MathDB
Cycles and Permutations

Source: Iran PPCE 2008

December 29, 2008
probabilityfactorialexpected valueprobability and stats

Problem Statement

A permutation π \pi is selected randomly through all n n-permutations. a) if C_a(\pi)\equal{}\mbox{the number of cycles of length }a\mbox{ in }\pi then prove that E(C_a(\pi))\equal{}\frac1a b) Prove that if {a1,a2,,ak}{1,2,,n} \{a_1,a_2,\dots,a_k\}\subset\{1,2,\dots,n\} the probability that π \pi does not have any cycle with lengths a1,,ak a_1,\dots,a_k is at most \frac1{\sum_{i\equal{}1}^ka_i}