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Counting Rules

The document discusses fundamental counting principles and provides examples of using permutations and combinations to calculate the number of possible outcomes in different scenarios, such as choosing snacks from a menu, forming 3-digit numbers from a set of digits, and arranging objects in different configurations.

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ehllamaeescobar
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17 views

Counting Rules

The document discusses fundamental counting principles and provides examples of using permutations and combinations to calculate the number of possible outcomes in different scenarios, such as choosing snacks from a menu, forming 3-digit numbers from a set of digits, and arranging objects in different configurations.

Uploaded by

ehllamaeescobar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Counting Rules

Fundamental Counting Principles


The fundamental counting principle can be very helpful when you need to figure
out the possible number of outcomes of multiple events.
If an operation can be performed in n1 ways and if for each of these a second operation
can be performed in n2 way, then the two operations can be performed together in n1 n2
ways or n1 × n2 .

Example 1:

Snack Drinks
Choosing a snack and a drink from the
Drinks
canteen menu Snack
Egg sandwich
Ham burger C2 4 variants (a, b, c, d)
Chicken sandwich soft drinks 4 variants (a, b, c, d)
Ham and Cheese

Solution: 4 snacks x 2(4 variants) = 4 x 8 = 32 ways in choosing a snack and a drink

Example 2:

At a certain canteen, Mario can choose his merienda from 3 drinks and 4 sandwiches. In
how many ways can he take his merienda?

Solution: 3 x 4 = 12ways

Using the set of numbers {0,1,2,3,4,5,6} for

Example 3:

How many 3-digit odd numbers could be formed without repetition?


• Ones digit choices: 3 ways (1,3,5 only)
• Hundreds digit choices: 5 ways (except 0 and the odd no. placed in ones digit)
• Tens digit choices: 5 ways (include 0 but remove the numbers used in ones and
hundreds digits.)

Solution: 5 x 5 x 3 = 75 ways

Example 4:

Using the set of numbers {0,1,2,3,4,5,6}, how many 3-digit numbers can be formed if
repetition is allowed?
• Hundreds digit choices: 6 (except 0)
• Tens digit choices: 7 (any of the given is possible.)
• Ones digit choices: 7 (any of the given is possible.)

Solution: 6 x 7 x 7 =294 ways

Example 5:

Using the same set of numbers in number 4, how many 3-digit numbers can be formed
without repetition?

Solution: 6 x 6 x 5 =180 ways

Permutations
• arrangement of all or part of a set of objects in a definite order.

Example 6:

a) Supposing there are three posters labeled ABC. How many ways you can hang them
in a row?

Using a tree-diagram, we could illustrate the possible ways to hang the posters.

Ans. There are 6 ways.

b) How many distinct ways you could arrange 3 balls in a row if the balls are colored red,
green and blue?
The figure on the left tells us that there will be 6 distinct ways to arrange
the ball in a row.
How about if we have 25 different colored balls? Or 100? Of course, we could not just list
down or illustrate every possible outcome and total it. That would take so much time. So,
we have the formulas.

Factorial & Factorial Notation

The process of multiplying consecutive decreasing whole numbers is called a


"factorial." The notation for a factorial is an exclamation point
n! = n(n-1) (n-2) … (3)(2)(1)
n! is read as n-factorial.

Example 7

a) 5! = 5x4x3x2x1 = 120 where 5! is read as five factorial


b) 4! = 4x3x2x1 = 24
10! 10x9x8! 10x9
𝑐) 8! = 8! = 1 = 90

Definition

i) 1! = 1
ii) 0! = 1

1. Permutation of Distinct Objects


• the number of permutation of 𝑛 distinct objects is 𝑛! =𝑛 (𝑛−1) (𝑛−2) …(2)(1)
• the number of permutation of 𝑛 distinct objects taken 𝑟 at 𝑛 time is
n!
nPr = ,n ≥ r
(n − r )!
Example 8:
How many 3-digit number could be formed from the digits? 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Solution:
𝑛=5 𝑟=3
5! 5∙4∙3∙2∙1
nPr = =
(5 − 3)! 2∙1
= 5 ∙ 4 ∙ 3 = 60 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠

Example 9:

You have 10 pairs of shoes. But the shoe rack that you have in your room can only
accommodate 6 pairs. In how many ways can the 6 spots be filled?
Solution:
𝑛 = 10 𝑟=6
10! 10!
nPr = =
(10 − 6)! 4!
= 10 ∙ 9 ∙ 8 ∙ 7 ∙ 6 ∙ 5 = 151,200 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠

2. n Objects
• The number of arrangements of 𝑛 objects taken all at a time in which 𝑞 are alike 𝑟
are alike and so on
n!
q! r!
Example 10:

In how many ways can the letters of the word PHILIPPINES be arranged?
𝑛=11 "𝑃"=3 "𝐼"=3
n! 11!
= = 1,108,800
q! r! 3! 3!

Example 11:

In how many ways can the letters of the word MISSISSIPPIAN be arranged?
𝑛=13 𝑆=4 𝐼=4 𝑃=2
n! 13!
= = 5,405,400
q! r! 4! 4! 2!

3. Circular Permutation
• The number of permutation of 𝑛 objects arranged in a circle is Pn = (n − 1)!

Example 12

How many ways 4 different colored chairs be arranged around a table?

P4 = (4 − 1)! = 3! = 3(2)(1) = 6 ways

Example 13

In how many ways can 10 people be seated at a round table?


P4 = (10 − 1)! = 9! = 362,880 ways

Example 14

How many ways you could arrange 7 different flowers on a wreath?


P4 = (10 − 1)! = 6! = 720 ways
Combination
• is a way of selecting a set of objects without regards to order.

The combination of 𝑛 objects, taken 𝑟 at a time is:


n!
nCr = ,n ≥ r
r! (n − r)!

Example 15

Sarah has 8 colored pencils that are all unique. She wants to pick three colored pencils
from her collection and give them to her younger sister. How many different combinations
of colored pencils can Sarah make from 8 pencils?
𝑛=8 𝑟=3
8! 8x7x6x5! 8x7x6
8C3 = = = = 56 ways
3! (8 − 3)! 3! (5)! 3x2x1

How to identify if the problem is combination or permutation?


Think of sample outcomes:

Remember

Permutation – order is important


• ABC is different from BAC
• think of ordered arrangement

Combination – without regards to order


• ABC is the same as BAC
• think of members in a set

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