This is very similar to example 11 on page 379:

Since it explicitly says "No simple closed formula exists for this number [indistinguishable objects and indistinguishable boxes]," the best way to go about the problem is simply list the solutions.

Box 1: 5 4 3 3 2
Box 2: 0 1 1 2 2
Box 3: 0 0 1 0 1

So, the answer is 5.

--Djallen 19:17, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

Comments:

This solution is correct; although it is very interesting that counting something like this has no closed formula especially since the problem is very general.

--ysuo 23:47, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

This is a very good answer. I like the way you organized the work. Very well done.

--pstechsc 16:34, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

Alumni Liaison

Ph.D. on Applied Mathematics in Aug 2007. Involved on applications of image super-resolution to electron microscopy

Francisco Blanco-Silva