Maths Problem

[daithebus]

How many different 4 digit lottery numbers are there,only using the numbers 1-24 inclusive?

[beejay1124]

none

[factor-fiction]

I think the question needs to be rephrased. Why would you need numbers 11-24?
Can you use a number twice?
Do you really mean if you have balls number 1-24 how may different combinations of 4 balls are there?

[beejay1124]

that may be it -factor

[dundurn]

Assuming it wroks like the national lottery, all numbers different, then there are 24x 23 x 22 x 21 possibilities = 255024

[factor-fiction]

I partly agree dundurn, but I think you have to then divide that figure by 4x3 x2x1=24 to allow for the fact that the order of the balls doesn't matter. So, for example, you can get the numbers 5,8, 13 and 23 in 24 different ways ( 5, 18, 13, 24 and 5, 8, 24, 13 and ..etc)

[beejay1124]

yup- divide by
1 x 2 x 3 x 4

[factor-fiction]

So that's 10626, assuming the order of the numbers doesn't matter.
If teh order does matter then dundurn's figure of 255024 is correct

[daithebus]

Thanks All for a quick response, I can see that the question was not worded quite correctly, but you managed to come up with the answer.