darin3 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I am a slow when it comes to math. I admit it. So, I have a question. The new Texas license plate is XXX-XXXX, where each X can be either a number from 0-9 or a letter between A-Z. My question is, how many license plates are there that begin with the same three characters? Is it 36 (26 letters + 10 digits) x 36 x 36 x 36? ... so, like 1.67 million? Thank you, :nerd:s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 3, 2011 Author Share Posted June 3, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montster Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I am a slow when it comes to math. I admit it. So, I have a question. The new Texas license plate is XXX-XXXX, where each X can be either a number from 0-9 or a letter between A-Z. My question is, how many license plates are there that begin with the same three characters? Is it 36 (26 letters + 10 digits) x 36 x 36 x 36? ... so, like 1.67 million? Thank you, :nerd:s Well, the first three characters can be 000, 111, 222, 333, etc. So that's 10 numbers plus 26 letters = 36. For the final four characters, each one can be any of the 36 numbers/letters, so 36^4, or ~1.68 million. Then you multiply that by the 36 combinations of the first three characters, so that answer is 60,466,176. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Algebra sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I am a slow when it comes to math. I admit it. So, I have a question. The new Texas license plate is XXX-XXXX, where each X can be either a number from 0-9 or a letter between A-Z. My question is, how many license plates are there that begin with the same three characters? Is it 36 (26 letters + 10 digits) x 36 x 36 x 36? ... so, like 1.67 million? Thank you, :nerd:s You are correct, if you mean for example how many license plates could start with the 3 characters OMG, 1.67 million is right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montster Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Well, the first three characters can be 000, 111, 222, 333, etc. So that's 10 numbers plus 26 letters = 36. For the final four characters, each one can be any of the 36 numbers/letters, so 36^4, or ~1.68 million. Then you multiply that by the 36 combinations of the first three characters, so that answer is 60,466,176. You are correct, if you mean for example how many license plates could start with the 3 characters OMG, 1.67 million is right. Oh, I guess I misinterpreted the question. I thought he asked how many license plates there are in which the first three characters are the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Do they use the letter O as it looks like a zero? The O can be used in fields containing only letters but not recommended if the field contains letters and numbers. To a lesser extent, the I and Q are also omitted in a few states for looking like a 1 and 0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackass Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 plus you have to eliminate those that would not be permitted, such as Big D!ck, A$$ Hats and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Why don't they make it easy on everyone and require your Social Security number be your liscense plate number? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 (edited) Why don't they make it easy on everyone and require your Social Security number be your liscense plate number? No state allows 9 characters (excluding the hypens) on their license plates. Edited June 3, 2011 by Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delusions of grandeur Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 (edited) My question is, how many license plates are there that begin with the same three characters? Is it 36 (26 letters + 10 digits) x 36 x 36 x 36? ... so, like 1.67 million? Actually I think you have one too many 36's in there (you multiply 36 3 times, one per each character), because I thought that number seemed awfully high. It would actually be 46,656. If you're asking how many possible 3-character combinations there are, then yes, that would be your answer... But if your question is "how many license plates are there that begin with the same 3-characters", then it would be 1/46,656 or .0000214% chance. Then if you want to determine the probability of how many people are rocking your same 3 numbers, you multiply that percentage with the number of registered license plates in the state. (Hey, you asked a nerdy question, you get a nerdy answer; Though I'm sure a real math nerd could come in here and make me look like an amatuer). Edited June 3, 2011 by delusions of granduer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 4, 2011 Author Share Posted June 4, 2011 Reason I ask is that I see at least a couple times a day license plates that start with the same 3 characters as my plate. It just feels odd, but I guess not. I'm guessing they probably dole out the plates in some kind of chronological order at the DMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Reason I ask is that I see at least a couple times a day license plates that start with the same 3 characters as my plate. It just feels odd, but I guess not. I'm guessing they probably dole out the plates in some kind of chronological order at the DMV. Our renewals are done by the month of your birthday. So around here, if you see the same first three letters, it's a good bet that owner has a birthday near yours and went to the same DMV outlet to renew and got new plates the same year you did. It's an option here to just get the stickers....not get new plates for a renewal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennykravitz2004 Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Why don't they make it easy on everyone and require your Social Security number be your liscense plate number? Better yet, your cell phone number. For when you're driving 55 in the hammer lane, and I'm behind you flashing my lights and trying to pass you on the left shoulder, I can call you and tell you to get your POS out of my friggin' way. Of course, this is assuming you'll click over from the call you're on already... Yes, as a matter of fact, I do own the road, now get off my property. (And by "you", I mean the "royal you", as in anybody but me.) IIRC, MO plates just depend on when you get your new plates and from which DMV office (i.e. sequential by DMV office location). Of course, I could be wrong. And I think the 36 x 36 x .... is right too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted June 5, 2011 Author Share Posted June 5, 2011 Yeah I don't think our plates have anything to do with birthdays, etc. I think they're just doled out chronologically in groups by the DMV office you go... so basically, the folks that have the same first three characters as me got their plates at around the same time at the same office. In fact, I was in Houston today and saw no one with the same first three characters. I see 'em here in Austin 3-4 times a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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