PERMUTATION, COMBINATION & PROBABILITY

Generalization of Principle of Counting

If a choice of k steps, of which the first can be made in

n1 PERMUTATION
n2 ways, …, and Permutation is an arrangement of a group of things in a definite
ways, of each of these the second can be made in order, that is, there is a first element, a second, a third, etc
for each of these the k
th
can be made
nk ways, then the whole The number of permutations of n distinct objects taken n at a
n1 n 2 … nk ways. time is n!, i.e.
choice can be made in
n Pn = P(n, n) = n! = n(n – 1)(n – 2) … (3)(2)(1)
1. How many dinners consisting of a soup, viand, dessert and a
9. In how many ways can four books (Math, English, History and
drink are possible if we can select from 4 soups, 10 viands, 5
Science) be arranged on a shelf?
desserts and 4 kinds of drinks?
2. A test is composed of 10 multiple-choice question, with each Arrangement of n Objects Taken r at a Time
having four possible answers. In how many ways can a student The number of permutations of n objects taken r at a time is
answer all the questions? n!
3. How many numbers of five different digits each can be made n Pr =
from the digits 1, 2, 3, …, 9 if (a) the numbers must be odd, and
(n−r )! .
(b) the first two digits with each number are even? 10. In how many ways can the 5 starting position on a PBA team be
4. In how many ways can 5 boys and 3 girls be seated in a row of filled with 12 men who can play any of the positions?
8 seats if the ends are to be occupied by boys? 11. How many permutations can be made from the letters in the
5. How many 3-digit numbers can be formed from the four digits word “SUNDAY” if (a) 4 letters are used a time; (b) all letters
0, 1, 2, 3 if a) no digits are to be the same? b) the numbers are are used; (c) all letters are used but the first is a vowel?
odd? c) the numbers are even? d) repetition of digits is 12. How many numbers of five different digits each can be made
allowed. from the digits 1, 2, 3, …, 9 if (a) the numbers must be odd, and
6. How many numbers greater than 3000 with no repeated digits, (b) the first two digits with each number are even?
can be formed by the use of the digits 0, 2, 3, 4?
7. In a sweepstakes with 6 digits, how many possible ways can we Permutations of n Objects Some are Alike
select 6 digits if repetition is allowed? The number of distinct permutations of n things of which n1 is of
8. How many 3-digit numbers with no repeated digits using 4, 5, 6, one kind, n2 of a second kind, …, nk of a kth kind is
7, 8 can be (a) less than 520 (b) greater than 600 n!
N
n1 !n2 !n3 !... nk ! .
 21. In how many ways can we select a group of 2 men and 3
13. The number of ways of arranging the word PHILIPPINES is women out of 3 men and 4 women respectively?
14. How many signals can be made by arranging 9 flags in a line, if 22. A girl has 3 flowers, each of different variety. How many
4 are red, 3 are blue and 2 are white? different bouquets can she form?
Circular Permutations 23. A box contains 4 red, 3 blue, and 2 white balls. In how many
ways can we select 3 balls such that
Permutations that occur by arranging objects in a circle are
a) they are of different colors? b) they are all red?
called circular permutations.
c) two are blue and one is white? d) exactly 2 are blue?
N= ( n-1)! e) none is white? f) at least one white?

15. In how many ways can 7 different trees be planted in a circle?

16. In how many ways can 6 ladies be seated at round if a) they can PROBABILITY
sit anywhere? b) 2 particular ladies must not sit next to each Probability of Events
other.
Number of outcomes in event E
COMBINATIONS P( E ) 
A combination also concerns arrangements, but without regard Total number of outcomes for the experiment
to the order. n( E ) f
 
Combinatorial Formula n( S ) N
The number of ways of selecting r objects taken from n at a time 24. In a deck of 52 cards, what is the probability of getting a) a
is C(n, r) where heart? b) an ace? c) a red card?
25. Find the probability of obtaining a) head and the probability of
n!
C( n , r )= obtaining a tail for one toss of a coin. b) exactly one head in
r !(n−r)! . two tosses of a coin. c) exactly two heads in 3 tosses of a coin.
26. What is the probability of winning in the lotto for one share of
17. In a deck of 52 cards, how many ways can we select 5 hearts?
ticket?
18. In a lotto with 42 numbers, how many ways can we select 6
27. Find the probability of getting 3 aces and 2 jacks in a selection
numbers?
of 5 cards out of 52.
19. Given 5 non-collinear points in a plane, a) how many lines can
28. Consider the experiment of rolling a dice twice. Find the
be drawn? b) How many triangles can be drawn?
probability that the sum of the numbers obtained on two rolls is
20. A college faculty consists of 10 professors in a department.
either 5 or 7 or 9.
How many different ways can a committee be selected
consisting of two groups of faculty, one with group A with 6
professors, and the other group B with 4 professors?
 29. A point is selected at random inside an equilateral triangle P(A/B)  P(A) or P(B/A)  P(B).
whose side is 3 units. Find the probability that its distance to 31. Three balls are drawn from an urn containing 2 black, 3 white,
any corner is greater than 1. and 4 red balls. Determine the probability that they are in the
a. 0.577 b. 0.544 c. 0.597 d. 0555 order black, white, and blue if each ball is (a) replaced and (b)
not replaced.
Conditional Probability 32. One bag contains 3 red and 2 blue balls; a second bag has 4 red
Conditional probability is the probability that an event will and 5 blue balls. If one ball is drawn from each bag, find the
occur given that another event has already occurred. If A and B are two probability that (a) both are red; (b) both are blue, and (c) one is
events, then the conditional probability of A is written as P(A/B) and red and one is blue.
read as “the probability of A given that B has already occurred.” Probability Rules
30. In a certain survey among 60 males interviewed, it is found that
Multiplication Rule
45 are in favor of a referendum and 15 are against. Compute
the conditional probability P(in favor/male) for the data of 60 The probability that events A and B can happen together is
males. called the joint probability of A and B and is written as P(A and B).
Independent and Dependent Events The probability of the intersection of two events is called their
Two events are said to be independent if the occurrence of one joint probability. It is written as P(A and B).
does not affect the probability of the occurrence of the other. In other The probability of the intersection of two events A and B is
words, A and B are independent events if either P(A and B) = P(A) P(B/A)
P(A/B) = P(A) or P(B/A) = P(B).
The joint probability of events A and B can also be denoted by
An example of independent events
E1 and
E2 is when P(A  B) or P(AB).
E
drawing a ball ( 1 ) from an urn and after replacing the first, a second Conditional Probability
E
ball is drawn ( 2 ).
P( B and A)
E1 E2 If A and B are two events, then, P(A/B) = P (B ) and
An example of dependent events and is when
P( A and B)
E E
drawing the first ball ( 1 ), a second ball is drawn ( 2 ) without
P(B/A) = P( A ) , where P(A)  0 and P(B)  0. Notice that
replacement of the first.
P(B/A) refers to the probability of B given that A has already occurred.
If the occurrence of one event affects the probability of the
occurrence of the other event , then the two event are said to be 33. The probability that a randomly selected student from a college
dependent events. Using probability notation, the two events will be is a sophomore is 0.20, and the joint probability that the student
dependent if either is a math major and a sophomore is 0.05. Find the conditional
 probability that a student selected at random is a math major The probability of the union of two events A and B is
given that he/she is a sophomore.
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P(A and B)
36. What is the probability of getting a “king or heart” card in a
Multiplication Rule for Independent Events deck of 52 cards?
The foregoing discussion of the multiplication rule was based 37. In a college graduating class of 100 students, 58 studied math,
on the assumption that the two events are dependent, i.e. two events A 70 studied history, and 30 studied both math and history. If one
and B are dependent if student is selected at random, find the probability that (a) the
student takes math or history.
P(A and B) = P(A) P(B/A)
The probability of the intersection of two independent events Addition Rule for Mutually Exclusive Events
A and B is The probability of the union of two mutually exclusive events A
P(A and B) = P(A) P(B) and B is
34. A box contains 2 red, 3 white, and 4 blue balls. If 3 balls are P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B)
drawn at random without replacement, determine the probability
that a) all 3 are blue; b) 2 are blue and 1 is white; c) at least 1 38. What is the probability of getting a queen or a king card in a
is blue; d) 3 balls drawn in succession are red, white and blue; deck of 52 cards?
e) one for each color. 39. Suppose there are 1,800 students, in a certain college with 240
35. The probability that A and B hits a target are ¼ and 25 in elementary, 660 in high school, and 900 in college. If one
respectively. If they shoot together, what is the probability that student is selected at random, what is the probability that a
the target will be hit. student is either in high school or in college?
a. 11/20 b.1/2 c. ¼ d. 7/20 Binomial Distribution Formula
Union of Events Consider a binomial that has two possible outcome, success or
failure. Let P(success) = p and P(failure) = q.
Let A and B be two events defined in a sample space. The
union of events A and B is a collection of all outcomes that belong If this experiment is performed n times, then the probability of
either to A or B, or to both A and B and is denoted by A or B. getting x successes out of the n trials is.

The union of events A and B is also denoted by “A  B.” P( x successes )=n C x p x qn−x = ( nx ) p q
x n−x
=
n!
x !(n−x )!
p x q n− x
Addition Rule
40. Eighty percent of the graduates of a certain university who
The method used to calculate the probability of the union of apply for a particular medical school are admitted. This year,
events is called the addition rule. It is defined as follows four graduates from the said university have applied for
 admission to the medical school. Find the probability that only 46. Find the odds in favor of getting exactly 1 head when three coins are tossed.
two of them are accepted.
41. If a student randomly guesses at 5 multiple choice question, find a. 3 : 5  b. 5 : 3  c. 2 : 1  d. 1 : 2 
the probability that the student gets exactly 2 correct. Each 47. If the odds against event E are 2:7, find the probability of success.
equation has 5 choices. a. 2/9 b. 7/9 c. 9/14 d. 1/2
42. Find the probability that in tossing a fair coin three times there
will appear a) no heads b) 3 heads c) 2 heads and 1 tail d) 2 tails Multinomial Distribution Formula
and 1 head; and e) 3 tails. n!
P p1n1 p2 n2 ... p nk
Poisson Distribution Formula n1 !n2 !n3 !... nk !
48. A fair die is tossed 8 times. What is the probability of
The probability of observing exactly x number of occurrences
per unit of measure (hour, minute, cubic, centimeter, page) can be
obtaining the faces 5 ]and 6 twice and each of the other
found using the formula. once.
a. 0.004 b. 0.005 c. 0.006 d. 0.007
μ x e−μ Mathematical Expectation
P( x )=
x! 49. An item’s cost distribution is given as a function of the
where μ= the mean number of successes; e= the probability. What is the expected cost?
P( x)= the probability of Cost in Pesos 1 2 3 4 5
mathematical constant 2.7183; and
Probablility 0.20 0.28 0.18 0.23 0.11
getting exactly x number of occurrences.
50. In a dice game, one fair die is used. The player wins P20.00 if
43. Records show that the probability a tire will suffer a blowout in
the next year is 0.001. If 200 tires are used for a year, what is he rolls either 1 or 6. He losses P10.00 if he turns any other
the probability of exactly 3 blowouts? face. What is the expected winning for one roll of the die?
44. An average of 2 cars arrive at a highway tollgate every 10 a. P40.00 b. P0.00 c. P20.00 d. P10.00
seconds. If this rate is approximated by a Poisson process, what
is the probability that exactly 3 cars will arrive in a 10 seconds
period?
45. The number of cars arriving at a gasoline station follows a
Poisson distribution, with a mean of 3 cars every 10 minutes.
What is the probability that exactly a) 1 car, b) 2 cars, and c) 3
cars will arrive in the next 10 minutes?

ODDS