OlympIQ
Read before you solve · 3 min

Read Particle-splitting process with floor division

This IOQM pattern tests Tracking exact particle counts along boundary paths that never trigger rounding. Identify the structure before calculating, then use the method below.

IOQM · Combinatorics · 1 linked question · 100% coverage
Know this first

Combinatorics counts structured choices by making cases disjoint, complete and free from double counting.

Case · One non-overlapping group of outcomesComplement · Outcomes not counted directly
Study deeper: IOQM Mathematics · Combinatorics

Find the structure

Define exactly what is being counted and which choices are restricted before starting arithmetic.

Build a valid route

Organise cases so they are disjoint and complete. Use symmetry, a complement or inclusion–exclusion only after saying what each case represents.

Verify the conclusion

Return to the exact wording and test the final conclusion against every stated condition. A clean calculation is not enough if it solves a different problem.

OlympIQ exam lens

  • ✓Name the objects and restriction.
  • ✓Split into disjoint cases.
  • ✓Check for double counting or omissions.
OlympIQ trap

Do not multiply choices that are no longer independent after an earlier choice has been made.

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