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In-Class Notes to Accompany Applied Combinatorics

Handout 3.1 Recursive Counting

How can we interpret the notation \(1+2+\cdots + n^2\text{?}\)
Peer instruction question 1
\begin{equation*} \binom{n}{k} = \binom{n-1}{k-1} + \binom{n-1}{k} \end{equation*}

Activity 3.1.1.

Suppose that \(f\) is a function defined on the positive integers. You know that \(f(1) = 0\) and for all \(n\gt 1\text{,}\) \(f(n) = 3f(n-1)+2\text{.}\) What is \(f(3)\text{?}\)
Peer instruction question 2
Let \(r(n)\) be the number of regions determined by \(n\) lines in the plane drawn so that each pair intersects but no three lines intersect at a single point.
\(n\) \(r(n)\)
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