Mo logo [home] [lexicon] [problems] [tests] [courses] [auxiliaries] [notes] [staff] german flag
Mathematics-Online problems:

Interactive Problem 94: Combinatorics of Bar Codes

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Retail products can be identified by so-called bar codes. One character is represented by a series of narrow and wide bars and spaces, that begins and ends with a bar.
\includegraphics[width=0.8\linewidth]{barcode.eps}

  1. How many different characters can be represented by 5 bars and 4 spaces?

  2. How many possibilities exist, if characters that are transferred into each other by permutation of the sequence (right $ \leftrightarrow$ left) are not distinguished?

  3. How many possibilities exist, if the characters do not consist of more than 3 wide bars?

  4. How many bars and spaces are at least necessary, if all numerals and letters (10+26 characters) are to be represented and characters that are transferred into each other by permutation of the sequence are not distinguished?

Answer:

  1. possibilities
  2. possibilities
  3. possibilities
  4. bars and spaces


   

(From: Day of Mathematics 1995)
[Links]
  automatically generated: 8/11/2017