Analyzing the Setup
Imagine you are standing before a set of seven tiles: {1,2,2,2,3,3,5}. Your goal is to arrange these into a seven-digit odd number.
In the world of JEE Advanced, the secret to solving complex combinatorics is to identify the 'gatekeeper' constraint. Here, the constraint is simple: for a number to be odd, the unit digit must be odd.
The Gatekeeper
Analyzing the Unit Digit
Our pool of odd digits is {1,3,5}. Because the composition of the remaining digits changes depending on which odd digit we place at the end, we must partition our problem into three distinct, mutually exclusive cases.
This is the art of systematic counting.
Case 1
The Unit Digit is 5
If we lock the digit 5 into the unit slot, we are left with the multiset {1,2,2,2,3,3}. We have 6 slots to fill.
We have 6 items, but they are not all unique. The digit 2 repeats 3 times, and the digit 3 repeats 2 times. Using the formula for permutations of a multiset, the number of arrangements is given by:
Case 2
The Unit Digit is 3
Now, we fix one of the 3s in the unit slot. Our remaining pool is {1,2,2,2,3,5}.
Notice the difference? We only have one 3 left, while the digit 2 still repeats 3 times. The number of arrangements for this case is:
Case 3
The Unit Digit is 1
Finally, we fix the 1 in the unit slot. Our remaining pool is {2,2,2,3,3,5}.
This structure is identical to Case 1, with three 2s and two 3s. Thus, the calculation mirrors our first result:
The Final Synthesis
We have explored every possibility. By the Rule of Sum, since these cases are mutually exclusive, we simply add them together to find the total number of valid seven-digit odd numbers:
There it is. Through careful partitioning and the application of multiset permutations, we have navigated the constraints to arrive at 240.
Remember, in JEE, the math is rarely the hardest part—it is the clarity of your logic that wins the day.