Lecture 6

Permutation, Combination and Counting

Counting
➢ Counting is the process of determining the number of elements of a finite
set of objects; that is, determining the size of a set.
➢ There are some basic counting techniques which are used in determining
the number of different ways of arranging or selecting objects.
The two basic counting principles are:
1. Fundamental principle of counting
2. Permutation and Combination
1. Fundamental principle of counting
i. Multiplication principle
➢ Suppose an event E can occur in m different ways and associated with each
way of occurring of E, another event F can occur in n different ways, then
the total number of occurrences of the two events in the given order is
𝒎×𝒏
Example: Erin has 5 tops, 6 skirts and 4 caps from which to choose an outfit. In how
many ways can she select one top, one skirt and one cap?
Solution: Ways = 5 × 6 × 4 = 120

ii. Addition principle

➢ If an event E can occur in m ways and another event F can occur in n ways,
and suppose that both cannot occur together, then E or F can occur in
m + n ways.

iii. Repetition of an Event

➢ If one event with n outcomes occurs r times with repetition allowed, then
the number of ordered arrangements is nr.
Example: What is the number of arrangements if a die is rolled
(a) 2 times? 6×6 = 62

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 (b) 3 times? 6×6×6 = 63
(c) r times? 6 × 6 × 6 × ……. = 6r

Example: How many different car number plates are possible with 3 letters
followed by 3 digits?

Solution: (26 × 26 × 26) × (10 × 10 × 10) = 263 × 103 = 17,576,000 number plates

2. Permutations and Combinations

➢ The study of permutations and combinations is concerned with determining
the number of different ways of arranging and selecting objects out of a
given number of objects, without actually listing them.

Permutations
➢ A permutation is an arrangement of objects in a definite order.
✓ Permutations - Order Matters
Permutation of n different objects
➢ The number of permutations of n objects taken r at a time, where 0 < r ≤ n,
denoted by nPr , is given by

𝒏!
nPr = (𝒏−𝒓)!

where 𝑛! = n(n – 1) (n – 2) ... 3.2.1, read as factorial n, or n factorial.

✓ We assume that 0! = 1

➢ The number of permutations of n objects taken all at a time, denoted by the

symbol nPn , is given by
𝑛! 𝑛!
nPn = (𝑛−𝑛)! = = 𝑛!,
0!

Example:
7! 7! 7×6×5×4!
7 P3 = (7−3)! = = = 7 × 6 × 5 = 210
4! 4!

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 52! 52! 52×51×50×51×50×49×48!!
52P4 = (52−4)! = =
48! 48!

= 52 × 51 × 50 × 49 = 6497400
Permutations when the objects are not distinct
The number of permutations of n objects of which 𝑝1 are of one kind, 𝑝2 are of
second kind, ………..., 𝑝𝑘 are of kth kind and the rest if any, are of different kinds is
𝑛!
𝑝1 ! 𝑝2 ! … … . . 𝑝𝑘 !
Example: Find the permutations of the word RECURRENCE
Solution: The word RECURRENCE has 10 letters, of which 3 are R, 3 are E, 2 are
C, the rest are different. Therefore, the number of permutations is
10! 10 × 9 × 8 × 7 × 6 × 5 × 4 × 3!
= = 50400
3! 3! 2! 3! × 3 × 2 × 1 × 2 × 1

Combination
➢ On many occasions we are not interested in arranging but only in selecting
r objects from given n objects.
➢ A combination is a selection of some or all of a number of different objects
where the
✓ order of selection is immaterial.
➢ The number of selections of r objects from the given n objects is denoted by
𝑛
nCr or ( 𝑟 ) , and is given by
𝑛!
(𝑛𝑟) = 𝑟!(𝑛−𝑟)!
Remarks.
1. Use permutations if a problem calls for the number of arrangements of
objects and different orders are to be counted.
2. Use combinations if a problem calls for the number of ways of selecting
objects and the order of selection is not to be counted.

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Example
In a class, there are 27 boys and 14 girls. The teacher wants to select 1 boy and 1 girl
to represent the class for a function. In how many ways can the teacher make this
selection?
Solution
➢ Here the teacher is to perform two operations:
(i) Selecting a boy from among the 27 boys and
(ii) Selecting a girl from among 14 girls.

➢ The first of these can be done in

27! 27! 27! 27×26!
(27
1
) = 1!(27−1)! = 1!26! = 26! = = 27 ways and
26!
the second can be performed in
14! 14! 14! 14×13!
(14
1
) = 1!(14−1)! = 1!13! = 13! = = 14 ways.
13!
➢ By the fundamental principle of counting, the required number of ways is
27 × 14 = 378.
Some Special Deduction of Combinations
𝑛! 𝑛!
1. (𝑛0) = 0!(𝑛−0)! = 1×𝑛! = 1
𝑛! 𝑛(𝑛−1)!
2. (𝑛1) = 1!(𝑛−1)! = =𝑛
1(𝑛−1)!
𝑛! 𝑛!
3. (𝑛𝑛) = 𝑛!(𝑛−𝑛)! = 𝑛!0! = 1
𝑛 𝑛! 𝑛! 𝑛(𝑛−1)!
4. (𝑛−1)=( =( = =𝑛
𝑛−1)!(𝑛−𝑛+1)! 𝑛−1)!1! (𝑛−1)!
5. (𝑛𝑟) = 𝑛
(𝑛−𝑟)
𝑛 𝑛! 𝑛!
Proof: (𝑛−𝑟 ) = (𝑛−𝑟)!(𝑛−𝑛+𝑟)! = (𝑛−𝑟)!𝑟! = (𝑛𝑟)

6. (𝑛𝑝) = (𝑛𝑞) ⇔ 𝑝 = 𝑞 𝑜𝑟 𝑝 + 𝑞 = 𝑛

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Example: Find the value of r, if (16
𝑟
16
) = (𝑟+2 )
𝑛 𝑛
Solution: Since ( 𝑟 ) = (𝑛−𝑟 )
16 16
But we are given ( 𝑟 ) = (𝑟+2)
16 16
⇒ (16−𝑟 ) = (𝑟+2 )

⇒ 16 − 𝑟 = 𝑟 + 2 ((𝑛𝑝) = (𝑛𝑞) ⇔ 𝑝 = 𝑞 𝑜𝑟 𝑝 + 𝑞 = 𝑛)

⇔ 16 − 2 = 𝑟 + 𝑟 ⇔ 14 = 2𝑟 ⇔ 𝑟 = 7

Example: In a test on Business Mathematics course 9 questions are set. In how many
different ways can an examinee choose 6 questions.
Solution: The required number of ways
9 9! 9! 9 × 8 × 7 × 6!
( )= = = = 3 × 4 × 7 = 84
6 6! (9 − 6)! 6! 3! 6! × 3 × 2 × 1
Example: In how many ways 4 different things can be selected from 52 different
things?
Solution: The number of combinations by taking 4 different things at a time from
52 different things is
52 52! 52! 52 × 51 × 50 × 49 × 48!
( )= = =
4 4! (52 − 4)! 4! 48! 48! × 4 × 3 × 2
= 270725
Example: A cricket team of 11 players is to be formed from 16 players including 4
bowlers and 2 wicket keepers. In how many different ways can a team be formed so
that the team contains
i. exactly 3 bowlers and 1 wicket keeper;
ii. at least 3 bowlers and at least one wicket keeper.

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Solution: Total payers = 16
Bowlers =4
Wicket keepers = 2
Other players = 16 – 4 – 2 = 10
i. A cricket team of 11 players can be formed including 3 bowlers, 1 wicket
keeper and 7 other players. Thus, the required number ways are
(43) × (21) × (10
7
) = 4 × 2 × 120 = 960
ii. A cricket team of 11 players can be formed including at least 3 bowlers
and at least 1 wicket keeper in the following ways
Bowlers (4) Wicket keepers (2) Others (10) Total team members (11)
3 1 7 11
3 2 6 11
4 1 6 11
4 2 5 11

So, a cricket team of 11 players can be formed in

(43) × (21) × (10
7
)+(43) × (22) × (10
6
) + (44) × (21) × (10
6
) + (44) × (22) × (10
5
)
= 960 + 840 + 420 + 252
=2472
Example: A party of 3 ladies and 4 gentlemen is to be formed from 8 ladies and 7
gentlemen. In how many different ways can the party be formed if Mrs. Antora and Mr.
Imtiaz refuse to join the same party?
Solution: 3 ladies can be selected out of 8 ladies in
8! 8! 8×7×6×5!
(83) = = = =4×7×2
3!(8−3)! 3!5! 3×2×1×5!

= 56 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
and 4 gentlemen can be selected from 7 gentlemen in
7! 7! 7×6×5×4!
(74) = = = = 7 × 5 = 35
4!(7−4)! 4!3! 3×2×1×4!

Thus, the number of ways forming the committee is

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 56 × 35 = 1960 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
If Mrs Antora and Mr. Imtiaz are members, the remaining members to be selected 2 ladies
from 7 ladies and 3 gentlemen from 6 gentlemen in the following ways

7 6
( ) × ( ) = 420 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
2 3
Thus, a party of 3 ladies and 4 gentlemen is to be formed from 8 ladies and 7 gentlemen
if Mrs Antora and Mr. Imtiaz refuse to join the same party is
1960 − 420 = 1540 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠

Example: The staff of a bank consists of the Manager, the deputy manager and 10 other
officers. A committee of 4 is to be selected. Find the number of ways in which this can be
done so as to always include
i. the manager
ii. the manager but not the deputy manager
iii. neither manager nor the deputy manager.
Solution: Total staff of the bank is (1 + 1 + 10) = 12
i. As manager is a member of the committee, the remaining 3 members can be
selected from the remaining 11 members in
11! 11! 11×10×9×8!
(11
3
)= = = = 11 × 5 × 9
3!(11−3)! 3!8! 3×2×1×8!

= 165 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
ii. As manager is a member and deputy manager is not a member, remaining
3 members from 10 members can be selected in
10! 10! 10×9×8×7!
(10
3
)= = = = 10 × 3 × 4 = 120 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
3!(10−3)! 3!7! 3×2×1×7!

iii. As both manager and deputy manager are not member, remaining 4
members from 10 members can be selected in
10! 10! 10×9×8×7×6!
(10
4
)= = = =5×3×2×7
4!(10−4)! 4!6! 4×3×2×1×6!
= 210 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠