A Nice Combinatorics Problem

Soumyadip Paik
May 2020

1 Introduction
THE QUESTION IS:”If there are x number of white balls namely W1 , W2 , W3 , ...
labelled with numbers αw(1) , αw(2) , αw(3) , ..., αw(x) respectively and there are y
number of black balls namely B1 , B2 , B3 , ... labelled with numbers βb(1) , βb(2) , βb(3) ,
., βw(y) respectively . Then for every permutation Pi of the (x + y) number of
balls define κ(Pi ) to be the sum of the labels of black balls multiplied by their
index (considering the permutation to be a linear array with the starting num-
ber equals to 1) minus the sum of the labels of white balls multiplied by their
P(x+y)!
respective index. Then find :- i=1 κ(Pi ).”
EXAMPLE:- suppose there are 2 black balls(B1 , B2 ) and 1 white ball(W1 ) then
there are 6 permutations ;-
1)P1 = B1 , B2 , W1 ,κ(P1 ) = βb(1) × 1 + βb(2) × 2 − αw(1) × 3
2)P2 = B2 , B1 , W1 ,κ(P2 ) = βb(2) × 1 + βb(1) × 2 − αw(1) × 3
3)P3 = W1 , B2 , B1 ,κ(P3 ) = −αw(1) × 1 + βb(2) × 2 + βb(1) × 3
4)P4 = W1 , B1 , B2 ,κ(P4 ) = −αw(1) × 1 + βb(1) × 2 + βb(2) × 3
5)P5 = B1 , W1 , B2 ,κ(P5 ) = βb(1) × 1 − αw(1) × 2 + βb(2) × 3
6)P6 = B2 , W1 , B1 ,κ(P6 ) = βb(2) × 1 − αw(1) × 2 + βb(1) × 3
P3!
then i=1 κ(Pi ) = (12)(βb(1) + βb(2) − αw(1) )
Now that is a Question!
However let’s start cranking it..at first how do we approach it.Let’s see
Obviously the basic assumption is that αw(1) , αw(2) , αw(3) , ... and βb(1) , βb(2) , βb(3) , ...
all belong to R.
Consider:-N = (x + y)
OBJECTIVE 1:-if we can figure out the number of times different balls are be-
ing filled in the same box,it will be very helpful.
Now consider the ith box of the arrays (Pi0 s) fix one ball to that spot and
now ask the question how many possible ways are there for such a configura-
tion having a unique ball fixated at the ith position. Now since there are N
balls and one ball is fixed the others can be arranged in (N − 1)!.Therefore
W1 , W2 , W3 , ... B1 , B2 , B3 , ... will all occupy the ith box exactly (N − 1)! times.
And this makes sense since since the ith box appears in N ! permutations and
there are N balls and since the probability of each ball occupying the same spot
is equally distributed among the N balls hence each ball must occupy the same

1
spot in (N − 1)! ways.
OBJECTIVE 2:- Let’s calculate the number associated with the algebraic sum-
mation of the ith box in all permutations. What I mean is this :- we define δ(i)
to be the sum of the labels of the black balls multiplied by the index (i.e., i)
minus the sum of all the labels of the white balls multiplied by their index.
now W1 occurs (N − 1)! times and similarly the others hence.
δ(i) = ((N − 1)!)((i × βb(1) + i × βb(2) + i × βb(3) + ... + βb(y) ) − (i × αw(1) + i ×
αw(2) + ... + i × αw(x)
P)) which means
y Px
δ(i) = i((N − 1)!)(( i=1 βb(i) ) − ( j=1 αw(j) )
OBJECTIVE 3:-Pto sum δ(i)0 s over Px 1 to N
y Py
let ((N − 1)!)(( i=1 βb(i) ) − ( j=1 αw(j) )) = X and Y = (( i=1 βb(i) ) −
Px PN
( j=1 αw(j) )) now X is a constant w.r.t i Therefore δi = i × X hence i=1 δi =
PN PN N (N +1)X
i=1 (i) = X × ( i=1 i) = 2 = (N +1)!Y
2
As you would have guessed by now this is the answer simply because sum of
the numbers in N ! rows of length N is the same as sum of the numbers in the
N columns of length N !.

2 The Result
Hence the result is Py Px
P(x+y)! PN (N +1)!Y (N +1)!(( βb(i) )−( αw(j) ))
i=1 j=1
i=1 κ(Pi ) = i=1 δi = 2 = 2 .

3 The Generalization
Let there be xi balls of colour Ci with balls Bc(i)1 , Bc(i)2 , ..., Bc(i)xi labelled with
numbers Nc(i)1 , Nc(i)2 , ..., Nc(i)xi respectively, and suppose each colour of ball Ci
will have an algebraic constant attested to itself namely mi . ∀i ∈ N, 1 ≤ i ≤ n,
and mi ∈ {1, −1}
EXPLANATION WITH AN EXAMPLE:-if in the original sum C1 was black
and C2 was white then constant associated with it was m1 was +1 and m2 was
-1 Pn
then total number of balls = T (say)= i=1 xi . Then the sequences(arrays)
Pn Pxi are
of length T . Then considering the j th box δj = j×((T −1)!)( i=1 J=1 (Nc(i)j )×
PT Pn Pxi PT
P P i=1 δi = ((T − 1)!)( i=1 J=1 (Nc(i)j ) × mi ) × ( i=1 i) =
mi ) .Therefore
n xi
((T +1)!)( (Nc(i)j )×mi )
i=1
2. J=1

AND HENCE THE GENERALIZATION.