Permutation & Combination
Permutation & Combination
Counting
Multiplication rule of counting:
If
there are m ways a first event can occur and n ways
a second event can occur, the total number of ways
the two events can occur is given by
m x n.
The number
of ways n objects can be arranged in order.
n! = n x (n 1) x (n 2) x ... x 1
Note that 1! = 0! = 1 by definition.
Factorial
How many ways can you order the 3 letters A, B, and C?
There are 3 choices for the first letter, 2 for the second, and 1 for
the last, so there are 3*2*1 = 6 possible ways to order the three
letters A, B, and C.
How many ways are there to order the 6 letters A, B, C, D, E,
and F? (6*5*4*3*2*1 = 720)
Factorial: For any positive integer n, we define n factorial as:
n(n-1)(n-2)...(1). We denote n factorial as n!.
The number n! is the number of ways in which n objects can
be ordered. By definition 1! = 1 and 0! = 1.
Permutations:
The number of
different ways n
objects can be
arranged taken r at a
time. Order is
important.
Combinations:
The number of ways n
objects can be
arranged taken r at a
time. Order is not
important.
P(n,r)=n !/ ( nr)!
C(n,r)
n
r
n!
r!(n r)!
Permutations (Order is
important)
What if we chose only 3 out of the 6 letters A, B, C, D, E, and F?
There are 6 ways to choose the first letter, 5 ways to choose the
second letter, and 4 ways to choose the third letter (leaving 3
letters unchosen). That makes 6*5*4=120 possible orderings or
permutations.
Permutations are the possible ordered selections of r objects out
of a total of n objects. The number of permutations of n objects
taken r at a time is denoted by nPr, where
n!
P
n r ( n r )!
For example:
6!
6! 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1
P
6 * 5 * 4 120
(6 3)! 3!
3 * 2 *1
3
Examples
Permutations of 3 letters a,b,c , taken
2 at a time are:
ab , ba, ac, ca, bc, cb, Total 6 ways
or P( 3,2)
This is expressed as nPr or P (n,r)
Permutations of 3 letters a,b,c , taken
3 at a time are:
abc, acb, bca,bac, cab,cba 3P3 or
P(3,3)
Permutations ..
To find the number of permutations ,there are two
rules:
(a)MULTIPLICATION : If an event can occur in n different
ways and for each of which a second event can occur
in m different ways ,then the two can occur in mn
ways.
(b)ADDITION : When the events are mutually exclusive (
cannot occur together) the number of permutations is
given by m+n ways
Example : (a) There are 5 entrances to a Hall and 2 extra
doors to leave. Total number of ways a person can enter and
leave are 5x7=35 ways
(b) If there are 5 entry/exit points for men and 3 exit/entry
points for women, in how many ways they can enter and
leave ? 25 +9=34 ways
n r
r
r!(n r)!
For example:
6!
6!
6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 6 * 5 * 4 120
n
20
6 3
r
3!(6 3)! 3!3! (3 * 2 * 1)( 3 * 2 * 1) 3 * 2 * 1
6
Example
Combination of 3 letters a,b,c , taken
2 at a time are:
ab , ac, and bc, Total 3 ways or
C( 3,2)
This is expressed as nCr or C (n,r)
Combination of 3 letters a,b,c , taken
3 at a time are: (only 1 )
abc
3C3 or C(3,3)
Comparison example
If you have to select 3 letters of of A,B,C,D,E & F,
then:
Combinations (order is not important) is 6 C 3 (=20)
ABC,ABD,ABE,ABF, ACD,ACE,ACF,ADE,ADF & AEF
BCD,BCE,BCF,BDE,BDF,BEF
CDE,CDF,CEF
and
DEF
Exercises
(1) Find out :
P3,
P 4 , 8 !,
8C 3
Answers
(1) 504, 1680, 40320, 56,
(2) There are 6 digits :
2,3,4,5,6,7
Exercise
(6) There are 6 books on Economics,3 on
Mathematics and 2 on Accountancy. In how many
ways can these be placed in a shelf if the books
on the same subject are to be together ?
(7) How many numbers of 4 different digits each
greater than 5000 can be formed from the digits
2,4,5,7,8,0 ?
(8) 4 men and 3 women are to be seated for a
dinner such that no two men can sit together or
two w omen can sit together
Solution
(6) Take 6 books on Economics as X, 3 books on
Maths as y, and others as z.
Solution
(8) let the seats be numbered as
1,2,3,4,5,6,7
If 3 women are on 1,3,and 5 then men
have to be on seats 2,4,6, and 7. ( This
violets condition,ruled out)
So women seated as 2,4,and 5 and men
on 1,3,5, and 7
3 women on 3 seats in 3! Ways(=6)
4 men on 4 seats in 4! (=24 ways)
Total no. of ways= 6 x 24=144