• C++ Programming for Financial Engineering
    Highly recommended by thousands of MFE students. Covers essential C++ topics with applications to financial engineering. Learn more Join!
    Python for Finance with Intro to Data Science
    Gain practical understanding of Python to read, understand, and write professional Python code for your first day on the job. Learn more Join!
    An Intuition-Based Options Primer for FE
    Ideal for entry level positions interviews and graduate studies, specializing in options trading arbitrage and options valuation models. Learn more Join!

How to count - probability puzzle

Joined
11/5/14
Messages
294
Points
53
A [imath]3 \times 3 \times 3[/imath] big cube consists of smaller [imath]1 \times 1 \times 1[/imath] smaller cubes. The big cube is painted black on the outside. Suppose we disassemble the cube and randomly put it back together. What is the probability of perfectly assembling the cube?

Solution attempt.

I thought about this puzzle today morning. There are:

[imath]8[/imath] corner(vertices) cubes with [imath]3[/imath] black faces - label them [imath]V[/imath]
[imath]12[/imath] edge cubes with [imath]2[/imath] black faces - label them [imath]E[/imath]
[imath]6[/imath] center of a face cubes with [imath]1[/imath] black - label them [imath]C[/imath]
[imath]1[/imath] center cube with no black face - label it [imath]O[/imath]

For the [imath]1 \times 1 \times 1[/imath] small cube, there are [imath]6[/imath] choices for the top face, and for each such choice, [imath]4[/imath] choices for an adjacent face. So, there are [imath]24[/imath] distinguishable orientations of the unit cube.

[imath](\forall V)[/imath] cubes, the probability it is correctly oriented = [imath]\frac{1}{24}[/imath]
[imath](\forall E)[/imath] cubes, the probability it is correctly oriented = [imath]\frac{1}{24}[/imath]
[imath](\forall C)[/imath] cubes, the probability it is correctly oriented = [imath]\frac{4}{24}[/imath]
[imath]O[/imath] cube, the probability it is correctly oriented = [imath]1[/imath]

Furthermore, we can swap one corner cube for another, or one edge cube for another and so forth, without affecting the outer appearance. So, there should be an adjustment of [imath]\frac{27!}{8!12!6!1!}[/imath].

Do you guys think, the progress so far is correct? If not, do you have a hint/clue (without revealing/giving away entire solution)?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top