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How many distinct three-letter sequences with at least one $T$ can be formed by using three of the six letters of $TARGET$? One such sequence is $T-R-T$. [MathCounts 2005 National Countdown]

The problem given is easy, because the word given is small enough for casework. (One $T$ implies there are $3*4*3=36$ words. Two implies there are $3*4=12$).

However, how does this generalize to $n$ given characters and $m<n$ letter long distinct words? If $n=m$, there is the standard technique of dividing by the number of repeated letters factorial, but for a long word such as $AAABCCDEEEFFG$, I don't know how to effectively compute all possible $7$ letters words.

(All I need is this, as generalizing the "at least one $T$'s" part is just subtracting the words that can be made with zero $T$'s)

Nicholas Pipitone
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1 Answers1

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There is a generating function approach for this.

Classify letters in AAABCCDEEEFFG according to frequency of occurrence.

Three occur once [B, D, G], two occur twice [C, F], and two occur thrice [A, E].

Find the coefficent of $x^7$ in $7!\cdot(1+x)^3\cdot(1+x + x^2/2!)^2\cdot (1+x+x^2/2!+x^3/3!)^2$

PS

Re your query, look here

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true blue anil
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