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Permutations

The document explains permutations and combinations, highlighting that permutations are arrangements where order matters, while combinations are selections where order does not matter. It provides formulas for both concepts, along with examples illustrating their applications. Key differences include the significance of order and the allowance of repetition in permutations but not in combinations.

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Faith Banda
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17 views2 pages

Permutations

The document explains permutations and combinations, highlighting that permutations are arrangements where order matters, while combinations are selections where order does not matter. It provides formulas for both concepts, along with examples illustrating their applications. Key differences include the significance of order and the allowance of repetition in permutations but not in combinations.

Uploaded by

Faith Banda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Here are some notes on permutations and combinations:

*Permutations*
A permutation is an arrangement of objects in a specific order.

*Formula for Permutations*


The formula for permutations is:

nPr = n! / (n-r)!

where:
- n is the total number of objects
- r is the number of objects being chosen
- ! denotes the factorial function (e.g. 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1)

*Examples of Permutations*
1. *Arranging Letters*: Find the number of ways to arrange the letters in the word "CAT".
Answer: 3P3 = 3! / (3-3)! = 6
2. *Selecting a Team*: A coach needs to select a team of 5 players from a group of 10 players.
How many different teams can the coach select?
Answer: 10P5 = 10! / (10-5)! = 30,240

*Combinations*
A combination is a selection of objects where the order does not matter.

*Formula for Combinations*


The formula for combinations is:

nCr = n! / (r!(n-r)!)

where:
- n is the total number of objects
- r is the number of objects being chosen
- ! denotes the factorial function

*Examples of Combinations*
1. *Selecting a Committee*: A company needs to select a committee of 3 members from a group
of 8 employees. How many different committees can the company select?
Answer: 8C3 = 8! / (3!(8-3)!) = 56
2. *Choosing a Lottery Ticket*: A lottery ticket requires choosing 6 numbers from a pool of 49
numbers. How many different lottery tickets can be chosen?
Answer: 49C6 = 49! / (6!(49-6)!) = 13,983,816

*Key Differences between Permutations and Combinations*


1. *Order Matters*: In permutations, the order of the objects matters. In combinations, the order
does not matter.
2. *Repetition*: Permutations can involve repetition, while combinations do not allow repetition.

*Key Terms*
1. *Permutation*: An arrangement of objects in a specific order.
2. *Combination*: A selection of objects where the order does not matter.
3. *Factorial*: The product of all positive integers up to a given number (e.g. 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 ×
1).

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