# How to create a blanks diagram for counting problems? [closed]

How can I create a blanks diagram for simple counting problems?

What I have in mind is something like this:

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{tabular}{ccccccc}
\underline{\phantom{abc}} & &
\underline{\phantom{abc}} & &
\underline{\phantom{abc}} & &
\\
3 & $\cdot$ & 2 & $\cdot$ & 1 & $=$ & 6 ways
\\
\end{tabular}
\end{document}


However, the spacing of that is kind of terrible. Unfortunately I don't know what this kind of diagram is called (if it has a name), and I haven't had any luck searching for packages or advice for making "blanks diagrams."

• Welcome to Tex.SX! It's better if you include a full minimal working example so that people can see what packages etc you need to get your code to work (but don't add code that is not needed). This makes it much easier for people to help you. In this case, could you also include a description/image of what you are trying to create as this is not clear to me at least. For example, what's wrong with your example code -- you say that the spacing is bad but what should it look like?
– user30471
Aug 11 '14 at 23:36
• Could you upload a sketch how the diagram should look like. You are obviously trying to make an impression of factorials, but I am unsure how the output should look
– user31729
Aug 11 '14 at 23:36
• You can use \cline{1-1} instead of \underline. Or better load booktabs (\usepackage{booktabs) and use \cmidrule{1-1}
– user11232
Aug 11 '14 at 23:38
• Shall the table (diagram) adapted to other counting problems dynamically?
– user31729
Aug 11 '14 at 23:40
• @ChristianHupfer It doesn't need to adapt dynamically. It's intended to show a fill-in-the-blanks approach to elementary counting problems.
– Nick
Aug 11 '14 at 23:41