McDonald's Choice Menu?...

I walk past this great big billboard on my way to college every morning. At the moment, a McDonalds advert is up:

"The McDonalds New McChoice Menu. <8 pictures of fries, drink, big mac etc>. Only 99p each. In 40312 combinations."


This really bugs me. I got thinking about it: How can 8 items be arranged in 40312 ways? I assume the following could be valid combinations:
drink, fries, mcslurry
drink, fries, bigmac
drink
drink, fries
etc etc

If I were to work out the number of combinations I would do:
8C1 + 8C2 + 8C3 + ... + 8C8

But this doesn't equal 40312. Oh no. So, I played around with some numbers. The closest I can get is that they have (mistakenly) done something with 8P8, which equals 40320. This is, funnily enough, 8 more than the claimed combinations.

However, if they're using permutations they they count:
drink, fries and
fries, drink
as 2 different choices!!

Maybe there's a connection between the people who've made careers @ McDonalds, and people that are bad at mathematics...? :):p

or maybe that grease and oil have made them stupid ;)

Sue them for false advertising... and emm it wouldnt hurt to add a clause about the coffee being a tad burny :)

What makes it funnier is that they've done (or at least I think they've done) 8P8 - 8, counting permutations as combinations with the exception of single items!

Oh well. One Big Mac too many I think.:D :D

David
Did u see the thread re the new plastelina game.. i remember u liked the others.. i expect a 3 page algebraic formula for game 5 asap! :D

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...ght=plastelina

Chuckle, cheers beach, I did see the thread and I'm saving it for the weekend.

I'll prob crack it with the "dreaded M word"! :D :D

by my reckoning, 109600 different people could walk into McDonalds, and each could take a unique order without taking more than 8 items.

8p8+8p7+8p6....+8p1 = 109600

combinations instead of permutations yields 255 combos, assuming no takes 2 drinks or 2 McMuffins.

They've buggered it up from all angles!