Permutations and Combinations

SET 2 :

I. Getting Started :
1. There are five bus services running between Delhi and Agra. In how many ways can a man go from Delhi to
Agra and return by a different service.
a. 25 b. 20 c.5 d.18
2. There are 12 yes or no questions. In how many ways can these be answered?
a. 2 b.4096 c. 144 d.None
3. A coin is rolled three times. How many possible outcomes are there?
a. 8 b. 3 c. 9 d. 6
4. A dice is rolled four times. How many possible outcomes are there ?
a. 216 b. 1296 c. 36 d. None
5 A person can go from station A to station B in 3 ways and from station B to station C in 2 ways, in how many
way scan he go from station A to C ?
a. 6 b. 3 c. 5 d. None
6. Each of the five set of questions in a multiple choice test has four possible answers. The number of different
sets of possible answers is :
a. 625 b. 3120 c.1023 d.1024
7. When four dice are rolled simultaneously, in how many outcomes will at-least one of the dice shows 3 ?
a. 1296 b.625 c.671 d.None.
8. There are 6 multiple choice questions in an examination. How many sequences of answers are possible if the
first three questions have four choices each and the last three have five choices each?
a. 8000 b.3125 c.16000 d. 64
9. There are 26 stations on a certain railway line. How many different kinds of single second class ordinary tickets
have to be printed, in order that it may be possible to travel from any station to any other station?
a. 650 b. 52 c. 26! d. (52!)/2
10. C(n,r) / P(n,r) ?
a. r! B. (r-1)! C. 1/r! D. (r+1)!
Answer key.
1 b 2 b 3 a 4 b 5 a 6 d 7 c 8 a 9 a 10 c

II. Demystifying Digits

1. How many three digit numbers can be formed without using the digits 0, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
a. 64 b. 180 c. 125 d. 216
2. How many three digit numbers can be formed using the digits 0 to 9 if repetition is allowed.
a. 1000 b. 720 c. 900 d. 648
3. How many three digit numbers can be formed using the digits 0 to 9 if repetition is not allowed.
a. 1000 b. 720 c. 900 d. 648
4. From the digits 1,2,3,4,5,6 , how many three digit odd numbers can be formed :
i. repetition of digits is allowed. ii. repetition of digits is not allowed. (respectively )
a. 108,60 b. 60,108 c.60,120 d.108,64
5. How many five digit numbers can be formed using the digits 0,1,2,3,4 and 5 which are divisible by 3 without
repetition of digits ?
a. 120 b. 96 c. 216 d. None
6. How many four digit numbers can be formed such that no two adjacent digits are same ?
a. 9! b.94 c. 10 x (93) d. P(10,4)
7. How many four digit numbers can be formed using the digits 0,4,6,7,8 that are greater than 6000.
a. 360 b. 375 c. 374 d. 400
8. Let 'n' be the number of different five digit numbers divisible by 4, using the digits 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 , no digit
being repeated in the numbers. What is the value of n?
a. 144 b.168 c.192 d. None.
9. How many integers from 6000 to 6999 have atleast one of its digits repeated ?
a. 504 b. 496 c. 900 d. None
10 How many natural numbers less than a million can be formed using the digits 0, 7 and 8?
a. 486 b. 728 c. 72 d. 240
11. How many four digit odd numbers are there in which all the digits are different?
a. 4500 b. 2240 c. 2880 d. None
12. How many four digit odd numbers are there such that if 4 is a digit used in that number, the immediately
following digit is 2?
a. 90 b. 3325 c. 3330 d. 85
13. How many number of times will the digit '7' can be written when listing the integers from 1 to 1000 ?
a. 280 b. 300 c. 343 d. None
14. The total number of nine digit numbers with different digits is :
a. 10(9!) b. 8(9!) c. 9(9!) d. None .
15. How many numbers are there between 100 and 1000 such that at least one of their digits is 6 ?
a. 252 b. 300 c. 280 d. 200
16. How many odd integers from 1000 to 8000 have none of their digits repeated?
a. 392 b. 1344 c. 496 d. 1736
17. If each of the permutation of the digits 1,2,3,4,5,6 is listed in increasing order of their of their magnitude, the
th
289 term will be
a. 326541 b. 341256 c. 356241 d. 314256
18. Find the sum of all the three digit numbers that can be formed using the digits 3,4 and 5 , repetition not
allowed?
a .888 b.5328 c.2664 d.3246
19. The sum of the digits in the unit’s place of all the numbers formed with the help of 3,4,5 and 6 taken all at a
time is
a. 18 b. 108 c. 432 d. None
20. Find the sum of all the four digit numbers that can be formed with the digits 0,1,2 and 3.
a. 415968 b. 425968 c. 415948 d. 415688
21. All the 7 digit numbers containing each of the digits 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 exactly once and not divisible by 5 are
arranged in the increasing order. Find the 200th number in the list .
a. 4315627 b. 4316527 c. 4316257 d. 4317256
22. How many five digit numbers divisible by 3 can be formed using the digits 0,1,2,3,4,7 and 8 if each digit is to be
used atmost once ?
a. 465 b. 624 c. 672 d. 744
23. How many seven digit numbers are palindromes ?
a. 900 b. 9000 c. 3024 d. 90000
24. How many three digit numbers are there in which hundred’s digit is less than the ten’s digit ?
a. 360 b. 900 c. 240 d. 324
25. A number of 6 digit numbers that can be made with the digits 0,1,2,3,4 and 5 such that even digits occupy odd
places.
a. 24 b. 36 c. 48 d. 60
Answer key.

1 a 2 c 3 d 4 a 5 c 6 b
7 c 8 c 9 b 10 b 11 b 12 b
13 b 14 c 15 a 16 d 17 b 18 c
19 b 20 a 21 b 22 d 23 b 24 a
25 c
III. Demystifying Letters/Words.
1. How many words can be formed by rearranging the letters of the word ' PROBLEMS' such that 'P' and 'S'
occupy the first and the last position respectively.
a. 720 b.719 c. 700 d. 360
2. The letters of the word SERENDIPITY are arranged in all possible ways. In how many arrangements are all the
vowels together?
a. 8! X 4! b. 8! X 6 c. 7! X 4! d. 2! X 7!
3. Find the number of 8 letter words formed from the letters of the word EQUATION, if each word is to start
with a vowel ?
a.25200 b.12500 c.5040 d.40320
4. In how many ways can the letters of the word PENCIL be arranged so that N is always next to E ?
a.120 b.240 c.360 d.239
5. In how many ways can the letters of the word EDUCATION be rearranged so that the relative position of the
vowels and the consonants remain the same as in the word EDUCATION ?
a.5!.4! b.5!.4! -1 c.5!.6! d.None.
6. How many arrangements of the letters of the words BHARAT will not have B and H together.
a.360 b.240 c.120 d.60
7. Find the number of 8-letter arrangements that can be made from the letters of the word DAUGHTER so that
all vowels occur together ?
a. 4230 b.4330 c.4320 d.4220
8. Find the number of arrangements of the letters of the word METROORTEM?
a.10! b.10! x 2! c.105400 d.113400
9. A codeword is to consist of two distinct English alphabets followed by two distinct digits between 0 and 9. For
example, CA 23 is a codeword. How many such code words are there which end in an even integer.
a. 14400 b.18200 c.18000 d.16360
10. Find the number of ways in which the letters of the word THURSDAY can be arranged such that no word starts
with T or ends with Y.
a. 9360 b. 31680 c. 29520 d. 30960
11. In how many ways can seven friends A,B,C,D,E,F,G can stand in a row such that A - C – D are always in the
order, but not necessary together will be :
a. 5040 b. 210 c. 840 d. 24
12. If the letters of the word CHASM are arranged to form five letter words such that none of the word repeat
and the results arranged in a ascending order as in a dictionary, what is the rank of the word CHASM.
a. 30 b. 31 c. 32 d. 33
Directions for Q 11 to Q 15 : The letters of the word MODELS are permuted in all possible ways and list in an
alphabetical order as in a dictionary. Assuming each arrangement as a word, answer the following questions :
13. Find the rank of the word SELDOM?
a. 631 b. 632 c. 634 d. 633
14. The first letter of the word whose rank is 435 is
a. M b. O c. L d. None
15. The position of the word MODELS when counted from the end of the list is :
a. 289 b. 288 c. 287 d. 433
16. Find the word whose rank is 555.
a. OMDELS b. OMELDS c. O MEDLS d. OMDLES
17. How many are words are there between MODELS and SELDOM in the list.
a. 198 b. 199 c. 200 d. 201
18. If all the letters of the word LISTEN are permuted and arranged in alphabetical order as in dictionary, then what
is the rank of the word SILENT.
a. 511 b. 510 c. 512 d. None
19. In how many permutations of the word PARALLEL all the L’s do not come together.
a. 360 b. 3000 c. 1680 d. 3360
20. In how many ways can the letters of the word VARIETY be arranged so that exactly two vowels are together?
a. 2880 b. 5184 c. 1440 d. 2160
21. Consider all possible permutations of the letters of the word ENDEANOEL. The number of permutations in
which letters A, E, O in odd positions.
a. 5! b. 2 x 5! c. 7 x 5! d. 21 x 5!
22. The number of arrangements which can be made using all the letters of the word LAUGH if the vowels are
adjacent.
a. 10 b. 24 c. 48 d. 120
23. In how many different ways can 4 physics, 2 math and 3 chemistry books be arranged in a row so that all
books of the same branch are together?
a. 1242 b. 1728 c. 1484 d. 1734
24. How many four letter words can be made out of the word PASSPORT ?
a. 240 b. 600 c. 606 d. 360
25. How many different four letter words can be formed (the words need not be meaningful) using the letters of the
word "MEDITERRANEAN" such that the first letter is E and the last letter is R?
a. 59 b. 56 c. 23 d. None
26. Find the number of 4- letter words, that can be formed from the leters of the word ALLAHABAD.
a. 270 b. 271 c. 287 d. 286
Answer key.
1 b 2 b 3 a 4 b 5 b 6 B
7 c 8 d 9 b 10 d 11 c 12 c
13 b 4 a 15 b 16 d 17 a 18 a
19 b 20 c 21 b 22 d 23 b 24 c
25 a 26 c

IV. Circular Arrangement

Note : There are two cases of circular-permutations:-
(a) If clockwise & anti clock-wise orders are different, and then total number of circular-permutations is
given by (n-1)!
(b) If clock-wise & anti-clock-wise orders are taken as not different, then total number of circular-
Permutations are given by (n-1)! /2!

1. Find the number of ways in which 5 people A,B,C,D,E can be seated at a round table, such that

A. A and B must always sit together. ( Ans 12)

b. C and D must not sit together. ( Ans 12)

2. In how many ways 5 Indians and 4 Americans can be seated at a round table if :
a. There is no restriction. ( Ans 8!)
b. All the four Americans sit together. ( Ans 5!. 4!)
c. No two Americans sit together. ( Ans 4!. 5!)
d. All the four Americans do not sit together. ( Ans 8! - 5! 4! )

3. There are 5 gentlemen and 4 ladies to dine on a round table. In how many ways can they seat themselves so
that no two ladies are together?
a. 2880 b. 24 c.1440 d.720
4. There are 2 brothers among a group of 20 can be arranged around a circle so that there is exactly one person
between the two brothers?
a. 2 x 18! b.18! c.2 x 17! d.17!
5. There are 7 people and a round table with 5 seats. How many arrangements are possible?
 a. 360 b. 504 c. 720 d. None
6. In how many ways 4 men and 4 women can be seated in a row , so that men and women are alternate ?
a. 28 b. 36 c. 4!. 4! d. 2. 4!. 4!
7. Amar is planning to give a birthday party at his Place. In how many ways can he invite one or more of his five
friends and seat them at a circular table ?
a. 84 b. 89 c. 78 d. 81
8. Amar is planning to give a birthday party at his Place. In how many ways can he invite one or more of his five
friends and seat them at a circular table along with him ?
a. 325 b. 205 c. 265 d. 320
9. Find the number of ways in which 6 beads can be arranged to form a necklace?
a. 120 b. 60 c. 360 d. 720
10. Five boys including Ravi and five girls including Chhavi have to be seated around a circular table such that no
two boys are adjacent and Chhavi is not adjacent to Ravi. In how many ways can this be done ?
a. 4! x 5! b. (4!)2 c. 3 x (4!)2 d. 3 x (5!)2
11. In how many ways can 4 married couples seat themselves around circular table :
(i) if there are no restrictions?
a. 8! b. 7! c. 6! d. 5!
(ii) if each husband must sit beside his wife?
a. 120 b. 96 c. 384 d. 268
(iii) if at least one husband sits beside his wife?
a. 3552 b. 4250 c. 2652 d. 3200
(iv) if no wife sits next to her husband?
a. 2448 b. 1248 c. 1448 d. 1260
(v) if men and women alternate?
a. 144 b. 72 c. 216 d. 240
(vi) if each husband must sit beside his wife and men and women alternate?
a. 10 b. 16 c. 12 d. 8
(vii) if spouses sit opposite each other
a. 48 b. 36 c. 24 d. 12
Answer key.
1 -- 2 -- 3 a 4 a 5 b 6 d 7 b 8 a 9 b 10 c
11 (i)b (ii)b (iii)a (iv)c (v)a (vi)c Vii(a)
In how many ways can 4 married couples seat themselves around circular table
a) if there are no restrictions?
b) if each husband must sit beside his wife?
c) if at least one husband sits beside his wife?
d) if no wife sits next to her husband?
e) if men and women alternate?
f) if each husband must sit beside his wife and men and women alternate?
g) if spouses sit opposite each other

1 Answer
a) If there are no restrictions?

Number of ways in which 4 married couples can be arranged around the circular table
= (8-1)! (∵ there are 8 persons)
= 7! = 5040

(Note : If 8 persons are arranged in a linear way, there are 8! ways to do so. But when it come to a circular
arrangement, the arrangements ABCDEFGH, BCDEFGHA, CDEFGHAB, DEFGHABC, EFGHABCD,
FGHABCDE, GHABCDEF, HABCDEFG are same (due to rotation). i.e., for each of the 8! arrangements,
there are 8 same arrangements. Hence we need to divide 8! by 8. i.e., total number of arrangements = 8!/8 =
7!.

Another way to approach this : Arrange one person at first. Since it is a circular table, it does not make any
difference where he sits. Other seats are then distinguishable relative to the occupied seat. Hence the
remaining 7 can be arranged in 7! ways. Total number of ways = 7!

In general, n objects can be arranged in (n-1)! ways around a circular table.

Another aspect is when observations can be made from both sides like in the case of necklace. see the first
question)

b) If each husband must sit beside his wife?

Group each couple. These 4 groups can be arranged in (4-1)! ways.

The two persons in each group can be arranged themselves in 2! ways.
Required number of ways = (4-1)! × (2!)4 = 96

for n married couples, required number of ways = (n-1)! × 2n

c) If at least one husband sits beside his wife?

We need to use inclusion–exclusion principle for this. Let's start by finding out the number of ways in which
at least one couple are sitting in nearby seats. Group any one couple, say couple1. therefore we can consider
there are total 7 objects(the grouped couple and other 6 persons). These 7 objects can be arranged around the
circular table in (7-1)! × 2 ways (we multiplied by 2 because husband and wife can interchange their seats
within the group). We will get similar arrangements for each of the 4C1 groups. So the estimated ways =
4C1×(7-1)! × 2

But we overcounted the arrangements where two couples are both together(say couple1 and couple2). Let's
find out the number of arrangements where couple1 and couple2 are both together. Consider couple1 as one
group and couple2 as another group. there are total 6 objects (couple1, couple2 and other 4 persons). These 6
objects can be arranged in (6-1)! ways × 22 ways (we multiplied by 22 because husband and wife can
interchange their seats within any of the two groups). Similar overcounting happened with every two
particular groups (i.e., couple1 and couple2, couple1 and couple3, couple1 and couple4, couple2 and couple3,
couple2 and couple4, couple3 and couple4)
Total overcouting due to this = 4C2 × (6-1)! × 22
therefore, estimated ways = 4C1×(7-1)! × 2 - 4C2×(6-1)! × 22

With similar reasoning, we can say overcounted arrangements by considering each three couples together
= 4C3 ×(5-1)! × 23

Similarly, total overcounted arrangements with all the four couples together
= 4C4 ×(4-1)! × 24

Adjusting the overcounts using the principle of inclusion–exclusion,

required number of ways
= 4C1×(7-1)! × 2 - 4C2 × (6-1)! × 22 + 4C3×(5-1)! ×23 - 4C4 (4-1)! × 24 = 3552

We can generalize this. For n married couples, required number of ways

= n∑i=1(−1)(i−1) nCi×2i(2n−1−i)!