Thus, each volcano independently chooses one of 3 levels, so total distinct ordered assignments: $3^4 = 81$. But if profiles are considered unordered across volcanoes (e.g., just the count distribution), then we must count the number of integer solutions to $x_L + x_M + x_H = 4$, $x_i \geq 0$, which is $\binom{4 + 3 - 1}{3 - 1} = \binom{6}{2} = 15$.

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:45:55 +0000

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