number of numbers selected to form a combination. The formula for calculating the number of combinations is nCr = n! / (r! * (n-r)!), where n is the size of the original set and r is the number of numbers selected. For example, if you have 10 numbers and want to select 3 to form a combination, there are 120 possible combinations.

3. What is the difference between a combination and a permutation?

A combination is a selection of numbers without any specific order, while a permutation is a selection of numbers with a specific order. For example, the combination of numbers 1, 2, and 3 can be written as 1-2-3, 2-1-3, 3-2-1, etc. In a permutation, the order matters, so 1-2-3 would be considered a different permutation than 2-1-3.

4. How is a combination of numbers useful in real life?

Combinations of numbers are used in various fields such as computer science, statistics, and cryptography. They can be used to generate unique codes, passwords, and encryption keys. In everyday life, combinations are used in games, lottery numbers, and even in creating safe combinations.

5. Can you give an example of a combination of numbers?

Sure, let's say we have the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and we want to select 2 numbers to form a combination. The possible combinations would be 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 2-3, 2-4, and 3-4. Notice that each combination is unique and does not repeat any numbers.

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