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Help I don't know how to count

 

In how many ways can three pairs of siblings from different families be seated in two rows of three chairs, if siblings may sit next to each other in the same row, but no child may sit directly in front of their sibling?

 Apr 30, 2023
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Three pairs of siblings from different families can be seated in two rows of three chairs so that siblings may not sit next to each other in the same row, and no child may sit directly in front of their sibling in 96 ways.

There are 3 pairs of siblings. We can name them as a₁, a₂, b₁, b₂, c₁ and c₂, a total of 6 children.

There are 2 rows of 3 seats each.

We will try to find the number of ways each seat can be filled.

So considering the first seat in first row, it can be filled in 6 different ways. Because any one from 6 children, say a₁, can be seated.

Now for the second seat in first row can only be filled by one of b₁, b₂, c₁ or c₂ because the first seated child a₁ along with the sibling a₂ of the same cannot be seated in the second seat. So in 4 different ways.

For the third seat remaining in the first row, one out of the remaining  pair of siblings c₁ or c₂ can be seated. This can be done in 2 ways.

Now after filling the first row in this manner, the second row can be filled in only 2 ways.

So total number of ways the children can be seated = 6 x 4 x 2 x 2 = 96 ways

 May 1, 2023

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