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3! 3 x 2 x 1 6
3_C_2 = ------ = ----------- = --- = 3
2!(1!) 2 x 1 (1) 2
Thus the number of permutations of 4 different things taken 4 at a time is 4!. (See Topic
19.)
(To say taken 4 at a time is a convention. We mean, "4! is the number of permutations of
4 different things from a total of 4 different things.")
In general,
Example 1. Five different books are on a shelf. In how many different ways could you
arrange them?
Answer. 5! = 1· 2· 3· 4· 5 = 120
Solution.
a) Let r be the second letter. Then there are 5 ways to fill the first spot. After that has
happened, there are 4 ways to fill the third, 3 to fill the fourth, and so on. There are 5!
such permutations.
b) Let q and e be next to each other as qe. Then we will be permuting the 5 units qe, s, u
a, r.. They have 5! permutations. But q and e could be together as eq. Therefore, the
total number of ways they can be next to each other is 2· 5! = 240.
Permutations
abc
acb
bac
bca
cab
cba
There are 6 permutations of three different things. As the number of things (letters)
increases, their permutations grow astronomically. For example, if twelve different
things are permuted, then the number of their permutations is 479,001,600.
Now, this enormous number was not found by counting them. It is derived theoretically
from the Fundamental Principle of Counting:
If something can be chosen, or can happen, or be done, in m different ways, and, after
that has happened, something else can be chosen in n different ways, then the number of
ways of choosing both of them is m · n.
For example, imagine putting the letters a, b, c, d into a hat, and then drawing two of
them in succession. We can draw the first in 4 different ways: either a or b or c or d.
After that has happened, there are 3 ways to choose the second. That is, to each of those
4 ways there correspond 3. Therefore, there are 4· 3 or 12 possible ways to choose two
letters from four.
a b c d
b a a a
a b c d
c c b b
a b c d
d d d c
ab means that a was chosen first and b second; ba means that b was chosen first and a
second; and so on.
Let us now consider the total number of permutations of all four letters. There are 4 ways
to choose the first. 3 ways remain to choose the second, 2 ways to choose the third, and 1
way to choose the last. Therefore the number of permutations of 4 different things is
4· 3· 2· 1 = 24
Thus the number of permutations of 4 different things taken 4 at a time is 4!. (See Topic
19.)
(To say taken 4 at a time is a convention. We mean, "4! is the number of permutations of
4 different things from a total of 4 different things.")
In general,
Example 1. Five different books are on a shelf. In how many different ways could you
arrange them?
Answer. 5! = 1· 2· 3· 4· 5 = 120
Solution.
a) Let r be the second letter. Then there are 5 ways to fill the first spot. After that has
happened, there are 4 ways to fill the third, 3 to fill the fourth, and so on. There are 5!
such permutations.
b) Let q and e be next to each other as qe. Then we will be permuting the 5 units qe, s, u
a, r.. They have 5! permutations. But q and e could be together as eq. Therefore, the
total number of ways they can be next to each other is 2· 5! = 240.
We have seen that the number of ways of choosing 2 letters from 4 is 4· 3 = 12. We call
this
The lower index 2 indicates the number of factors. The upper index 4 indicates the first
factor.
For example, 8P3 means "the number of permutations of 8 different things taken 3 at a
time." And
8
P3 = 8· 7· 6
= 56· 6
= 50· 6 + 6· 6
= 336
For, there are 8 ways to choose the first, 7 ways to choose the second, and 6 ways to
choose the third.
In general,
n
Pk = n(n − 1)(n − 2)· · · to k factors
Factorial representation
8
! 8· 7·
=
5 6
!
Now, 8· 7· 6 is 8P3. We see, then, that 8P3 can be expressed in terms of factorials as
8
8 8 ! !
P3 = =
(8 − 3)! 5
!
n n!
P . . . . . . . . . . . .
= (n −
k (1)
k)!
The upper factorial is the upper index of P, while the lower factorial is the difference of
the indices.
10
Example 3. Express P4 in terms of factorials.
10
10
P4 = !
Solution.
6!
The upper factorial is the upper index, and the lower factorial is the difference of the
indices. When the 6!'s cancel, the numerator becomes 10· 9· 8· 7.
n
n
Solution. n! !
n = = = ! = n!
Pn (n − n)! 0
1
!
n
Pn is the number of permutations of n different things taken n at a time -- it is the total
number of permutations of n things: n!. The definition 0! = 1 makes line (1) above
valid for all values of k: k = 0, 1, 2, . . . , n.
To see the answer, pass your mouse over the colored area.
To cover the answer again, click "Refresh" ("Reload").
4! = 1· 2· 3· 4 = 24
Problem 3. a) How many different arrangements are there of the letters of the word
numbers?
7
!
5
,
0
4
0
Set b as the first letter, and permute the remaining 6. Therefore, there are
6! such arrangements.
Problem 4. a) How many different arrangements (permutations) are there of the digits
01234?
5
!
1
2
0
b) How many 5-digit numbers can you make of those digits, in which the
Since 0 cannot be first, remove it. Then there will be 4 ways to choose the
first digit. Now replace 0. It will now be one of 4 remaining digits.
Therefore, there will be 4 ways to fill the second spot, 3 ways to fill the
third, and so on. The total number of 5-digit numbers, then, is 4· 4! = 4· 24
= 96.
Again, 0 cannot be first, so remove it. Since the number must be odd, it
must end in either 1 or 3. Place 1, then, in the last position. _ _ _ _ 1.
Therefore, for the first position, we may choose either 2, 3, or 4, so that
there are 3 ways to choose the first digit. Now replace 0. Hence, there
will be 3 ways to choose the second position, 2 ways to choose the third,
and 1 way to choose the fourth. Therefore, the total number of odd
numbers that end in 1, is 3· 3· 2· 1 = 18. The same analysis holds if we
place 3 in the last position, so that the total number of odd numbers is
2· 18 = 36.
Problem 5.
a) If the five letters a, b, c, d, e are put into a hat, in how many different
a) ways could you draw one out? 5
b) When one of them has been drawn, in how many ways could you
a) draw a second? 4
e) Evaluate 5P3. 5· 4· 3 = 60
Problem 5. Evaluate
6 10 7
a) P3 = 120 b) P2 = 90 c) P5 = 2520
8
n! 12
n 12 8 ! m m!
a) Pk (n − b) P7 ! c) P2 d) P0
6 m!
k)! 5!
!
Section 1: Permutations
In permutations, the order is all important -- we count abc as different from bca. But in
combinations we are concerned only that a, b, and c have been selected. abc and bca are
the same combination.
n
Ck = The number of combinations of n things taken k at a time.
Now, how are the number of combinations nCk related to the number of permutations,
n
Pk ? To be specific, how are the combinations 4C3 related to the permutations 4P3?
Since the order does not matter in combinations, there are clearly fewer combinations
than permutations. The combinations are contained among the permutations -- they are a
"subset" of the permutations. Each of those four combinations, in fact, will give rise to 3!
permutations:
ab ab ac bc
c d d d
ad ad bd
acb
b c c
ba ca cb
bac
d d d
bd cd cd
bca
a a b
da da db
cab
b c c
db dc dc
cba
a a b
Each column is the 3! permutations of that combination. But they are all one
combination -- because the order does not matter. Hence there are 3! times as many
permutations as combinations. 4C3 , therefore, will be 4P3 divided by 3! -- the number of
permutations that each combination generates.
4 4· 3· 2
C3 = =
3! 1· 2· 3
Notice: The numerator and denominator have the same number of factors, 3, which is
indicated by the lower index. The numerator has 3 factors starting with the upper index
and going down, while the denominator is 3!.
In general, nCk = .
k!
n(n − 1)(n − 2)· · · to k
n
Ck = factors
k!
5· 4· 3·
2
Solution. 5C4 = = 5
1· 2· 3·
4
Again, both the numerator and denominator have the number of factors indicated by the
lower index, which in this case is 4. The numerator has four factors beginning with the
upper index 5 and going backwards. The denominator is 4!.
8· 7· 6· 5· 4·
3
Solution. 8C6 = = 28
1· 2· 3· 4· 5·
6
Both the numerator and denominator have 6 factors. The entire denominator cancels into
the numerator. This will always be the case.
8·
7
Solution. 8C2 = = 28
1·
2
We see that 8C2 , the number of ways of taking 2 things from 8, is equal to 8C6 (Example
2), the number of ways of taking 8 minus 2, or 6. For, the number of ways of taking 2, is
the same as the number of ways of leaving 6 behind.
Always:
n
Ck = nCn − k
The bottom indices, k on the left and n − k on the right, together add up to n.
n n(n − 1)(n − 2)
Solution. C3 =
1· 2· 3
Factorial representation
n n!
Ck =
(n − k)! k!
Note also the convention that the factorial of the lower index, k, is written in the
denominator on the right.
8!
8 . (Note: 5 + 3 in the denominator equals 8 in
Example 5. C3 = 5!
the numerator.
3!
8· 7·
Show that this is equal to 6
.
1· 2·
3
8! = 8· 7· 6· 5 = 8· 7· .
5! ! 6
5!· 1· 2· 1· 2·
3!
3 3
8! 8!
8 8 . But 2! 6! is equal to 6! 2!.
Solution. C6 = 2! . C2 = 6!
6! 2!
Therefore, we see that the number of ways of taking 6 things from 8, is the same as the
number of ways of taking 2.
8
C6 = 8C2
In general,
n
Ck = nCn − k
8!
8
Solution. C0 = 8! . Since 0! = 1, that fraction is equal to 1. There is
0!
only 1 way to take 0 things from 8. This is the same as the number of ways of taking all
8.
m!
m
Cj =
(m − j)! j!
The lower factorials are the difference of the indices, m − j, times the lower index, j.
n − (k + 1) = n − k − 1
Therefore,
n
Ck + 1 = n!
(n − k − 1)! (k +
1)!
Problem 7.
To see the answer, pass your mouse over the colored area.
To cover the answer again, click "Refresh" ("Reload").
a, b, c,
d.
ab, ac,
ad, bc,
bd, cd.
abc,
abd,
acd,
bcd.
abcd
Problem 8.
* * *
n
C = n(n − 1)(n − 2)· · · to k
k factors
k!
Problem 9. You have 5 shirts, but you will select only 3 for your vacation. In how many
different ways can you do this?
5
C3 = 10. The order in which you select them does not matter.
6 5 10 10
a) C4 = 15 b) C3 = 10 c) C2 = 45 d) C8 = 45
8 8 4 4
e) C5 = 56 f) C3 = 56 g) C4 =1 h) C0 =1
Problem 11.
a) Write out nC4 . Notice how the last factor in the numerator is
a) related to the lower index.
* * *
n n!
Ck =
(n − k)! k!
u! 9! 12!
u 9 9! 9 12
a) Cv b) C3 c) C6 3! d) C11 1!
6! 3!
(u − v)! v! 6! 11!
12!
12 12! 12
e) C12 f) C0 12!
0! 12!
0!
Therefore, what number is 12C0 ? 1
n n! n+1 (n + 1)!
a) Cn − k b) Ck
k! (n − k)! (n − k + 1)! k!
n! (n − 1)!
n n−1
c) Ck − 1 (n − k + 1)! (k − d) Ck − 1 (n − k)! (k −
1)! 1)!
Problem 14.
C
3
=
1
0
C
2
=
1
0
n
c) Prove: Ck = nCn − k
n! n!
n
Ck = (n − k)! = k! (n − = nCn − k
k! k)!
What is the sum of all the combinations of n things? That is, what is the sum of nC0 +
n
C1 + nC2 + . . . + nCn?
That is, in how many different ways could we choose either none of them, or any 1, or
any 2, or any 3, or all 4?
To a, then, there will be 2 possibilities. After that has happened, b will have one of those
2 assignments. After that, so will c, and after that so will d. The total number of possible
assignments of Yes or No, then, is
2· 2· 2· 2 = 24.
This is the total number of ways that we could choose any of those four letters. The sum
of all the combinations of 4 things is 24.
4
C0 + 4C1 + 4C2 + 4C3 + 4C4 = 1 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 1
= 16
= 24.
a b c d
Yes Yes Yes Yes
No Yes Yes Yes
Yes No Yes Yes
Yes Yes No Yes
Yes Yes Yes No
No No Yes Yes
No Yes No Yes
No Yes Yes No
Yes No No Yes
Yes No Yes No
Yes Yes No No
No No No Yes
No No Yes No
No Yes No No
Yes No No No
No No No No
Problem 15. At Joe's Pizza Parlor, in addition to cheese there are 8 different toppings. If
you can order any number of toppings, then how many different toppings are possible?
Problem 16.
a) A door can be opened only with a security code that consists of five
a) buttons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. A code consists of pressing any one button, or
a) any two, or any three, or any four, or all five.
a) How many possible codes are there?
a) (You are to press all the buttons at once, so the order doesn't matter.)
This is the sum of all the combinations of 5 things -- except not taking any,
5
C0, which is 1. The sum of all those combinations, then, is 25 − 1 = 32 − 1 =
31.
b) If, to open the door you must press three codes, then how many
b) possible ways are there to open the door?
a) Assume that the same code may be repeated.
There are 31 ways to choose the first code. Again, 31 ways to choose the
second, and 31 ways to choose the third. Therefore, the total number of ways
to open the door is 313 = 29,791.
Topic 23, Section 2 - Combinations
Section 1: Permutations
Combination problems
In permutations, the order is all important -- we count abc as different from bca. But in
combinations we are concerned only that a, b, and c have been selected. abc and bca are
the same combination.
n
Ck = The number of combinations of n things taken k at a time.
Now, how are the number of combinations nCk related to the number of permutations,
n
Pk ? To be specific, how are the combinations 4C3 related to the permutations 4P3?
Since the order does not matter in combinations, there are clearly fewer combinations
than permutations. The combinations are contained among the permutations -- they are a
"subset" of the permutations. Each of those four combinations, in fact, will give rise to 3!
permutations:
ab ab ac bc
c d d d
ad ad bd
acb
b c c
ba ca cb
bac
d d d
bd cd cd
bca
a a b
da da db
cab
b c c
cba db dc dc
a a b
Each column is the 3! permutations of that combination. But they are all one
combination -- because the order does not matter. Hence there are 3! times as many
permutations as combinations. 4C3 , therefore, will be 4P3 divided by 3! -- the number of
permutations that each combination generates.
4· 3·
4 2
C3 = =
3! 1· 2·
3
Notice: The numerator and denominator have the same number of factors, 3, which is
indicated by the lower index. The numerator has 3 factors starting with the upper index
and going down, while the denominator is 3!.
In general, nCk = .
k!
n(n − 1)(n − 2)· · · to k
n
Ck = factors
k!
5· 4· 3·
2
Solution. 5C4 = = 5
1· 2· 3·
4
Again, both the numerator and denominator have the number of factors indicated by the
lower index, which in this case is 4. The numerator has four factors beginning with the
upper index 5 and going backwards. The denominator is 4!.
8· 7· 6· 5· 4·
3
Solution. 8C6 = = 28
1· 2· 3· 4· 5·
6
Both the numerator and denominator have 6 factors. The entire denominator cancels into
the numerator. This will always be the case.
We see that 8C2 , the number of ways of taking 2 things from 8, is equal to 8C6 (Example
2), the number of ways of taking 8 minus 2, or 6. For, the number of ways of taking 2, is
the same as the number of ways of leaving 6 behind.
Always:
n
Ck = nCn − k
The bottom indices, k on the left and n − k on the right, together add up to n.
n n(n − 1)(n − 2)
Solution. C3 =
1· 2· 3
Factorial representation
n n!
Ck =
(n − k)! k!
Note also the convention that the factorial of the lower index, k, is written in the
denominator on the right.
8!
8 . (Note: 5 + 3 in the denominator equals 8 in
Example 5. C3 = 5!
the numerator.
3!
8· 7· 6· 5 8· 7·
8!
! 6
5! = = .
5!· 1· 2· 1· 2·
3!
3 3
8! 8!
8 8 . But 2! 6! is equal to 6! 2!.
Solution. C6 = 2! . C2 = 6!
6! 2!
Therefore, we see that the number of ways of taking 6 things from 8, is the same as the
number of ways of taking 2.
8
C6 = 8C2
In general,
n
Ck = nCn − k
8!
8
Solution. C0 = 8! . Since 0! = 1, that fraction is equal to 1. There is
0!
only 1 way to take 0 things from 8. This is the same as the number of ways of taking all
8.
m!
m
Cj =
(m − j)! j!
The lower factorials are the difference of the indices, m − j, times the lower index, j.
Let us apply this to nCk + 1. The difference of the indices is
n − (k + 1) = n − k − 1
Therefore,
n!
n
Ck + 1 =
(n − k − 1)! (k +
1)!
Problem 7.
To see the answer, pass your mouse over the colored area.
To cover the answer again, click "Refresh" ("Reload").
a, b, c,
d.
ab, ac,
ad, bc,
bd, cd.
abc,
abd,
acd,
bcd.
abcd
Problem 8.
* * *
6 5 10 10
a) C4 = 15 b) C3 = 10 c) C2 = 45 d) C8 = 45
8 8 4 4
e) C5 = 56 f) C3 = 56 g) C4 =1 h) C0 =1
Problem 11.
a) Write out nC4 . Notice how the last factor in the numerator is
a) related to the lower index.
* * *
n n!
Ck =
(n − k)! k!
u 9 9 12
a) Cv u! b) C3 9! c) C6 9! d) C11 12!
6! 3! 3! 1!
(u − v)! v! 6! 11!
12!
12 12! 12
e) C12 f) C0 12!
0! 12!
0!
n n! n+1 (n + 1)!
a) Cn − k b) Ck
k! (n − k)! (n − k + 1)! k!
n! (n − 1)!
n n−1
c) Ck − 1 (n − k + 1)! (k − d) Ck − 1 (n − k)! (k −
1)! 1)!
Problem 14.
C
3
=
1
0
C
2
=
1
0
n
c) Prove: Ck = nCn − k
n
Ck = n! = n! = nCn − k
(n − k)! k! (n −
k! k)!
What is the sum of all the combinations of n things? That is, what is the sum of nC0 +
n
C1 + nC2 + . . . + nCn?
To analyze that sum, let us consider 4 distinct things -- a, b, c, d. And suppose that we
are going to either choose or not choose each one of them.
That is, in how many different ways could we choose either none of them, or any 1, or
any 2, or any 3, or all 4?
To a, then, there will be 2 possibilities. After that has happened, b will have one of those
2 assignments. After that, so will c, and after that so will d. The total number of possible
assignments of Yes or No, then, is
2· 2· 2· 2 = 24.
This is the total number of ways that we could choose any of those four letters. The sum
of all the combinations of 4 things is 24.
4
C0 + 4C1 + 4C2 + 4C3 + 4C4 = 1 + 4 + 6 + 4 + 1
= 16
= 24.
a b c d
Yes Yes Yes Yes
No Yes Yes Yes
Yes No Yes Yes
Yes Yes No Yes
Yes Yes Yes No
No No Yes Yes
No Yes No Yes
No Yes Yes No
Yes No No Yes
Yes No Yes No
Yes Yes No No
No No No Yes
No No Yes No
No Yes No No
Yes No No No
No No No No
Problem 15. At Joe's Pizza Parlor, in addition to cheese there are 8 different toppings. If
you can order any number of toppings, then how many different toppings are possible?
Problem 16.
a) A door can be opened only with a security code that consists of five
a) buttons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. A code consists of pressing any one button, or
a) any two, or any three, or any four, or all five.
a) How many possible codes are there?
a) (You are to press all the buttons at once, so the order doesn't matter.)
This is the sum of all the combinations of 5 things -- except not taking any,
5
C0, which is 1. The sum of all those combinations, then, is 25 − 1 = 32 − 1 =
31.
b) If, to open the door you must press three codes, then how many
b) possible ways are there to open the door?
a) Assume that the same code may be repeated.
There are 31 ways to choose the first code. Again, 31 ways to choose the
second, and 31 ways to choose the third. Therefore, the total number of ways
to open the door is 313 = 29,791.