# 2021 AMC 10B Problems/Problem 22

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## Problem

Ang, Ben, and Jasmin each have $5$ blocks, colored red, blue, yellow, white, and green; and there are $5$ empty boxes. Each of the people randomly and independently of the other two people places one of their blocks into each box. The probability that at least one box receives $3$ blocks all of the same color is $\frac{m}{n}$, where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. What is $m + n ?$

$\textbf{(A)} ~47 \qquad\textbf{(B)} ~94 \qquad\textbf{(C)} ~227 \qquad\textbf{(D)} ~471 \qquad\textbf{(E)} ~542$

## Solution 1

Let our denominator be $(5!)^3$, so we consider all possible distributions.

We use PIE (Principle of Inclusion and Exclusion) to count the successful ones.

When we have at $1$ box with all $3$ balls the same color in that box, there are $_{5} C _{1} \cdot _{5} P _{1} \cdot (4!)^3$ ways for the distributions to occur ($_{5} C _{1}$ for selecting one of the five boxes for a uniform color, $_{5} P _{1}$ for choosing the color for that box, $4!$ for each of the three people to place their remaining items).

However, we overcounted those distributions where two boxes had uniform color, and there are $_{5} C _{2} \cdot _{5} P _{2} \cdot (3!)^3$ ways for the distributions to occur ($_{5} C _{2}$ for selecting two of the five boxes for a uniform color, $_{5} P _{2}$ for choosing the color for those boxes, $3!$ for each of the three people to place their remaining items).

Again, we need to re-add back in the distributions with three boxes of uniform color... and so on so forth.

Our success by PIE is $$_{5} C _{1} \cdot _{5} P _{1} \cdot (4!)^3 - _{5} C _{2} \cdot _{5} P _{2} \cdot (3!)^3 + _{5} C _{3} \cdot _{5} P _{3} \cdot (2!)^3 - _{5} C _{4} \cdot _{5} P _{4} \cdot (1!)^3 + _{5} C _{5} \cdot _{5} P _{5} \cdot (0!)^3 = 120 \cdot 2556.$$ $$\frac{120 \cdot 2556}{120^3}=\frac{71}{400},$$ yielding an answer of $\boxed{471 \textbf{(D)}}$.

## Solution 2

As In Solution 1, the probability is $$\frac{\binom{5}{1}\cdot 5\cdot (4!)^3 - \binom{5}{2}\cdot 5\cdot 4\cdot (3!)^3 + \binom{5}{3}\cdot 5\cdot 4\cdot 3\cdot (2!)^3 - \binom{5}{4}\cdot 5\cdot 4\cdot 3\cdot 2\cdot (1!)^3 + \binom{5}{5}\cdot 5\cdot 4\cdot 3\cdot 2\cdot 1}{(5!)^3}$$ $$= \frac{5\cdot 5\cdot (4!)^3 - 10\cdot 5\cdot 4\cdot (3!)^3 + 10\cdot 5\cdot 4\cdot 3\cdot (2!)^3 - 5\cdot 5! + 5!}{(5!)^3}.$$ Dividing by $5!$, we get $$\frac{5\cdot (4!)^2 - 10\cdot (3!)^2 + 10\cdot (2!)^2 - 5 + 1}{(5!)^2}.$$ Dividing by $4$, we get $$\frac{5\cdot 6\cdot 24 - 10\cdot 9 + 10 - 1}{30\cdot 120}.$$ Dividing by $9$, we get $$\frac{5\cdot 2\cdot 8 - 10 + 1}{10\cdot 40} = \frac{71}{400} \implies \boxed{\textbf{(D) }471}$$.

## Solution 3

Use complementary counting. Denote $T_n$ as the total number of ways to put $n$ colors to $n$ boxes by 3 people out of which $f_n$ ways are such that no box has uniform color. Notice $T_n = (n!)^3$. From this setup we see the question is asking for $1-\frac{f_5}{(5!)^3}$. To find $f_5$ we want to exclude the cases of a) one box of the same color, b) 2 boxes of the same color, c) 3 boxes of same color, d) 4 boxes of the same color, and e) 5 boxes of the same color. Cases d) and e) coincide. From this, we have

$$f_5=T_5 -{\binom{5}{1}\binom{5}{1}\cdot f_4 - \binom{5}{2}\binom{5}{2}\cdot 2!\cdot f_3 - \binom{5}{3}\binom{5}{3}\cdot 3!\cdot f_2 - 5!}$$

In case b), there are $\binom{5}{2}$ ways to choose 2 boxes that have the same color, $\binom{5}{2}$ ways to choose the two colors, 2! ways to permute the 2 chosen colors, and $f_3$ ways so that the remaining 3 boxes don’t have the same color. The same goes for cases a) and c). In case e), the total number of ways to permute 5 colors is $5!$. Now, we just need to calculate $f_2$, $f_3$ and $f_4$.

We have $f_2=T_2-2 = (2!)^3 - 2 = 6$, since we subtract the number of cases where the boxes contain uniform colors, which is 2.

In the same way, $f_3=T_3-\Big[3!+ \binom{3}{1}\binom{3}{1}\cdot f_2 \Big] = 156$ - again, we must subtract the number of ways at least 1 box has uniform color. There are $3!$ ways if 3 boxes each contains uniform color. Two boxes each contains uniform color is the same as previous. If one box has the same color, there are $\binom{3}{1}$ ways to pick a box, and $\binom{3}{1}$ ways to pick a color for that box, 1! ways to permute the chosen color, and $f_2$ ways for the remaining 2 boxes to have non-uniform colors. Similarly, $f_4=(4!)^3-\Big[ 4!+ \binom{4}{2}\binom{4}{2}\cdot 2! \cdot f_2+ \binom{4}{1}\binom{4}{1}\cdot f_3\Big] = 10,872$

Thus, $f_5 = f_5=(5!)^3-\Big[\binom{5}{1}\binom{5}{1}\cdot f_4+ \binom{5}{2}\binom{5}{2}\cdot 2!\cdot f_3+\binom{5}{3}\binom{5}{3}\cdot 3!\cdot f_2 + 5!\Big] = (5!)^3 - 306,720$

Thus, the probability is $\frac{306,720}{(5!)^3} = 71/400$ and the answer is $\boxed{\textbf{(D) }471}$

-angelinasheeen

~ pi_is_3.14

## Video Solution by Interstigation

~ Briefly went over Principal of Inclusion Exclusion using Venn Diagram