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2007 AMC 10B Problem 20

Problem 20 of 25HarderCombinatorics

A set of 2525 square blocks is arranged into a 5×55\times 5 square. How many different combinations of 33 blocks can be selected from that set so that no two are in the same row or column?

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Solution

Choose 33 of the 55 rows in (53)=10\binom{5}{3}=10 ways and 33 of the 55 columns in (53)=10\binom{5}{3}=10 ways. The three chosen blocks must occupy distinct rows and columns, so they form a matching between the three rows and three columns, which can be done in 3!=63!=6 ways. The total is 10⋅10⋅6=600.10\cdot 10\cdot 6=600. Thus, the correct answer is C.
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Tagged: combinations · permutations · arrangements with restrictions

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