This document provides an overview of permutations and combinations. It defines permutations as arrangements of objects in a specific order where order matters, and combinations as selections of objects without regard to order. The key formulas are presented: permutations use nPr and combinations use nCr. Several examples are worked out step-by-step for both permutations and combinations problems involving people, locations, and other real-world scenarios. Special cases like repeating elements are also addressed.
Relevance
Learn variousmethods of
finding out how many
possible outcomes of a
probability experiment are
possible.
Use this information to find
probability.
Example……
How manyways can
you arrange 3
people for a picture?
Note: You are using
all 3 people
Answer:
6
1
2
3
8.
Factorial……
This isthe same as
using a factorial:
Using the previous
example:
1
).....
2
)(
1
(
!
n
n
n
n
)
2
3
)(
1
3
(
3
!
3
6
1
2
3
!
3
9.
Factorial can befound on our
graphing calculator……
Example: Find 5!
Calculator Steps:
a. 5
b. Math
c. Prb
d. 4:!
e. Enter
10.
Example……
Suppose abusiness
owner has a choice of 5
locations in which to
establish her business.
She decides to rank
them from best to least
according to certain
criteria. How many
different ways can she
rank them?
Answer:
Note: She ranked ALL
5 locations.
120
1
2
3
4
5
!
5
11.
What ifshe only
wanted to rank the
top 3?
Answer:
This is no longer a
factorial problem
because you don’t
rank ALL of them.
60
3
4
5
12.
Permutation Rule……
where n= total # of
objects and r = how
many you need.
“n objects taken r at a
time”
)!
(
!
r
n
n
Pr
n
13.
Remember the
businesswoman
who only wanted to
rank the top 3 out of
5 places?
This is a
permutation:
60
3
4
5
60
2
120
!
2
!
5
)!
3
5
(
!
5
3
5
P
14.
Permutations can befound on
the graphing calculator……
Example: Find
Calculator Steps:
5
Math
Prb
2:nPr
3
Enter
3
5 P
15.
Example……
A TVnews director
wishes to use 3
news stories on the
evening news. She
wants the top 3
news stories out of
8 possible. How
many ways can the
program be set up?
Answer:
336
3
8
P
16.
Example……
How manyways can
a chairperson and
an assistant be
selected for a
project if there are 7
scientists available?
Answer:
42
2
7
P
17.
Example……
How manydifferent
ways can I arrange
3 box cars selected
from 8 to make a
train?
Answer:
336
3
8
P
18.
Example……
How manyways can
4 books be arranged
on a shelf if they
can be selected from
9 books?
Answer:
3024
4
9
P
19.
A factorial isalso a
permutation……
How many ways can
4 books be arranged
on a shelf?
You can do 4! or
you can set it up as
a permutation.
Answer:
24
4
4
P
Order Words……
Howmany ways can I
Listen
Sing
Read
1st/2nd/etc
Pres/Vice-Pres
Chair/Assistant
Eat
22.
Special Permutation when
lettersmust repeat……
Example: How many permutations of
the word seem can be made?
Since there are 4 letters, the total
possible ways is 4! IF each “e” is
labeled differently. Also, there are 2!
Ways to permute e1e2. But, since they
are indistinguishable, these duplicates
must be eliminated by dividing by 2!.
This leads toanother permutation
rule when some things repeat……
It reads: the # of permutations of n
objects in which k1 are alike, k2 are
alike, etc.
!
!...
!
!
!
3
2
1 p
r
n
k
k
k
k
n
P
25.
Example……
Find thepermutations
of the word
Mississippi.
Number of Letters
11 – Total Letters
1 – M
4 – I
4 – S
2 - P
Answer:
You can eliminate the
1!’s because they are
equal to 1.
34650
)
!
2
!
4
!
4
!
1
(
!
11
Let’s compare ABCD– Find permutations
of 2 and combinations of 2.
Permutations of 2:
AB CA
AC CB
AD CD
BA DA
BC DB
BD DC
Note: AB is NOT the
same as BA.
Combinations of 2:
AB
AC
AD
BC
BD
CD
Note: AB is the
same as BA
29.
When differentorderings of the
same items are counted
separately, we have a permutation
problem, but when different
orderings of the same items are
not counted separately, we have a
combination problem.
Example……
How many
combinationsof 4
objects are there,
taken 2 at a time?
Answer:
6
2
12
!
2
!
2
!
4
!
2
)!
2
4
(
!
4
2
4
C
32.
Combinations: There isa key on
the graphing calculator……
Find
Calculator Steps:
4
Math
Prb
3: nCr
2
Enter
2
4 C
33.
Example……
To surveyopinions
of customers at local
malls, a researcher
decides to select 5
from 12. How many
ways can this be
done?
Why is order is not
important?
Answer:
792
5
12
C
34.
Example……
A bikeshop owner has
11 mountain bikes in
the showroom. He
wishes to select 5 to
display at a show. How
many ways can a group
of 5 be selected?
Note: He is NOT
interested in a specific
order.
Answer:
462
5
11
C
35.
Example……
In aclub there are 7
women and 5 men. A
committee of 3 women
and 2 men is to be
chosen. How many
different possibilities are
there?
The “and” indicates that
you must use the
multiplication rule along
with the combination
rule.
Answer:
350
10
35
2
5
3
7
C
C
36.
Example……
In aclub with 7 women and
5 men, select a committee of
5 with at least 3 women.
This means you have 3
possibilities:
3W,2M or
4W,1M or
5W,0M
Now you must use
the multiplication
rule as well as the
addition rule.
The reason for this
is you are using
“and” and “or.”
37.
Answer……
3W,2M:
4W,1M:
5W,0M:
Add the totals: 350 + 175 + 21 = 546
350
2
5
3
7
C
C
175
1
5
4
7
C
C
21
0
5
5
7
C
C
38.
Example……
In aclub with 7 women and
5 men, select a committee of
5 with at most 2 women.
This means you have 3
possibilities:
0W,5M or
1W,4M or
2W,3M
Use the
multiplication rule
and the addition
rule.
First you multiply,
then you add.
39.
Answer……
0W,5M:
1W,4M:
2W,3M:
Add the totals: 1 + 35 + 210 = 246
1
1
1
5
5
0
7
C
C
35
5
7
4
5
1
7
C
C
210
10
21
3
5
2
7
C
C