A set is a set!

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arrg.

Warning: Will get a little technical.

If an exam question tells you: "Get how many sets of 6 elements can be formed out of all words of 5 letters"

The word set means "no repetitions, order doesn't matter" So the formula is:

Combinations( Power(26, 5) , 6 )

I did that. But I got the question wrong, the answer supposedly was:

Power( Power(26, 5) , 6 )

Why? Because when the exam said 'set' it was actually meaning "sentence" . I tried to explain in 1000 ways how the word 'set' meant ... well, what 'set' means. But the ultimate base of knowledge is what is done in classes. I guess that's where my mistake came from, if I had known in advance he was going to give random meanings to words I should have not missed that class.

I am breaking down, This sort of thing leeches 25% out of that exam's score. From what it seems I might fail the subject without those. Cause incredibly lame scoring rules made it very tight on me for this course - I got to get incredible grades at all the exams else I fail - I just am tired of failing subjects lame reason after lame reason, it is getting ridiculous. Really, and the guy would not accept the fact that he is absurdly wrong when he thinks set means sequence. He shouldn't even teach CS , what a ret*d.

Sorry to hear that... it sucks... I know... it happened to me all the time when I was in college. One thing to learn...professors never want to hear they are wrong no matter how wrong they are.

I would have answered the same thing. Namely (26^5)!/((26^5-6)!*6!).

I’ve experienced the same problem with annoying grading from profs. I’ve had it occur where I helped another student who clearly didn’t understand the material as well as me. Nonetheless he got a better grade on the exam. Why? Seems the professor was pickier when grading my exam than his. All the mark downs on mine were over anal details. That was the last time I helped anyone else study.