Quandaries
and Queries
Question:
How many ways to distribute r identical balls into n distinct boxes with exactly m boxes empty?
Hi,
Here's a start on the problem. Pick the boxes to be empty first; nCm ways. Place a ball in each of the other n-m boxes. Now you have to distribute the remaining r-n+m balls into these n-m boxes with no restriction on 'being empty'.
Penny