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116

In order to avoid too advanced mathematics and
too great intricacies, I am compelled to take for
my example a problem where the Laplacian
method leads to much better results than it
does in those problems to which Laplace applies
it. I must ask you to make allowance for
this.

The problem is this. Suppose there
comes to the port of New York a large cargo
of many thousand boxes of toys, each containing ten toys,
all different in any one box, but
possibly recurring in different boxes.
Now the custom-house
inspector proceeds in this way. He