In how many ways can 4 boys and 4 girls sit around a circle table if all the boys sit together? (Rotations of the same arrangement are still considered the same. Each boy and girl is unique, not interchangeable.)
3!*4! but I think this should be divided by 2 because each clockwise possibilty has an anticlockwise possiblility tht would be classed as the same.
so I think
3!×4!2=72
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this is something we have been debating today so I am going to try and look at an easier question and see what happens.
I am going to have just 4 children sitting in a circle they will be ABC and D
no restrictions except that clockwise is considered the same as anticlockwise so, fo instance,
ABCD = ADCB
I think there should be 3!/2 ways = 3 ways Mmm
ABCD = BCDA = CDAB=DABC now counter clockwise = DCBA=ADCB=BADC=CBAD 8 all the same
ABDC 8 the same
ACBD 8 the same
ACDB 8 the same
ADBC 8 the same
ADCB 8 the same
That is 6 choices starting with A, there will be another 6 starting with B, 6 with C and 6 with D
that is 6*4=24 permutations.
BUT how many of these are really the same?
24 divided by 8 = 3
I have colour coded to show the 3 distinct possibilities
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SO I AM STICKING WITH MY ORIGINAL ANSWER ლ(o◡oლ)
3!*4! but I think this should be divided by 2 because each clockwise possibilty has an anticlockwise possiblility tht would be classed as the same.
so I think
3!×4!2=72
---------------------------------------------------------
this is something we have been debating today so I am going to try and look at an easier question and see what happens.
I am going to have just 4 children sitting in a circle they will be ABC and D
no restrictions except that clockwise is considered the same as anticlockwise so, fo instance,
ABCD = ADCB
I think there should be 3!/2 ways = 3 ways Mmm
ABCD = BCDA = CDAB=DABC now counter clockwise = DCBA=ADCB=BADC=CBAD 8 all the same
ABDC 8 the same
ACBD 8 the same
ACDB 8 the same
ADBC 8 the same
ADCB 8 the same
That is 6 choices starting with A, there will be another 6 starting with B, 6 with C and 6 with D
that is 6*4=24 permutations.
BUT how many of these are really the same?
24 divided by 8 = 3
I have colour coded to show the 3 distinct possibilities
-------------------------------------------
SO I AM STICKING WITH MY ORIGINAL ANSWER ლ(o◡oლ)