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Simplex Lock Project Statement Prerequisites Warm up Problems Hints Resources Teaching Notes Extension Problems Results

Warm Ups for the Simplex Lock Problem

You can use rods of integer sizes to build "trains" that all share a common length. A "train of length 5" is a row of rods whose combined length is 5.

1+2+2, 2+1+2, 1+3+1, 1+4, 5

Notice that the 1-2-2 train and the 2-1-2 train contain the same rods but are listed separately. If you use identical rods in a different order, this is a separate train.

  • How many trains of length 5 are there?

  • Of length 20?

  • Of length n? (Assume you have rods of every possible integer length available.)

Note!
You can find additional hints, results, and other resources for this warm up problem in Trains. Trains makes a good warm up for the Simplex Lock project.

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