Some Simple Counting Rules

EE304 - Probability and Statistics

Semester 1

Some Simple Counting Rules

Counting

If all outcomes are equally likely, the probability of an event E is

given by
|E |
|S|
where |E | (|S|) denotes the number of elements in E (S).
To apply this rule, we need to be able to count the number of
elements in events. We shall look at:
Multiplication Rules;
Permutations of distinct objects;
Permutations where some objects are identical;
Combinations .

Some Simple Counting Rules

Some Simple Counting Rules

Multiplication Rule Basic idea

If one operation can be done in n1 ways and a second operation
can be done in n2 ways then the number of different ways of doing
both is n1 n2 .
Example

Some Simple Counting Rules

Some Simple Counting Rules

Multiplication Rule Basic idea

If one operation can be done in n1 ways and a second operation
can be done in n2 ways then the number of different ways of doing
both is n1 n2 .
Example
If we roll a fair die and toss a coin, the total number of
possible outcomes is 6 × 2 = 12.
If we roll a fair 4-sided die 3 times, the total number of
possible outcomes is 4 × 4 × 4 = 64.

Some Simple Counting Rules

Some Simple Counting Rules

Example
A simple survey consists of three multiple choice questions. The
first question has 3 possible answers, the second has 4 possible
answers and the third has 3 possible answers. What is the total
number of different ways in which this survey could be completed?
3 × 4 × 3 = 36.

Some Simple Counting Rules

Some Simple Counting Rules

Example
A simple survey consists of three multiple choice questions. The
first question has 3 possible answers, the second has 4 possible
answers and the third has 3 possible answers. What is the total
number of different ways in which this survey could be completed?
3 × 4 × 3 = 36.

Example
A circuit board contains 4 relays each of which can be set to any
of three positions. What is the total number of distinct
configurations for the 4 relays?
Each relay can be set in 3 ways and we have 4 relays.
So the total number of configurations is (3)(3)(3)(3) = 81.

Some Simple Counting Rules

Permutations

How many different arrangements/permutations of n distinct

objects are possible?
The first object can be chosen in n ways;
The second object can then be chosen in n − 1 ways and so
on;
The number of ways of permuting (arranging in order) n
distinguishable objects is

n · (n − 1) · (n − 2) · · · 3 · 2 · 1

Or compactly, n! (n factorial).

Some Simple Counting Rules

Permutations

The total number of different ways in which the letters of the

word “count” can be arranged is 5! = (5)(4)(3)(2)(1) = 120.
It is important here that the letters are all different.
6 horses run a race. The total number of possible results of
this race (assuming no ties) is 6! = (6)(5)(4)(3)(2)(1) = 720.
A search engine ranks 11 websites related to a particular query
in order of relevance. How many different rankings are
possible? Answer 11!.

Some Simple Counting Rules

Permutations

What if not all the objects are distinct?

What is the total number of different arrangements of the
letters in the word “stat”?

Suppose the two “t”s can be distinguished. st1 at2 .

Then we would have 4! arrangements.
Each arrangement of the original word “stat” would generate
2! arrangements of st1 at2 .
4!
So the number of arrangements of the word stat is 2! = 12.

Some Simple Counting Rules

Permutations with some Objects Identical

In general if we have n items k of which are identical, the total

n!
number of distinct permutations is k! .

Example
How many different ways can we arrange the letters BBBACDE?
Answer 7!
3! = (7)(6)(5)(4) = 840.

Example
How many different numbers can be formed by rearranging
2212562?
Answer 7!
4! = 210.

Some Simple Counting Rules

Permutations with some Objects Identical

Example
How many different ways can we rearrange the letters of
MISSISSIPPI?

M I S P
I S P
I S
I S

We have 11 letters in total, of which 4 are ‘I’, 4 are ‘S’ and ‘2’ are
‘P’. In this situation, the total number of different rearrangements
is
11!
.
4!4!2!

Some Simple Counting Rules

Some Simple Counting Rules

r -Permutations
How many permutations of n distinct objects, taken r at a time
are possible?
Again, we have n ways of choosing the first object.
We then have n − 1 ways of choosing the second object and
so on.
When choosing the r th object, we have already chosen r − 1
objects, so there are still n − (r − 1) = n − r + 1 possible
choices.

Some Simple Counting Rules

Permutations

The total number of r permutations of a set of n

distinguishable objects is

n · (n − 1) · · · (n − r + 1).

There are r terms in the product.

The number of r -permutations of a set of n distinguishable objects
is written n Pr .
n n!
Pr = .
(n − r )!

Some Simple Counting Rules

Examples

Example
In a race with eight competitors, how many different
possibilities are there for who finishes finish first, second and
third?
Three major new roads are to be constructed and eight
companies have tendered for the three projects. If at most one
construction project is to be given to any one company, what
is the total number of ways in which the three contracts can
be awarded?

Some Simple Counting Rules

Examples

Example
In a race with eight competitors, how many different
possibilities are there for who finishes finish first, second and
third?
Three major new roads are to be constructed and eight
companies have tendered for the three projects. If at most one
construction project is to be given to any one company, what
is the total number of ways in which the three contracts can
be awarded?
Both of these have the same answer - 8 P3 .

Some Simple Counting Rules

Some Simple Counting Rules

Combinations
How many different ways can we select a set of size r from a larger
set of n distinguishable objects? The order of selection does not
matter.
We are asking for the number of combinations of n objects taken r
at a time. This number is written as nr .

Each combination/set of r -objects can be permuted in exactly

r ! distinct ways;
This means that
  n
n Pr n!
= =
r r! r !(n − r )!
.
n n



Note that r = n−r .

Some Simple Counting Rules

Counting - Examples

Example
How many ways can a company select 3 candidates to
interview from a short list of 15?
Answer  
15 (15)(14)(13)
= = 455
3 (3)(2)(1)
In how many ways can a subcommittee of 5 be chosen from a
panel of 20?
Answer
 
20 (20)(19)(18)(17)(16)
= = 15504.
5 (5)(4)(3)(2)(1)

Some Simple Counting Rules

Combinations - Examples

Example
A drum contains 3 black balls, 5 red balls and 6 green balls. If 4
balls are selected at random what is the probability that the 4
selected contain
(i) No red ball?
(ii) Exactly 1 black ball?
(iii) Exactly 1 red ball and exactly 2 green balls?

Some Simple Counting Rules

Examples

Example
(i) Total number of ways of choosing 4 balls from 14 is 14


4 .
Total

number of ways of choosing 4 balls, none of which is red is
9
4 .
So the probability that the 4 balls contain no red ball is
9


4
14

.
4

(ii) 1 black ball can be chosen in 31 ways, while the other three

balls can be chosen in 11

3 ways. So the probability of choosing
exactly 1 black ball is
3 11



1

3 .
14
4

Some Simple Counting Rules

Examples

Example
Probability of choosing 1 red ball and two green balls is
5 6 3




1 2 1
14

.
4

Example
A hand of 5 cards is dealt from a well-shuffled deck. What is the
probability that the hand contains:
(i) No aces?
(ii) 5 clubs?
(iii) At least one ace?
(iv) 3 clubs and 2 hearts?

Some Simple Counting Rules

Example

Example
(485)
(i) Answer: .
(525)
(13)
(ii) Answer: 525 .
(5)
(485)
(iii) Answer: 1 − .
(525)
13 13
( )( )
(iv) Answer: 3 52 2 .
(5)

Some Simple Counting Rules