Permutation and Combination: Definition

Permutations are (number of) different arrangements of the number of things of

a lot taking one or more of these things at a time, while combinations are
(number of) different sets/groups that can be possible to be made out of a given
number of things of a lot taking one or more at a time. In permutation, the order
of things in an arrangement matters but in combination it does not.
Illustration:
Suppose we have three things a, b and c; their permutations and combinations
by taking one, two or all three at a time will be as under:
Permutation Combination
One at a time a; b; c a; b; c
Two at a time (a,b); (b,a); (b,c); (c, b); (a, c); (c,a) (a,b); (b,c); (c,a)
Three at a time (a,b,c);(a,c,b); b,c,a); (b,a,c);(c,a,b); (c,b,a) (a,b,c)
Fundamental rules of counting
If one thing can be done in any of the possible m ways and another thing can be
done in any of the possible n ways then the two things together can be done in
m x n ways.
In case of choosing members of alphabet from a given set of n letters, the
number of ways of picking all of them, if repetitions are allowed, would be nn,
but if repetitions are not allowed, the number of ways of picking all the
elements would be n(n – 1).
 Permutation : Problems
Problem: There are 5 ways of traveling from a place A to another place
B. In how many ways a man can go from A to B and return if (a) any of
the routs is taken (b) the same route is taken and (c) the same route is not
taken. Soln: a. 5 x 5 = 25 ways;
b. only one way can be used to go and come back, but there 5 possible
ways to choose that one way. Thus the solution is: 5 x 1 = 5 ways; and
c. one way chosen in going A to B cannot be chosen for the return travel
and therefore, the number of ways = 5 x 4 = 20
Problem: How many phone numbers can be given with (a) 5 digits and
(b) 6 digits from natural numbers 1 to 9 inclusive?
Soln: Any digit
5
can be repeated, and the number 6of phone numbers with
5 digits = 9 = 59,049, while that with 6 digits = 9 = 531,441
Problem: In how many ways can a chairman and a vice chairman of a
board of 6 members occupy their seats?
Soln: The chairman may first choose any seat out of the six in 6 different
ways. The vice chairman then choose seat from the remaining 5 in 5
different ways. So the total number of ways = 6 x 5 = 30
Problem: In how many ways 3 rings of a lock can combine to form a
(code) number for lock/unlocking when each ring has 10 digits, from 0 to
9? Once such code is set, what would be the number of unsuccessful
attempts for someone to open the lock.
Soln: Number of possible combination= 103 = 1000; Since only one
combination may be set as the code, the number of unsuccessful attempts
would be 1000 – 1 = 999.
 Permutation : Problems
n!
The number of permutations of n different things taken r at a time =
(n  r )!
where n! = n (n – 1) (n – 2) (n – 3) ………….3.2.1
and the standard rules are: n! = (n – 1)! np = n
1
np =n! np n n pr =n x n - 1pr – 1
n n - 1 = pn = n!
and 0! = 1
Number of permutations of n different things taken r at time in which
each thing is repeated r times in any arrangement is nr.
Problem: Three persons into a railway carriage, where there are 8 seats. In how
many ways can they seat themselves? 8!
Soln: The number of ways = 8p3 = (8  3)! = 8 x 7 x 6 = 336 ways.
Problem: How many four letter words can be formed out of the words
LOGARITHMS? 10!
10
Soln: the number of possible permutations = p4 = (10  4)! = 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 = 5040
Problem: How many 4 digit numbers greater than 7000 can be formed from
the digits 3,5,7,8,9?
Soln: The first digit should be 7, 8 or 9 and can be chosen in 3 p1= 3 ways. The
remaining 3 digits (of the 4-digit number) can be chosen out of the remaining 4
(total number of digits given = 5 and one of them is already chosen as the first
digit) in 4 p3= 4 x 3 x 2 = 24 ways. Therefore, the total number of the required 4-
digit numbers = 3 x 24 = 72
 Permutation : Problems
Problem: In how many ways can 5 Bangla, 3 English, 3 French and 2
Hindi books can be arranged on a shelf, if the books of each different
language are kept together?
Soln: 5 Bangla books can be arranged among themselves in
5p =5 x 4 x 3 x 2 = 120 ways (5!/(5-5)!
5
3 English books can be arranged among themselves in
3p = 3 x 2 = 6 ways (3!/(3-3)!
3
3 French books can be arranged among themselves in
3p = 3 x 2 = 6 ways (3!/(3-3)!
3
2 Hindi books can be arranged among themselves in
2p =2 ways
2
Also, the 4 groups (sets) of books can be arranged among themselves
(as sets) in 4! = 24 ways. Therefore the total number of required
arrangements
= 24 x 120 x 6 x 6 x 2 = 207360
Circular Permutation and Permutation of Things not
all Different
Circular Permutations:
Problem: In how many ways can 5 boys and 5 girls can be seated
around a table so that no 2 boys are adjacent?
Soln: Let the girls be seated first. They can take sit in 4! Ways (since
once one of the girls take a seat around the table her position becomes
fixed relating to the remaining others). Now, the places` for the boys are
in between the girls and such positions for them are 5. Therefore, 5 boys
can occupy the 5 seats in 5! = 120 ways and the total number of ways in
which the boys and girls can take their seats in the given arrangement is
= 4! X 120 = 24 x 120 = 4880
Permutations of Things not all Different:
If in a set of things , p things are of one kind and q things of another
kind, r things are of a third kind and the remaining are all different, the
n!
total number of arrangements of all these things x = p!q!r!
 Combinations
Combinations are groups made by some or all things of a set taken at a
time (ignoring order/arrangements of things): For example, if a, b and c
are the three elements of a set, the combinations will be ab, bc and ca,
while the permutations would have been ab, ba, bc, cb, ac and ca.
n n! nC =1 nC = n nC = 1 nC
Formulae: Cr = n–1= n
r!(n  r )! 0 1 n
nC x r! = nP nC = n x n – 1C
r r r r–1
r
also, nCr = nCn – r n + 1C = nC + nC
r r r – 1

Illustrations:
Problem: In an examination paper on business mathematics 6 questions
are set. In how many ways a student can choose 4 questions?
6!
6
Soln: C4 =(6  4)! = 15 ways (6!/4!(6-4)!
Problem: In how many ways can 4 white and 3 black balls be selected
from a box containing 20 white and 15 black balls?
Soln: The number of ways for selecting 4 white balls = 20C4
The number of ways for selecting 3 black balls = 15C3
Total number of ways = 20C4 x 15C3 = 4855 x 455 = 2,204,475
 Combination: Problems
Problem: From 6 boys and 4 girls, 5 are to be selected in such a way that
there must be exactly 2 girls in the selection. In how many ways can this
be done?
Soln: If there must be exactly 2 girls in the selection, the group will have
3 boys and 2 girls and therefore, the selection can be done in 6C3 x 5C2 =
120 ways
Problem: In a firm 4 posts fell vacant and 35 candidates have applied for
the posts. In how many ways can a selection be made if (i) one
particular candidate is always included and (ii) one particular candidate
is always excluded?
Soln: (i) since one particular candidate is always included and he/she
will occupy 1 post, the selection for the remaining 3 posts out of the
remaining 34 candidates can be done in 34C3 ways; and
(ii) Since 1 candidate is always excluded, the posts remain 4 and the
number of candidates remain 34 and therefore, the selection of these
candidates can be done in 34C4 ways.
 Combination: Problems
Problem: A cricket team of 11 players is to formed out of 16 players among which
there are 4 bowlers and 2 wicket keepers. In how many ways can a team be formed if
it comprises (i) exactly 3 bowlers and 1 wicket keeper and (ii) at least 3 bowlers and 1
wicket keeper?

Soln: (i) If there are exactly 3 bowlers and 1 wicket keeper, the team will have 11
players with 3 bowlers out of 4 and 1 wicket keeper out of 2 and 7 other players out of
the remaining 10 (total 16 – 4 bowlers and 2 wicket keepers) and the number of
combinations would be 4C3 x 2C1 x 10C7 = 120 x 4 x 2 = 960

(ii) If the team has at least 3 bowlers and 1 wicket keeper, the combinations may be
1. 3 bowlers, 1 wicket keeper and 7 other players in 4C3 x 2C1 x 10C7 = 120 x 4 x 2 =
960 ways
2. 4 bowlers, 1 wicket keeper and 6 other players in 4C4 x 2C1 x 10C6 = 420 ways
3. 4 bowlers, 2 wicket keepers and 5 other players in 4C4 x 2C2 x 10C5 = 252 ways
4. 3 bowlers, 2 wicket keeper and 6 other players in 4C3 x 2C2 x 10C6 = 840 ways
Total number of ways = 960 + 420 + 252 + 840