[Math] Given 10 digits, how many ways can they be arranged so that two odds cannot be adjacent

combinatorics

Given $10$ digits, where each digit can be an integer from $0$ to $9$, how can I determine the number of ways to arrange the numbers so that two odds are not adjacent?

Repetition of digits is not allowed.

So far, I have figured out the total number of possibilities: $$10 \cdot 9 \cdot 8 \cdot 7 \cdot 6 \cdot 5 \cdot 4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1 = 10!$$

Then I had planned to subtract the number of bad possibilities from the total number of possibilities.$$10! – X$$ Where $X$ is all the bad possibilities, which means $X$ is all the possibilities where two odds could be next to each other in the $10$ digits.

I know that for each number, $5$ odds can be selected, how can I use this information to figure out the answer to the question?

Best Answer

Let $O$ and $E$ be the odd and even numbers respectively.

The odd digits are $1,3,5,7,9$.

The even digits are $0,2,4,6,8$.

$_E_E_E_E_E_$

If you are filling the odd numbers in any $5$ blank spaces yiels a required number.

There are $6$ blank spaces. So the number of ways to select $5$ spaces among $6$ spaces $=6C5 =6$.

Number of possible shuffling on $5$ odd number is $=5!=120$.

Again,Number of possible shuffling on $5$ even number is $=5!=120$.

Thus total number of possibility is $=6×120×120=86400$.

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