Permutations and combinations Example 1

Permutation Find the values of the following expression

A permutation is an ordered arrangement of a (a) 5!

number of objects Solution
5!= 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 120
Consider digits 1, 2 and 3; find the possible (b)
arrangements of the digits
Solution
123, 132, 321
The total of six
231, 321, 321
(c)
This problem may also be solved as follows:
Solution
Given the three digits above, the first position =
can take up three digits, the second position
can take up two digits and the third position
(d) Four different pens and 5 different books
can take up 1 digit only
are to be arranged on a row. Find
1st position 2nd position 3rd position (i) The number of possible arrangements
3 2 1 of items
The total is thus 3 x 2 x 1 = 6 Solution
Total number of items = 4 + 5 = 9
If the digits were four say 1, 2, 3, 4 the Total number of arrangements = 9!
arrangement would be =9x8x7x6x5x4x3x2x1
1st 2nd 3rd 4th = 362,880 ways
4 3 2 1 (ii) The number of possible arrangements
The total is thus 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 24 if three of books must be kept together
Solution
In summary the number of ways of arranging The pens are taken to be one since
n different items in a row is given by they are to be kept together. So we
n(n – 1)(n – 2)(n -3) x ……….2 x 1 and can be consider total number of items to six.
expressed as n! The number of arrangements of six
If the total number of books is 6 items = 6! = 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1
= 720 ways
The total number of arrangements = 6! The arrangement of 4 pens = 4!
= 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 720 ways = 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 =24
Total number arrangements of all the
items = 720 x 24 = 17, 280

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Multiplication principle of permutation Number of ways in which David arranges = 5

If one operation can be performed Number of ways in which John arranges = 3

independently in a different ways and the
Number of ways in which either David or John
second in b different ways, then either of the
arrange the items = 5 + 3 = 8 ways
two events can be performed in (a + b) ways
The number of permutation of r objects
Example 2
taken from n unlike objects
There are 6 roads joining P to Q and 3 roads
The permutation of n unlike objects taking r at
joining Q to R. Find how many possible routes
a time is denoted by nPr which is defined as
are from P to R
n
From P to Q = 6 ways Pr = ( )
, where r ≤ n.

From Q to R = 3 ways In case r = n, we have nPn which is interpreted

as the number of arranging n chosen objects
Number of routes from P to R = 6 x 3 = 18
from n objects denoted by n!
Example 3 n
Pn = ( )
Peter can eat either matooke, rice or posh on
any of the seven days of the week. In how Example 6
many ways can he arrange his meals in a week
How many three letter words can be formed
Solution from the sample space {a, b, c, d, e, f}

For each of the 7 days, there are 3 choices Solution

Total number of arrangements Total number of letters = 6 and r = 3

= 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 37 = 2187 ways Total number of worms = 6P3

Example 4 =( ways
)
There are four routes from Nairobi to
Example 7
Mombasa. In how many different ways can a
taxi go from Nairobi to Mombasa and Find the possible number of ways of arranging
returning if for returning: 3 letters from the word MANGOES

(a) any of the route is taken Solution

= 4 x 4 = 16 ways
Total number of letter in the word = 7
(b) the same route is taken
= 4 x 1 = 4 ways and r = 3
(c) the same route is not taken
= 4 x 3 = 12 ways Number of ways 7P3 = ( )

Example 5 = ways
David can arrange a set of items in 5 ways and
Example 8
John can arrange the same set of items in 3
ways. In how many ways can either David or Find number of ways of arranging six boys
John arrange the items? from a group of 13
Solution Solution

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Number of arrangements = 13P6 Solution

=( The word ‘MISSISSIPPI’ has 10 letters with 4I,

)
4S, and 2P

The number of ways = 34650

= 1235520 ways
The number of permutations of the like and
The number of permutations of n objects of unlike objects with restrictions
which r are alike
One should be cautious when handling these
The number of permutations of n objects of problems
which r are alike is given by Example 12
Example 9 Find the possible number of ways of arranging
Find the number of arranging in a line the The letters of the word MINIMUM if the
letters B, C, C, C, C, C, C arrangement begins with MMM?
The number of ways of arranging the seven Solution
letters of which of which 6 are alike
There is only one way of arranging MMM
ways
The remaining contain four letters with 2I can
The number of ways of permutations on n be arranged in
objects of which p of one type are alike, q of
the second type are alike, r of the third type ways
are alike, and so on.
Example 13
The number of ways of permutations on n
objects of which p of one type are alike, q of (a) How many 4 digit number greater than
the second type are alike, r of the third type 6000 can be formed from 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and
9 if:
are alike given by
(i) Repetitions are allowed
Example 10 Solution
The first digit can be chosen from 6, 7,
Find the possible number of ways of arranging 8 and 9, hence 4 possible ways, the
the letter of the word MATHEMATICS in line 2nd, 3rd and 4th are chosen from any of
Solution the six digits since repetitions are
allowed
The word MATHEMATICS has 11 letters and position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
contains 2 M, 2A and 2T repeated selections 4 6 6 6
Number of ways
The number of ways = = 4 x 6 x 6 x 6 = 864 ways

= (ii) Repetition are not allowed

= 4,989,600 The first can be chosen from 6, 7, 8
and 9, hence 4 possible ways, the 2nd
Example 11 from 5, 3rd from 4 and 4th from 3 since
no repetitions are allowed
Find the possible number of ways of arranging
position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
the letter of the word ‘MISSISSIPPI’ in line
selections 4 5 4 3

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 Number of ways (d) How many odd numbers greater than
= 4 x 5 x 4 x 3 = 240 ways 60000 can be formed from 0, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
if no number contains any digit more than
(b) Find how many four digit numbers can be once
formed from the six digits 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and Solution
9 without repeating any digit. Considering six digits
Find also how many of these numbers Taking the first digit to be odd, the first
(i) Are less than 7000 digit is selected from 3 digits (5, 7, 9) and
(ii) Are odd the last is selected from 2 digits
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Solution
3 4 3 2 1 2
position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
selections 6 5 4 3 Number of ways = 3 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 x 2
Total number of ways = 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 = 360 = 144
Taking the first digit to be even, the first
(i) The 1st number is selected from three digit is selected from 2 digits (6, 8) since
(2, 3, 5), the 2nd number from 5, the 3rd the number should be greater than 60000
from 4 and the 4th from 3 digits and the last is selected from 2 odd digits
position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
selections 6 5 4 3 2 4 3 2 1 3
Total number of less than 7000
Number of ways = 3 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 x 2
= 3 x 5 x 4 x 3 = 180 = 144
(ii) The last number is selected from four Considering five digits
odd digits (3, 5, 7, and 9), the 1st Taking the first digit to be odd, the digit
number selected from five remaining, greater than 6 are 7 and 9 so first digit is
2nd from 4 and 3rd from 3 selected from 2 digits and the last is
selected from 2 digits
position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
selections 5 4 3 4 2 4 3 2 2
Total number of odd numbers formed
Number of ways = 2 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 2
= 5 x 4 x 3 x 4 = 240
= 96
(c) How many different 6 digit number Taking the first digit to be even, the first
greater than 500000 can be formed by digit is selected from 2 digits (6, 8) since
using the digits 1, 5, 7, 7, 7, 8 the number should be greater than 60000
Solution and the last is selected from 3 odd digits
The 1st digit is selected from five (5, 7, 7, (5, 7, 9)
7, 8), the 2nd from remaining five, 3rd from 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
four, 4th from three, 5th from two and 6th 2 4 3 2 3
from one
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Number of ways = 2 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 3
5 5 4 3 2 1 = 144
The total number of selections
Total number = = 100 = 144 + 144 + 96 + 144 = 528
NB. The number is divided by 3! Because 7
appears three times

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 Example 14 The number of permutation of n different
The six letter of the word LONDON are objects taken r at a time, if repetition are
each written on a card and the six cards permitted
are shuffled and placed in a line. Find the
Example 16
number of possible arrangements if
(a) The middle two cards both have the How many four digit numbers can be formed
letter N on them from the sample space {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} if
Solution repetitions are permissible
If the middle letter are NN, the we
need to find the number of different Solution
arrangements of the letter LODO. The 1st position has five possibilities, the 2nd
With the 2O’s, the number of five, the 3rd five, the 4th five
arrangements =
Number of permutations = 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 = 625

(b) The two cards with letter O are not

adjacent and the two cards with letter
Circular permutations
N are also not adjacent
Solution Here objects are arrange in a circle
If the two cards are not adjacent, the
number of arrangements = Total The number of ways of arranging n unlike
number of arrangements of the word objects in a ring when clockwise and
LONDON – number of arrangements anticlockwise are different.
when the two letters are adjacent Consider four people A, B, C and D seated at a
== round table. The possible arrangements are as
shown below
Example 15

In how many different ways can letters of the

word MISCHIEVERS be arranged if the S’s
cannot be together

Solution

There are 11 letters in the word MISCHIEVERS

with 2S’s, 2I’s and 2E’s

Total number of arrangements

= = 4989600
With circular arrangements of this type, it is
If S’s are together, we consider them as one, the relative positions of the objects being
so the number of arrangements arranged which is important. The
arrangements of the people above is the
= = 907200 same. However, if the people were seated in a
line the arrangements would not be the same,
the number of possible arrangements of the i.e. A, B, C, D is not the same as D, A, B, C.
word MISCHIEVERS when S’s are not together When finding the number of different
= 4989600 – 907200 = 4082400 arrangements, we fix one person say A and
find the number of ways of arranging B, C and
D.

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Therefore, the number of different Then the above arrangements are the same
arrangements of four people around the table since one is the other viewed from the
is 3! opposite side

Hence the number of different arrangements The number of arrangements = = 3ways

of n people seated around a table is (n – 1)!
Hence the number of ways of arranging n
Example 17 unlike objects in a ring when clockwise and
(a) Seven people are to be seated around a anticlockwise arrangements are the same
( )
table, in how many ways can this be done =
Solution
The number of ways = (7 – 1)! = 6! Example 18
= 720 A white, a blue, a red and two yellow cards at
(b) In how many ways can five people A, B, C, arranged on a circle. Find the number of
D and E be seated at a round table if arrangements if red and white cards are next
(i) A must be seated next to B to each other.
Solution Solution
If A and B are seated together, they are If red and white cards are next to each other,
taken as bound together. So four people they are considered as bound together. So we
are considered have four cards. Since anticlockwise and
The number of ways = (4 – 1)! = 3! = 6 clockwise arrangements are the same and
there are two yellow cards, the number of
The number of ways in which A and B can ( )
arrangements =
be arranged = 2

The total number of arrangements The number of ways of arranging red and
white cards = 2
= 6 x 2 = 12 ways
(ii) A must not seat next to B Total number of ways of arrangements

If A and B are not seated together, then = =3

the number of arrangements = total
number of arrangements – number of Revision exercise 1
arrangements when A and B are seated 1. In how many ways can the letters of the
together words below be arranged
= (5 – 1)! – 12 = 12 ways (a) Bbosa (5!]
(b) Precious [8!]
The number of ways of arranging n unlike 2. How many different arrangements of the
objects in a ring when clockwise and letters of the word PARALLELOGRAM can
anticlockwise arrangements are the same be made with A’s separate *83160000]
3. How many different arrangements of the
Consider the four people above, if the
letters of the word CONTACT can be made
arrangement is as shown below
with vowels separated? [900]
4. How many odd numbers greater than
6000 can be formed using digits 2, 3, 4, 5
and 6 if each digit is used only once in
each number [12]

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5. Three boys and five girls are to be seated Example 19
on a bench such that the eldest girl and
A committee of four people is chosen at
eldest boy sit next to each other. In how
random from a set of seven men and three
many ways can this be done [2 x 7!]
women
6. A round table conference is to be held
between delegates of 12 countries. In How many different groups can be chosen if
how many ways can they be seated if two there is at least one
particular delegates wish to sit together
[2 x 10!] (i) Woman on the committee
7. In how many ways can 4 boys and 4 girls Solution
be seated at a circular table such that no Possible combinations
two boys are adjacent [144] 7 men 3 women
8. How many words beginning or ending 3 1
2 2
with a consonant can be formed by using
1 3
the letters of the word EQUATION? [4320]
The number of ways of choosing at least one
woman

Combinations =( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
A combination is a selection of items from a
=
group not basing on the order in which the
items are selected (ii) Man on the committee
Consider the letters A, B, C, D 7 men 3 women
1 3
The possible arrangements of two letters 2 2
chosen from the above letters are 3 1
4 0
AB, AC, AD, BA, BC, BD, CA, CB, CD, DA, DB,
The number of ways of choosing at least one
DC. AS seen earlier, the total number of
man
arrangements of the above letters is
expressed as ( )
= ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

However, when considering combinations, the =

grouping such as AB and BA are said to be the
same groupings such as CA and AC, AD and =210
DA, etc. Example 20
So the possible combinations are AB, AC, AD, A group of nine has to be selected from ten
BC, BD, CD which is six ways. men and eight women. It can consist of either
Thus the number of possible combinations of five men and four women or four men and
n items taken r at a time is expressed as nCr or five women. How many different groups can
be chosen?
( ) which is defined as nCr = ( )
where r ≤ n Solution

Hence the number of combinations of the Possible combination

above letters taken two at a time is
10 men 8 women
5 4
( )
4 5

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Number of groups = ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Example 23

(a) Find the number of different selections of

= x x = 29400 4 letters that can be made from the word
UNDERMATCH.
Example 21
Solution
A team of six is to be formed from 13 boys There are 10 letters which are all different
and 7 girls. In how many ways can the team Number of selections of 4 letters from 10
be selected if it must consist of is given by ( ) ( )
(a) 4 boy and 2 girls (b) How many selections do not contain a
13 boys 7 girls vowel?
4 2 Solution
( ) ( )= = 15015 Number of vowels in the word = 2
Number of letters not vowels = 8
(b) At least one member of each sex
Number of selections of 4 letters from 10
Possible combinations without containing a vowel = selecting 4
letters from 8 consonants =
13 boys 7 girls
( )
5 1 ( )
4 2
Example 24
3 3
2 4 In how many ways can three letters be
1 5 selected at random from the word BIOLOGY is
=( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) selection

( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) (a) Does not contain the letter O

Solution
= Number of selections without the letter O
= number of ways of choosing three
letters from B, I, L, G, y
= 37037 ( )
Example 22 (b) Contain only the letter O

A team of 11 players is to be chosen from a Solution

group of 15 players. Two of the 11 are to be
Number of selections with one letter O =
randomly elected a captain and vice-captain
number of ways of choosing two letters
respectively. In how many ways can this be
from B, I, L, G, y
done?

Number of ways of choosing 11 players from ( )

15 = ( ) (c) Contains both of the letters O

Solution
A captain will be elected from 11 players and
a vice-captain from 10 players Number of selections with two letter O
= number of ways of choosing one letter
Total number of selection =( ) from B, I, L, G, y

= x 11 x 10 = 150150 ( )

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Example 25 Example 26

In how many ways can four letters be selected How many different selections can be made
at random from the word BREAKDOWN if the from 26 different letters of the alphabet?
letters contain at least one vowel?
Number of selection = 226 – 1
Solution
= 67,108,863
Vowels: E, A, O (3)
Cases involving repetitions
Consonants: B, R, K, D, W, N (6)
Suppose we need to find the number of
Consonants (6) Vowels (3) possible selections of letters from a word
3 1 containing repeated letters, we take the
2 2 selections mutually exclusive
1 3
Number of selection of four letters with at Example 27
least one vowel
How many different selections can be made
from the letters of the word CANADIAN?
=( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
Solution
Example 26
There are 3A’s, 2N’s and 3 other letters
How many different selections can be made
from the six digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 The A’s can be dealt with in 4 ways (either no
A, 1A’s, 2A’s or 3A’s)
Solution
The N’s can be dealt in 3 ways (no N, 1N, or
Note: this an open questions because 2N’s)
selections can consist of only one digit, two
digits, three digits, four digits, five digits or six The C can be dealt with in 2 ways (no C, 1C)
digits The D can be dealt with in 2 ways (no D, 1D)
6
Number of selection of 1 digit = C1 = 6 The I can be dealt with in 2 ways (no I, 1I)
Number of selection of 2 digits = 6C2 = 15 The number of selections
6
Number of selection of 3 digits = C3 = 20 = 4 x 3 x 2 x 2 x 2 – 1 = 95
6
Number of selection of 4 digits = C4 = 15 Example 28
6
Number of selection of 5 digits = C5 = 6 How many different selections can be made
Number of selection of 6 digits = C1 = 1 6 from the letters of the word POSSESS?

Total number of selections Solution

= 6 + 15 + 20 + 15 +6 + 1 = 63 There are 4S’s and 3 other letters

This approach is tedious for a large group of The S’s can be dealt in 5 ways (no S, 1S, 2N’s,
objects. 3S’s, 4S’s, or 5S’s)

The general formula for selection from n The P can be dealt with in 2 ways (no P, 1P)
unlike objects is given by 2n – 1. The O can be dealt with in 2 ways (no O, 1O)
For the above problems, number of selections The E can be dealt with in 2 ways (no E, 1E)
= 26 – 1 = 63

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Total number of selections = 5 x 2 x 2 x 2 – 1 (a) Number of ways = = 24310
= 39 (b) Number of ways = = 2858856

Cases involving division into groups (c) Number of ways = =190590400

(d) Number of ways = = 14702688
The number of ways of dividing n unlike
objects into say two groups of p and q where Example 31
p + q = n is given by
(a) Find how many words can be formed
For three groups of p, q and r provided using all letters in the word MINIMUM.
p+q+r=n
Solution
Number of ways of division = Number of ways of arranging the letters = 7!

However, for the two groups above, if p = q There are 3M’s and 2I’s
then the number of ways of division =
Number of words formed =
For three groups where p = q = r (b) Compute the sum of four-digit numbers
then the number of ways of division = formed with the four digits 2, 5, 3, 8 if
each digit is used only once in each
Example 29 arrangement

The following letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, I, j, k, l Solution

are to be divided into groups containing Number of ways of arranging a four digit
(a) 3, 4, 5 number = 4!
(b) 5, 7 Sum of any four digit number formed
(c) 6, 6 = 2 + 5 + 3 + 8 = 18
(d) 4, 4, 4 letters. In how many ways can this
be done? Total sum of four digit numbers formed

Solution = 18 x 4! = 432

(a) Number of ways = = 27720 (c) A committee consisting of 2 men and 3

women is to be formed from a group of 5
(b) Number of ways = = 792 men and 7 women. Find the number of
(c) Number of ways = = 462 different committees that can be formed.
If two of the women refuse to serve on
(d) Number of ways = =5775
the same committee, how many
Example 30 committees can be formed?

Find the number of ways that 18 objects can Solution

be arranged into groups if there are to be The committees formed = 5C2.7C3
(a) Two groups of 9 objects each = 10 x 35 = 350
(b) Three groups of 6 objects each
(c) 6 groups of 3 objects each Suppose two women are to serve together,
(d) Three groups of 5, 6 and 7 objects each we take them as glued together, so the
number of committees =5C2.6C3 = 200
Solution

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Number of committees in which two women girls to join a discussion group
refuse to serve together = 350 – 200 = 150 [15 ways]
4. Find in how many ways 11 people can be
divided into three groups containing 3, 4,
Revision exercise 2 4 people each. [5775]
5. A group of 5 boys and 8 girls. In how many
1. (a) Find the number of different selection ways can a team of four be chosen, if the
of 3 letters that can be made from the team contains
word PHOTOGRAPH. [53] (a) No girl [5]
(b) How many of these selections contain (b) No more than one girl [85]
no vowel [18] (c) At least two boys [365]
(c) How many of these selections contain 6. Calculate the number of 7 – letter
at least one vowel? [35] arrangements which can be made with
2. (a) find the number of different selections the letters of the word MAXIMUM. In how
of 3 letters that can be made from the many of these do all the 4 consonants
letters of the word SUCCESSFUL.[36] appear next to each other? [840, 96]
(c) How many of these selections contain 7. In how many ways can a club of 5 be
only consonants [11] selected from 7 boys and 3 girls if it must
(d) How many of these selections contain contain
at least one vowel [25] (a) 3 boys and 3 girls [105]
3. (a) Find the value of n if nP4 = 30nC5 [8] (b) 2 men and 3 girls [21]
(b) How many arrangement can be made (c) At least one girl [231]
from the letters of the name 8. How many different 6 digit numbers
MISSISSIPPI greater than 400,000 can be formed form
(i) when all the letters are taken at a the following digits 1, 4, 6, 6, 6 7? [100]
time [34650]

(ii) If the two letters PP begin every Thank you

word [630 ways]
Dr. Bbosa Science
(c) Find the number of ways in which a
one can chose one or more of the four

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