The draw was a FIX

[Rich]

right, brain has worked a bit more...

it depends if the draw came out of the hat exactly the same i.e:

12 34 56 78 (teams being 1-8)

or whether you'd say

34 56 78 12 is in fact the same draw.....

Makes a BIG difference on the number of permutations...

[MattB]

****ing Maths!

Problem with 8! is that this is the probability of the teams being drawn in this exact order. They could come out in a different specific order, but end up with the same draw. Therefore 8! is wrong. I don't know the right answer though...

[TheStig]

But, the teams could have been drawn either way, with lfc vs arsenal or arsenal vs lfc. WOuld be the same result from 2 permutations.

Ah yes good point....

[Imy]

****ing brain!

[Rich]

****ing brain!

[Kenneth]

I think it is.

Any team to be drawn out of the hat is 1/8, this reduces chances of a given second team being drawn out of the hat to 1/7 etc.

Multiplying these together would give 1/40320, which are the chances of this draw....

But, the teams could have been drawn either way, with lfc vs arsenal or arsenal vs lfc. WOuld be the same result from 2 permutations.

[Rich]

****ing Maths!

[Rich]

With 4 teams and an open draw there are 12 permutations, which would be:

4!/2

How is the two generated?

[TheStig]

Isn't the number of permutations in an open draw of 8 teams:

8! or 40,320?!?

Edit: Actually, I'm wrong!

I think it is.

Any team to be drawn out of the hat is 1/8, this reduces chances of a given second team being drawn out of the hat to 1/7 etc.

Multiplying these together would give 1/40320, which are the chances of this draw....

[Rich]

8!/??!?

****ing get there in the end, I bet I'd have done this in a flash when I was 18.

[rudedog]

isn't it 256?

4x4x4x4

[Darth Marty]

I have read that thread and i must say its ****ing strange that the exact draw actually happened. Its not good is it.

[Kenneth]

Your thinking about factorial (8) which is 40,320, true.

Is this the right stat? Dunno

[MattB]

I've confused myself now

I might be right!

I thought that was right. Number of permutations goes down every time a team is drawn so 8 x 7 x 6 etc etc

Though I didn't do so well in A-level statistics and that was 18 years ago (gulp)

[Reece]

Some one help

Completely open draw... 8 teams, number of permutations?!

Dunno, but I just can't see how it could be 40,000 odd!