COMBINATIONS Examples:

COMBINATION OF OBJECTS Solve for the following:

A combination is a mathematical technique that 1. 𝐶(4,2)

determines the number of possible arrangements in a
2. 𝐶(9,6)
collection of items where the order of the selection does
not matter. In combinations, you can select the items in Solutions:
any order.

Two types of combinations (remember the order does

not matter now)

a. repetition is allowed, such as coins in your pocket (5,

5, 5,10,10)
b. no repetition, such as lottery numbers (2, 14, 15, 27,
30, 33)

COMBINATION WITHOUT REPETITION 3. In how many ways can a committee consisting of 4

members be formed from 8 people?
This is how lotteries work. The numbers are drawn one
at a time, and if we have the lucky numbers (no matter Solution: (Using the formula) n = 8, r = 4
what order) we win! 𝒏!
𝑪(𝒏,𝒓) =
𝒓!(𝒏−𝒓)!
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERMUTATION &
𝟖!
COMBINATION 𝑪(𝟖,𝟒) =
𝟒!(𝟖−𝟒)!

Consider the letters L, O, V, E and take three letters at a 𝟖! 𝟖∙𝟕∙𝟔∙𝟓∙𝟒!

= =
time without repeating any of the letters. 𝟒! 𝟒! 𝟒∙𝟑∙𝟐∙𝟏 ∙𝟒!

a) if order is important = 7  2  5 after common factors are cancelled

b) if order is NOT important = 70 ways
Solutions: 4. How many polygons can be possibly formed from 6
distinct points on a plane, no three of which are
a) If order is significant, we have
collinear?
𝟒! 𝟒∙𝟑∙𝟐∙𝟏
𝑷(𝟒, 𝟑) = = = 𝟐𝟒 possible arrangements Solution: The polygon may have 3, 4, 5, or 6 vertices.
(𝟒−𝟑)! 𝟏!
Thus, the number N of possible polygons is:

b) If order is not significant, we have the following groups

of three objects

LOV LOE OVE VEL

(There are only 4 out of the 24 selections that are

observed. 24 is the number of arrangements,
permutation while 4 is the number of ways of selecting
when the order is not important, combination.)

The combination of n objects taken r at a time is denoted

by 𝐶(𝑛, 𝑟). In some books, it is also denoted by nCr, Cn r, EXERCISES
or 𝐶𝑟𝑛 .
ACTIVITY 1: PUT SOME ORDER HERE

Combinations – the number of ways of selecting from a Study the tasks or activities below, and then answer the
set when the order is not important. The number of questions that follow.
combinations of n objects taken r at a time is given by 1. Choosing 5 questions to answer out of 10 questions in
𝒏! a test
𝑪(𝒏,𝒓) = , 𝒏 ≥𝒓 ≥𝟎
𝒓!(𝒏−𝒓)! 2. Opening a combination lock
3. Winning in a contest
4. Selecting 7 people to form a Student Affairs 3. How many different sets of 5 cards each can be formed
Committee from a standard deck of 52 cards?
5. Forming triangles from 6 distinct points in which no 3
points are collinear 4. In a 10-item Mathematics problem-solving test, how
6. Assigning seats to guests at dinner many ways can you select 5 problems to solve?
7. Drawing a set of 6 numbers in a lottery containing
numbers 1 to 45 5. In problem number 4, how many ways can you select
8. Entering the PIN (Personal Identification Number) of y the 5 questions if you are required to answer question
our ATM card number 10?
9. Selecting 3 posters to hang out of 6 different posters
10. Listing the elements of subsets of a given set 6. In how many ways can a committee of 5 be formed
from 5 juniors and 7 seniors if the committee must have
Questions: 3 seniors?
a. In which tasks/activities above is order or arrangement
important? Give an example to illustrate each answer. 7. From a population of 50 households, in how many
b. In which tasks/activities is order not important? Give ways can a researcher select a sample with a size of 10?
an example to illustrate each answer.
8. A box contains 5 red balls, 7 green balls, and 6 yellow
ACTIVITY 2: PERFECT COMBINATION balls. In how many ways can 6 balls be chosen if there
should be 2 balls of each color?
Study the following situations. Then, answer the
questions that follow. 9. From 7 Biology books and 6 Chemistry books, in how
1. Determining the top three winners in a Science Quiz many ways can one select 2 Biology and 2 Chemistry
Bee books to buy if all the said books are equally necessary?
2. Forming lines from six given points with no three of
which are collinear 10. Mrs. Rivera’s business is gown rental and sale. She
3. Forming triangles from 7 given points with no three of decided one day that she would display her 10 newest
which are collinear gowns in her shop’s window to attract customers. If she
4. Four people posing for pictures only had 5 mannequins and planned to change the set of
5. Assembling a jigsaw puzzle gowns every 2 days, how many days will have to pass
6. Choosing 2 household chores to do before dinner before she runs out of a new set to display?
7. Selecting 5 basketball players out of 10 team members
for the different positions
8. Choosing three of your classmates to attend your party EVALUATION
9. Picking 6 balls from a basket of 12 balls
10. Forming a committee of 5 members from 20 people A. Solve the following permutation and combination
problems.
Questions:
a. In the items above, identify which situations illustrate 1. In how many ways can you arrange 5 Mathematics
permutation and which illustrate combination. books, 4 Science books, and 3 English books on a shelf
b. How did you differentiate the situations that involve such that books of the same subject are kept together?
permutation from those that involve combination?

ACTIVITY 3: FLEX THAT BRAIN

Find the unknown in each item.

1. C(8, 3) = ___ 6. C(10, r) = 120
2. C(n, 4) = 15 7. C(n, 2) = 78
3. C(8, r) = 28 8. C(11, r) = 165
4. C(9, 9) = ___ 9. C(8, 6) = ___
5. C(n, 3) = 35 10. C(14,10) = ___ 2. In how many ways can 6 students be seated in a row
of 6 seats if 2 of the students insist on sitting beside each
ACTIVITY 4: CHOOSE WISELY, CHOOSE ME other?

Solve the following problems completely. 3. In a gathering, the host makes sure that each guest
shakes hands with everyone else. If there are 25 guests,
1. If there are 12 teams in a basketball tournament and how many handshakes will be done?
each team must play every other team in the
eliminations, how many elimination games will there be? 4. Suppose you are the owner of a sari-sari store and you
want to put 12 pieces of canned goods in a row on the
2. If there are 7 distinct points on a plane with no three shelf. If there are 3 identical cans of meat loaf, 4 identical
of which are collinear, how many different polygons can cans of tomato sauce, 2 identical cans of sardines, and 3
be possibly formed?
identical cans of corned beef, in how many different member of his group in the eliminations. The winner in
ways can you display these goods? each group advances to the semi-finals where they again
compete with each other. The five players with the most
5. A soloist is auditioning for a musical play. If she is number of wins proceed to the final round and play
required to sing any three of the 7 prepared songs, in against each other. Assume that there are no ties.
how many ways can she make her choice?
a. What is the total number of games to be played in the
6. In a dance contest, each participating group must eliminations?
perform 3 kinds of dance. If there are 4 choices for b. How many matches will be played in the final round?
ballroom dance, 8 choices for foreign dance, and 5 c. In how many possible ways can the top five players in
choices for hip-hop, in how many possible ways can a the semi finals come up?
dance group select their piece? d. In how many possible ways can the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
placer be declared in the final round?
7. If 3 marbles are picked randomly from a jar containing e. How many matches will be played altogether?
6 red marbles and 8 green marbles, in how many possible
ways can it happen that at least 2 of the marbles picked
are green? APPLICATION

8. There are 10 identified points on a number line. How Answer the following problems completely.
many possible rays can be drawn using the given points?
Give 3 examples of situations in real life that illustrate
9. You are transferring to a new house. You have a combinations. In each situation,
collection of books but you cannot take them all with
you. In how many ways can you select 7 books out of 10, 1. formulate a problem.
and then arrange these books on a shelf if there is space 2. solve the problem.
enough for only 5 books? 3. explain how this particular problem may help you in
formulating conclusions and/or making decisions.
10. At Enzo’s Pizza Parlor, there are seven different
toppings, where a customer can order any number of
these toppings. If you dine at the said pizza parlor, with
how many possible toppings can you actually order your
pizza?

B. Answer the following questions completely.

1. How do you determine if a situation involves

combinations?

2. To find the total number of polygons that can be

formed from 7 points on a plane with no three of which
are collinear, Joy answered:

= 35 different polygons

Is Joy correct? Justify your answer.

3.
(a) In how many ways can the 12 members of the Board
of Directors (BOD) be chosen from 12 parent-nominees
and 7 teacher-nominees if there must be 8 parents in the
BOD?
(b) After the 12 members are chosen, in how many ways
can they elect among themselves the 7 top positions
(president, vice president, and others)?

4. DAMATH is a board game that incorporates

mathematical skills in the Filipino game Dama. In a school
DAMATH tournament, there are 28 participants who are
divided into 7 groups. Each participant plays against each