# Combinatorics - how many possible solutions are there for: $|x_1| + x_2+x_3 = 16$

How many possible solutions are there for this equation:

$|x_1| + x_2+x_3 = 16$ ; $x_1 \in Z$ $x_2,x_3 \in N$

I know it's a simple combinatorics question but I'm still having trouble figuring it out.

Since $x_1$ is an integer, there could be infinite solutions for this equation (I know this is probably not true but that is how I see it).

I know that in the case that $x_1 = 0$ there could be ${16+2-1 \choose 2-1}$ possible solutions.

The other case is when $x_1$ is non zero, when it is positive, the total # of combinations is:

${16+3-1 \choose 3-1}$ and another case where $x_1$ is negative.

Hence: ${16+2-1 \choose 2-1} + 2 \cdot {16+3-1 \choose 3-1}$

However, I checked and in my book it says that the solution is: ${16+2-1 \choose 2-1} + 2 \cdot {15+3-1 \choose 3-1}$

I'm having trouble understanding the ${15+3-1 \choose 3-1}$ part, can anyone please explain this to me?

I also noticed that this same question was posted in this site but wasn't explained appropriately, so I posted again.

Many thanks.

• One thing I could not make out: If $x_1=0$ then you write of $17$ solutions which actually include cases where $x_2=0,x_3=16$ and $x_2=16,x_3=0$. But $x_2,x_3 \in \mathbb{N}$ and $\mathbb{N}$ does not contain $0$. Than why so? – SchrodingersCat Dec 8 '15 at 19:12
• @Aniket Actually, $\mathbb{N}$ containing $0$ is a pretty common practice. Not as common as it not, but not completely foreign. – MCT Dec 8 '15 at 19:28

If $x_1 = 0$ then there are $15$ pairs for $x_2, x_3$.

If $x_1 = \pm 1$ then there are $14$ pairs.

If $x_1 = \pm 2$ then there are $13$ pairs.

if $x_1 = \pm 13$ then there are $2$ pairs.

if $x_1 = \pm 14$ then there is $1$ pair.

So it's a stars and bars problem for the second part. Each bin contains at least one of the $15$ object (because you're already handled the zero case) and there are three bins. This is expressed (verbatim!) as

$${15 + 3 - 1 \choose 3-1},$$

and you get the factor of $2$ from the absolute value.

• Is that not the expression for a nonnegative composition, when we want a strictly positive composition? – Kevin Long Dec 8 '15 at 19:44
• I think so @KevinLong, in the sense that we're looking at the natural numbers? Is that what you're getting at? – John Dec 8 '15 at 19:55
• Ah, @John, if I follow, I'm being close-minded in not including $0$ in the natural numbers. I always forget the variations of convention in the world. – Kevin Long Dec 8 '15 at 20:00
• @KevinLong I learned them as natural numbers ($1, 2, 3, ...$), whole numbers $(0, 1, 2, 3, ...)$ and integers $(0, \pm 1, \pm 2, ...)$ but I'm sure there are other conventions. – John Dec 8 '15 at 20:46