I borrowed a dictionary from Ashish!

I have an essay assignment due next week. To improve the vocab in my essay, I borrowed a dictionary from my Math classmate Ashish.

The thing is, Ashish tricked me! Instead of a regular English dictionary, he lent me a very, very weird dictionary . This dictionary has only one word in each page, printed in huge fonts. Besides that, this dictionary only contains all possible 9-letter words formed from the alphabets:

BRILLIANT \text{BRILLIANT}

I wanted to throw this dictionary into the dustbin, but I suddenly thought of something. "BRILLIANT" spelled backwards is "TNAILLIRB", and I'd like to know what that means.

However, I cannot find that word at all. The dictionary arranges the words in alphabetical order, but there is no index or list of contents to help me find the word.

Therefore, I need your help! The first word, "ABIILLNRT", is in page one, so which page contains the word "TNAILLIRB"?


The answer is 88270.

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2 solutions

Ashish Menon
May 15, 2016

Looking backwards.
Lets arrange letters of BRILLIANT is descending alphabetical order. It is TRNLLIIBA.

First letter \text{First letter}
First lets see words starting with T. Its is the same as in T NAILLIRB. So, we proceed to the next letter.

Second letter \text{Second letter}
First in reverse alphabetical order comes R, but we need N. So, there would be 7 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 1260 \dfrac{7!}{2! × 2!} = 1260 such words. Then comes N which is what we want(T N AILLIRB). So, lets proceed to the next letter.

Third letter \text{Third letter}
First comes R but we need A, so there are 6 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 180 \dfrac{6!}{2! × 2!} = 180 such words. Next comes L but we need A, so there are 6 ! 2 ! = 360 \dfrac{6!}{2!} = 360 such words. Next comes I but we need A, so there are 6 ! 2 ! = 360 \dfrac{6!}{2!} = 360 such words. Next comes B but we need A, so there are 6 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 180 \dfrac{6!}{2! × 2!} = 180 such words. Next comes A which we need (TN A ILLIRB). So, we proceed to the next letter.

Fourth letter \text{Fourth letter}
First comes R but we need I, so there are 5 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 30 \dfrac{5!}{2! × 2!} = 30 such words. Next comes L but we need I, so there are 5 ! 2 ! = 60 \dfrac{5!}{2!} = 60 such words. Next comes I which we want (TNA I LLIRB). So, we proceed to the next letter.

Fifth letter \text{Fifth letter}
First comes R but we need L, so there are 4 ! 2 ! = 12 \dfrac{4!}{2!} = 12 such words. Next comes L which we want (TNAI L LIRB). So, we proceed to the next letter.

Sixth letter \text{Sixth letter}
First comes R but we need L, so there are 3 ! = 6 3! = 6 such words. Next comes L which we want (TNAIL L IRB). So, we proceed to the next letter.

Seventh letter \text{Seventh letter}
First comes R but we need I, so there are 2 ! = 2 2! = 2 such words. Next comes I which we want (TNAILL I RB). So, we proceed to the next letter.

Eight letter \text{Eight letter}
First comes R which we want (TNAILLI R B). So, we proceed to the next letter.

Ninth letter \text{Ninth letter}
First comes B which we want (TNAILLIR B ).

So, the word is the 1260 + 180 + 360 + 360 + 180 + 30 + 60 + 12 + 6 + 2 = 2450 1260 + 180 + 360 + 360 + 180 + 30 + 60 + 12 + 6 + 2 = 2450 th letter from the back of the dictionary.

Now, the total number of pages in the dictionary would be the total number of letter that can be formed from BRILLIANT, which is 9 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 90720 \dfrac{9!}{2! × 2!} = 90720 .

So, the page in which TNAILLIRB would be present = 90720 2450 = 88270 90720 - 2450 = \boxed{88270} .

Q.E.D \boxed{\text{Q.E.D}}

5th letter. Shouldn't it be R first? You missed out one set of words there, but you added 12 12 into your total number of words

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Oh yeah thanks! I have edited it accordingly.

Ashish Menon - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Aish. You forgot to edit the values

4 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 12 \dfrac{4!}{2! \times 2!} =12

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years, 1 month ago

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@Hung Woei Neoh Where??? Which letter

Ashish Menon - 5 years, 1 month ago

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@Ashish Menon The 5th letter

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years, 1 month ago

@Hung Woei Neoh Ohok I got you it is 4 ! 2 ! = 12 \dfrac{4!}{2!} = 12 XD

Ashish Menon - 5 years, 1 month ago

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@Ashish Menon Ya, I made a mistake too. Nice and neat +1

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years, 1 month ago

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@Hung Woei Neoh Thanks! Yours is nice and neat too.

Ashish Menon - 5 years, 1 month ago
Hung Woei Neoh
May 15, 2016

Now, before the community gives me the page number, I shall try to count the pages myself first.

Before we begin counting, let's list out all the words before "TNAILLIRB".

First, the dictionary begins with words that start with A.

After that, we go through words that start with B, I, L, N and R before reaching T.

Then, the word starts with TN, so we go through words beginning with TA, TB, TI and TL.

The 3rd letter is A, which comes first.

The 4th letter is I, so we go through words beginning with TNAB.

The 5th letter is L, so we go through words beginning with TNAIB, TNAII

The 6th letter is L, so we go through words beginning with TNAILB, TNAILI

The 7th letter is I, so we go through words beginning with TNAILLB

After that, we are left with TNAILLIBR and TNAILLIRB, which are 2 additional words.

Therefore, we want to find the sum of all these words.

Now, to count all the words here:

Words that start with A (there are 2 I and 2 L) = 8 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 10080 =\dfrac{8!}{2! \times 2!} = 10080

Words that start with B (there are 2 I and 2 L) = 8 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 10080 =\dfrac{8!}{2! \times 2!} = 10080

Words that start with I (there are 2 L) = 8 ! 2 ! = 20160 =\dfrac{8!}{2!} = 20160

Words that start with L (there are 2 I) = 8 ! 2 ! = 20160 =\dfrac{8!}{2!} = 20160

Words that start with N (there are 2 I and 2 L) = 8 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 10080 =\dfrac{8!}{2! \times 2!} = 10080

Words that start with R (there are 2 I and 2 L) = 8 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 10080 =\dfrac{8!}{2! \times 2!} = 10080

Words that start with TA (there are 2 I and 2 L) = 7 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 1260 =\dfrac{7!}{2! \times 2!} = 1260

Words that start with TB (there are 2 I and 2 L) = 7 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 1260 =\dfrac{7!}{2! \times 2!} = 1260

Words that start with TI (there are 2 L) = 7 ! 2 ! = 2520 =\dfrac{7!}{2!} = 2520

Words that start with TL (there are 2 I) = 7 ! 2 ! = 2520 =\dfrac{7!}{2!} = 2520

Words that start with TNAB (there are 2 I and 2 L) = 5 ! 2 ! × 2 ! = 30 =\dfrac{5!}{2! \times 2!} = 30

Words that start with TNAIB (there are 2 L) = 4 ! 2 ! = 12 =\dfrac{4!}{2!} = 12

Words that start with TNAII (there are 2 L) = 4 ! 2 ! = 12 =\dfrac{4!}{2!} = 12

Words that start with TNAILB = 3 ! = 6 =3! = 6

Words that start with TNAILI = 3 ! = 6 =3! = 6

Words that start with TNAILLB = 2 ! = 2 =2!=2

TNAILLIBR - 1 1 word

TNAILLIRB - 1 1 word

The page number = Total number of words

= 10080 + 10080 + 20160 + 20160 + 10080 + 10080 + 1260 + 1260 + 2520 + 2520 + 30 + 12 + 12 + 6 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 88270 =10080 +10080 +20160+20160+10080+10080+1260+1260+2520+2520+30+12+12+6+6+2+1+1\\ =\boxed{88270}

Alternatively, you can begin counting from the last page. I'll let someone else write out that solution.

Phew this question took time to solve. Nice nice :+1::+1:

Ashish Menon - 5 years, 1 month ago

Nice since you have found the page, what does it mean? XD

Ashish Menon - 5 years ago

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It's your dictionary. Didn't you check it out already?

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years ago

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But I have given it to you...

Ashish Menon - 5 years ago

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@Ashish Menon Nope. I only borrowed it. You can find out yourself when I return the dictionary to you next week.

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years ago

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@Hung Woei Neoh Sure... XD

Ashish Menon - 5 years ago

@Hung Woei Neoh It has been a week you have not returned it as yet. Are you not done with it as yet?

Ashish Menon - 5 years ago

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@Ashish Menon Didn't I return it yesterday?

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years ago

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@Hung Woei Neoh Nope, you gave me another dictionary. It was not mine.

Ashish Menon - 5 years ago

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