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Browse High School Discrete Math
Stars indicate particularly interesting answers or good places to begin browsing.

Selected answers to common questions:
    Four-color map theorem.
    How many handshakes?
    Squares in a checkerboard.
    Tournament scheduling.
    Venn diagrams.



Diagram for Math Numbers [10/05/1997]

Dinner Triplets [10/23/2000]
A woman has 15 friends. For 35 days she wants to have dinner with 3 friends a day, arranging it so that each pair of friends will come only once. Is this possible?

Discrete versus Continuous [08/24/1998]
What is discrete math? How do you use it?

Divisibility and Remainders [8/23/1996]
Show that every odd square leaves a remainder 1 when divided by 8... Prove that n^5-n is divisible by 30... Suppose m is a positive integer divisible by 11...


Electoral math units [6/16/1996]
Any suggestions for units on electoral math, for use with students in grades 7-9, with plenty of entry points for both beginning and advanced students?

Employee Scheduling [09/22/1998]

Equivalence Classes [02/19/1999]
Is there an equivalence class containing exactly 271 elements?

Equivalence Relations [10/02/1998]
Let X = {people in the world} and R be a relation on the set X... find the equivalence classes.

Eulerian and Hamiltonian Tours [1/27/1996]
I am looking for a few simple applications of Eulerian and Hamiltonian tours - real-world applications for 8th grade students.

Even - Odd Handshake Problem [05/11/2000]

Examples of the Fundamental Counting Principle [02/17/2001]
There are three ways to go from Town A to Town B, and four ways to go from Town B to Town C. How many different ways are there to go from Town A to Town C, passing through Town B?

An Explanation of Some Latin Math Terms [12/11/1995]
We are a small discrete math class of eight students studying logical arguments. Two arguments we have examined are "modus tollens" and "modus ponens." We understand the arguments but would like to know what the terms mean in English.


Factorials Can't Be Squares [02/11/2000]

Factoring [02/09/1999]
Find the smallest number (integer) that has 30 factors.


Fermat's Last Theorem and Chess [3/25/1996]
I'd like to know if Fermat's problem is solved, and when chess is likely to be solved.

Fewest Number of Stops [09/12/2001]
At some stops, the SLU Express bus picks up 5 people. At other stops, it picks up 2 and lets off 5...


Finding Formulas for Number Sequences [11/22/1997]
My question is about trying to find a formula between numbers.

Finding Howlers [10/25/1999]

Finding Numbers with a Certain Number of Factors [3/12/1996]
Given that twelve is the least positive integer with six different positive factors (1,2,3,4,6,12), what is the least positive integer with exactly twenty-four positive factors?

Finding Pathways [04/08/1999]
How many ways are there to get from top left to bottom right on a square when there are three lines going across each way?

Finding the nth Term [03/28/2002]
My formula works with the exception of the first term.

What does a five-set Venn diagram look like?

Floor and Ceiling [05/28/2000]



Four-Color Map Problem [12/8/1994]
Other than trial and error is there any scientific or mathematical way to solve the Four Color Problem? How about even explaining it in layman's terms?

Four Colors, Eighths of a Circle [10/15/2001]
Divide a circle in eighths. Use 4 colors to color the segments. Colors may be repeated as long as you use all 4 colors at least once. What are the total combinations possible?

Four-Color Theorem [4/13/1996]
If you wish to color in each "country" or "space" on a map in such a way that no two contiguous countries or spaces have the same color, what is the minimum number of colors you can use?

Four-Color Theorem - sci-math faq [8/21/1996]
Do we need more than four colors to color a two-dimensional map?

The Game of NIM [1/31/1995]
The game of NIM is played with a bunch of beans....

Generating Eight-Character Passwords [03/08/2002]
Given some restrictions, calculate the number of possible 8-character passwords.

Generating Possible Lottery Outcomes [3/29/1996]
What math rule would I need to follow if I wanted to generate all possible combinations in a 50 number draw 6 lottery?


Graphs with Three Vertices [03/31/1999]
What are graphs with three vertices? Could you give me some examples?


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