Course Survey
1. State the problem.
We are given that 73 students take Sociology, 51 take Demography, 27 take Psychology, 2 take none of the three, 33 take Sociology and Demography, 18 take only Demography, and 5 take Sociology and Psychology.
We must find i) total students surveyed ii) number taking only one course iii) number taking at least two courses.
2. Definitions and variables.
Let $S$ be the set of students taking Sociology, $D$ Demography, and $P$ Psychology.
Let $x$ denote the number taking all three courses, i.e., $x=|S\cap D\cap P|$.
3. Use the Demography total to find the triple intersection.
The Demography total equals Demography only plus the regions that also include Demography: $|D|=|D\text{ only}|+|S\cap D\text{ only}|+|D\cap P\text{ only}|+|S\cap D\cap P|$.
Plugging the given numbers yields $$51=18+33+|D\cap P\text{ only}|+x$$
This simplifies to $$|D\cap P\text{ only}|+x=0$$
Counts are nonnegative, so $$|D\cap P\text{ only}|=0$$ and $$x=0$$.
4. Compute each region.
Sociology only is $$|S\text{ only}|=|S|-|S\cap D\text{ only}|-|S\cap P\text{ only}|-x=73-33-5-0=35$$
Demography only is given as $$|D\text{ only}|=18$$
Psychology only is $$|P\text{ only}|=|P|-|S\cap P\text{ only}|-|D\cap P\text{ only}|-x=27-5-0-0=22$$
The exactly-two regions are $$|S\cap D\text{ only}|=33$$ $$|S\cap P\text{ only}|=5$$ $$|D\cap P\text{ only}|=0$$
The triple intersection is $$x=0$$.
5. Final totals and answers.
Total surveyed equals the sum of all seven regions plus none: $$N=35+18+22+33+5+0+0+2=115$$
Number taking only one course is $$35+18+22=75$$
Number taking at least two courses is $$33+5+0+0=38$$
6. Answers.
(i) Total surveyed: $115$.
(ii) Only one course: $75$.
(iii) At least two courses: $38$.