Number of CA license plates

[blamocur]

Posted on behalf of @ericdp77

I have seen problems for the combinations of CA license plates (158,184,000), but these problems miss something. The current format doesn't let you mix all the numbers and letters. It has to be #ABC###. And the first number can't be zero, but some people multiplied like the first number had 10 possibilities. How do you figure out what real number of combos would be?

 

[blamocur]

Here are some hints:

1. How many possibilities are there for the first character?
2. How about the characters in the positions 1,2 and 3 ?
3. How about the characters in the positions 4,5 and 7?

I do get the same number of combinations.

 

[logistic_guy]

I sent to him a private message to help him, but he didn’t reply!

He probably like others thinks that I am bad.

 

[ericdp77]

Here are some hints:

1. How many possibilities are there for the first character?
2. How about the characters in the positions 1,2 and 3 ?
3. How about the characters in the positions 4,5 and 7?

I do get the same number of combinations.

I got it now. Sorry I have never been good at math and something was not clicking in my head. I was getting confused between the format of #ABC### and thinking that the 158M answer was the total number for any possible combination (#A#B#C#, ABC####, etc etc). Because with any of those other formats of 3 letter spots and 4 number spots, wouldn't that total number be much higher?

Here is what i couldn't get right in my head. Using a simple format: A#, but using only A and B and 1,2,3. You can have A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3. A total of 6 ways. But if you could mix them up in any order it would be 12 (just switch the order).

 

[blamocur]

I got it now. Sorry I have never been good at math and something was not clicking in my head. I was getting confused between the format of #ABC### and thinking that the 158M answer was the total number for any possible combination (#A#B#C#, ABC####, etc etc). Because with any of those other formats of 3 letter spots and 4 number spots, wouldn't that total number be much higher?

Here is what i couldn't get right in my head. Using a simple format: A#, but using only A and B and 1,2,3. You can have A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3. A total of 6 ways. But if you could mix them up in any order it would be 12 (just switch the order).

I agree: if you don't fix the locations but allow those 3 letter to be in any place you get more choices.

 

[jonah2.0]

Beer drenched reaction follows.

Posted on behalf of @ericdp77

I have seen ...

Here are some hints:

1. How many possibilities are there for the first character?
2. How about the characters in the positions 1,2 and 3 ?
3. How about the characters in the positions 4,5 and 7?

I do get the same number of combinations.

I got it now. Sorry I have never been good at math and something was not clicking in my head. I was getting confused between the format of #ABC### and thinking that the 158M answer was the total number for any possible combination (#A#B#C#, ABC####, etc etc). Because with any of those other formats of 3 letter spots and 4 number spots, wouldn't that total number be much higher?

Here is what i couldn't get right in my head. Using a simple format: A#, but using only A and B and 1,2,3. You can have A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3. A total of 6 ways. But if you could mix them up in any order it would be 12 (just switch the order).

Given that blamocur had to post on behalf of ericdp77, how is it then that ericdp77 was able to post something back in June if there was no moderator around to approve his first post?

 

[blamocur]

Beer drenched reaction follows.




Given that blamocur had to post on behalf of ericdp77, how is it then that ericdp77 was able to post something back in June if there was no moderator around to approve his first post?

I don't know, but is it possible that it were sitting in some queue until recently?