CAT Permutations And Combinations

Formulas
● Permutations & Combinations, and Probability are

key topics in CAT.

● You don't have to go too deep into these topics, but

ensure that you learn the basics well.

● So look through this formula list a few times and

understand the formulae.

● The best way to tackle this subject is by solving

questions. The more questions you solve, the better

you will get at this topic.

● Once you practise a good number of sums, you will

start to see that all of them are generally variations

of the same few themes that are listed in the formula

list.

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● In this slide, we will look at the important formulae

on P&C, and Probability.

➔ N! = N(N-1)(N-2)(N-3)....1

➔ 0! = 1! = 1

𝑛!
➔ Cr=
n
(𝑛−𝑟)! 𝑟!

𝑛!
➔ Pr=
n
(𝑛−𝑟)!

● Arrangement:
n items can be arranged in n! Ways

● Permutation:
A way of selecting and arranging r objects out of a

𝑛!
set of n objects, Pr=
n
(𝑛−𝑟)!

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● Combination:
➔ A way of selecting r objects out of n (arrangement

𝑛!
does not matter)
n
Cr=
(𝑛−𝑟)! 𝑟!

➔ Selecting r objects out of n is same as selecting

(n-r) objects out of n,

n
Cr=nCn-r

➔ Total selections that can be made from ‘n’ distinct

𝑛
𝑛
items is given ∑ nCr = 2
𝑘=0

● Partitioning:

➔ Number of ways to partition n identical things in r

n+r-1
distinct slots is given by Cr-1

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 ➔ Number of ways to partition n identical things in r

distinct slots so that each slot gets at least 1 is given

n-1
by Cr-1
➔ Number of ways to partition n distinct things in r

𝑛
distinct slots is given by 𝑟

➔ Number of ways to partition n distinct things in r

distinct slots where arrangement matters =

(𝑛+𝑟−1)!
(𝑟−1)!

● Arrangement with repetitions :

➔ If x items out of n items are repeated, then the

𝑛!
number of ways of arranging these n items is
𝑥!

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 ways. If a items, b items and c items are repeated

𝑛!
within n items, they can be arranged in ways.
𝑎!𝑏!𝑐!

● Rank of a word :

➔ To get the rank of a word in the alphabetical list of

all permutations of the word, start with

alphabetically arranging the n letters. If there are x

letters higher than the first letter of the word, then

there are at least x*(n-1)! Words above our word.

➔ After removing the first affixed letter from the set

if there are y letters above the second letter then

there are y*(n-2)! words before your word and so

on. So rank of word = x*(n-1)! + y*(n-2)! + .. +1

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● Integral Solutions:

➔ Number of positive integral solutions to 𝑥1+ 𝑥2+ 𝑥3

s-1
+.....+ 𝑥𝑛=s where s ≥ 0 is Cn-1
➔ Number of non-negative integral solutions to 𝑥1+

n+s-1
𝑥2+ 𝑥3+.....+ 𝑥𝑛=s where s ≥ 0 is Cn-1
● Circular arrangement :

➔ Number of ways of arranging n items around a

circle are 1 for n = 1,2 and (n-1)! for n ≥ 3. If its a

necklace or bracelet that can be flipped over, the

(𝑛−1)!
possibilities are
2

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● Derangements :

➔ If n distinct items are arranged, the number of

ways they can be arranged so that they do not

occupy their intended spot is

𝑛
1 1 1 1 (−1)
D = n!( 0!
+ 1!
+ 2!
+ 3!
+..... + 𝑛!
)

● Bayes Theorem (Conditional Probability) for CAT:

➔ Conditional probability is used in case of events

which are not independent. In the discussion of

probabilities all events can be classified into 2

categories: Dependent and Independent.

➔ Independent events are those where the happening

of one event does not affect the happening of the

other. For example, if an unbiased coin is thrown

‘n’ times then the probability of heads turning up in

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 any of the attempts will be ½ . It will not be

dependent on the results of the previous outcomes.

➔ Dependent events, on the other hand, are the events

in which the outcome of the second event is

dependent on the second event is dependent on the

outcome of the first event.

➔ For example, if you have to draw two cards from a

desk one after the other, then the probability of the

second card being of a particular suit will depend on

which card was drawn in the first attempt.

➔ Let us first discuss the definition of conditional

probability.

➔ Let ‘A’ & ‘B’ be two events which are not

independent then the probability of occurrence of B

𝑃(𝐴∩𝐵)
given that A has already is given by P(B|A)=
𝑃 (𝐴)

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➔ Here, 𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) is nothing but the probability of
occurrence of both A & B. We often use Bayes

theorem to solve problems on conditional

𝑃(𝐴|𝐵)*𝑃(𝐵)
probability. P(B|A)=
𝑃 (𝐴)

➔ Here P(A|B) is the probability of occurrence of A

given that B has already occurred.

➔ P(A) is the probability of occurrence of A

➔ P(B) is the probability of occurrence of B

● Example:

Let us try to understand the application of the

conditional probability and Bayes theorem with the

help of a few examples.

Ravi draws two cards from a deck of 52 cards one

after another. If it is known that the first card was

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king then what is the probability of the second card

being ‘spades’?

Let us use the conditional probability concept which

we discussed above.

Let ‘A’ be the event of getting a king, then P(A) =

4/52 = 1/13

Let ‘B’ be the event of getting a spade, then P(B) =

13/52 = 1/4

Now we know that one of the spade cards is also a

king. Hence, the event 𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) contains 1 element.

Thus, 𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = 1/52

Hence, by using the formula for conditional

probability,
𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) 1/52
we get 𝑃(𝐵|𝐴) = 𝑃(𝐴 )
= 1/13
= 1/4

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