Combinations with Repetition

I Combinations help us to answer the question ”In how many

ways can we choose r objects from n objects?”
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I Now, consider the slightly different question: ”In how many
ways can we choose r objects from n kinds of objects?
Combinatorics 3
I These questions are quite different:
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I For first question, once we pick one of the n objects, we
cannot pick the same object again

I For second question, once we pick one of the n kinds of

objects, we can pick the same type of object again!

I Combination with repetition allows answering the latter type

of question!

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Example Example, cont.

I An ice cream dessert consists of three scoops of ice cream

I Each scoop can be one of the flavors: chocolate, vanilla, mint,

lemon, raspberry C V M R L

I In how many different ways can you pick your dessert?

I Example of combination with repetition: ”In how many ways I To solve problem, imagine we have ice cream in boxes.
can we pick 3 objects from 5 kinds of objects?”
I We start with leftmost box, and proceed towards right.
I Caveat: Despite looking deceptively simple, quite difficult to
figure this out (at least for me...) I At every box, you can take 0-3 scoops, and then move to next.

I Denote taking a scoop by ◦ and moving to next box by →

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Example, cont. Result

C V M R L I We’ll denote the number of ways to choose r objects from n

kinds of objects C ∗ (n, r ):
 
n +r −1
I Let’s look at some selections and their representation: C ∗ (n, r ) =
r
I 3 scoops of chocolate: ◦ ◦ ◦ →→→→
I Example: In how many ways can we choose 3 scoops of ice
I 1 vanilla, 1 raspberry, 1 lemon: → ◦ →→ ◦ → ◦ cream from 5 different flavors?

I 2 mint, 1 raspberry: →→ ◦◦ → ◦ → I Here, r = 3 and n = 5. Thus:

 
I
7 7!
Invariant: r circles and n − 1 arrows (here, r = 3, n = 5) = = 35
3 3! · 4!
I Our question is equivalent to: ”In how many ways can we
arrange r circles and n − 1 arrows?”
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Example 1 Example 2

I Consider a cash box containing $1 bills, $2 bills, $5 bills, $10

I Suppose there is a bowl containing apples, oranges, and pears
bills, $20 bills, $50 bills, and $100 bills
I There is at least four of each type of fruit in the bowl
I There is at least five of each type of bill in the box
I How many ways to select four pieces of fruit from this bowl?
I How many ways are there to select 5 bills from this cash box?
I
I

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Example 3 Example 4

I Suppose x1 , x2 , x3 are integers s.t. x1 ≥ 1, x2 ≥ 2, x3 ≥ 3.

I Assuming x1 , x2 , x3 are non-negative integers, how many
I Then, how many solutions does x1 + x2 + x3 = 11 have?
solutions does x1 + x2 + x3 = 11 have?

I I

I I

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Summary of Different Permuations and Combinations Permutations with Indistinguishable Objects

Order matters? Question: How many ways to pick r objects from . . . I How many different strings can be made by reordering the
n objects n types of objects
letters in the word ALL?
Permutation Permutation w/ repetition
I This is not given by 3! because some of the letters in this
Yes
P (n, r ) = n!
(n−r )! P ∗ (n, r ) = n r word are the same

I Different strings: ALL, LAL, LLA ⇒ 3 possibilities, not 6

Combination Combination w/ repetition because relative ordering of L’s doesn’t matter
No
n! (n+r −1)!
C (n, r ) = r !·(n−r )! C ∗ (n, r ) = r !·(n−1)! I In general, how can we compute the number of permutations
of n objects where some of them are indistinguishable?

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Permutations with Indistinguishable Objects, cont. Proof

I Consider n objects such that:

I n1 of them indistingishable of type 1 I Let’s decompose using product rule:
I n2 of them indistingishable of type 2 I First, place all n1 objects of type 1

I ... I Then all n2 objects of type 2 etc.

I nk of them indistinguishable of type k I How many ways to place n1 indistinguishable objects in n

slots?
I The number of permutations in this case is given by:
I
n!
n1 !n2 ! . . . nk !

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Proof, cont. Proof, cont.

 
    kP
−1
n n − n1 n − n
· ... i=1
i 
n1 n2
I Now, how many ways to place n2 objects of type 2? nk

I I Let’s expand this definition:

I Continuing this way and using product rule, number of

permutations is:
 
      kP
−1
n n − n1 n − n1 − n2 n − ni
· · ... i=1

n1 n2 n3 I This simplifies to: n!
nk
n1 !n2 ! . . . nk !

I Another way to see this: Compute total # of permutations (n!) and

then divide by # of relative orderings between objects of type 1
(n1 !), # of relative orderings of objects of type 2 (n2 !) etc.
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Example 1 Example 2

I There are 3 identical red balls, 5 identical blue balls, and 2

I How many different strings can be made by ordering the identical green balls.
letters of the word SUCCESS?
I In how many different ways can these balls be arranged if the
I first ball must be blue?

I I

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Distributing Objects into Boxes Example: Distinguishable Objects in Distinguishable Boxes

I How many ways are there to distribute 5 cards to each of 4

players from a deck of 52 cards?

I
I Many counting problems can be thought of as distributing
objects into boxes
I

I In some cases both objects and boxes are distinguishable

I

I In some cases, boxes are distinguishable, but objects are

indistinguishable

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Example, cont. Indistinguishable Objects Into Distinguishable Boxes

I How many ways are there to place 10 indistinguishable balls

I into 8 distinguishable bins?

I I

I I

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Distributing Objects into Boxes Summary Another Example

I How many ways to distribute six distinguishable objects to five

I
distinguishable boxes?
Distinguishable objects into distinguishable boxes:
I Involves permutations I

I Indistinguishable objects into distinguishable boxes: I

I Involves combination I

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Example 2 Example 3

I How many ways to distribute six indistinguishable objects to I How many ways to assign 15 distinguishable objects into 5
five distinguishable boxes? distinguishable boxes so boxes contain 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 objects
respectively?
I

I
I

I
I

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