Recall the name of a property that is fundamental to combinatorics.
Fundamental Counting Principle
We are asked to complete the given definition.
The states that if there are m_1 ways for one event to occur and m_2 ways for a second event to occur, then there are m_1* m_2 ways for both events to occur.
Let's first consider the following example of such events. Suppose we want to make a desert with either ice cream or a cake. Then, we can add chocolate, strawberry, or cherry coating. Let's try to count the number of possible desserts.
There 6 possible deserts. We can also multiply the number of dessert bases by the number of coating choices to find the number of deserts. Since there are 2 bases (ice cream or cake) and 3 coatings (chocolate, strawberry, or cherry), the number of possible desserts is 2 * 3 = 6. This is an example of an application of the Fundamental Counting Principle. Let's complete the definition.
The Fundamental Counting Principle states that if there are m_1 ways for one event to occur and m_2 ways for a second event to occur, then there are m_1* m_2 ways for both events to occur.
