Counting

Year 11 Methods
The Multiplication Principle

• A visitor to Western Australia wishes to travel from Fremantle to Kings

Park via the city centre of Perth. The visitor has a choice of ferry, train, bus
or taxi from Fremantle to Perth and from Perth to Kings Park the visitor has
a choice of bus, taxi or walking. In how many ways can the visitor complete
the journey from Fremantle to Kings Park via the city?
 The Multiplication Principle
• There are a number methods to count the
number of ways of performing a task.
• Using a diagram.
The Multiplication Principle
• Tree Diagram Method
The Multiplication Principle

• Box method
The Multiplication Principle

• Each of these methods involved the same set of steps to arrive at the
solution to the problem.
• This set of steps is known as the multiplication principal.
The Multiplication Principle

• To find the number of ways of performing a given task follow the steps
below:
• STEP 1 Break the task into stages.
• STEP 2 Count the number of choices at stage one, and after one of these
choices has been taken, count the number of choices at stage 2,
and so on.
• STEP 3 Multiply the number of choices at each stage to determine the
number of ways of performing the given task.
The Multiplication Principle

• How many motorcycle number plates are possible if each number plate
must have two letters, excluding the letters I and O, followed by two digits
if:
• a) repetitions of letters and digits are NOT allowed
• b) repetitions are allowed
The Multiplication Principle

• SOLUTION
The Multiplication Principle

• SOLUTION
The Multiplication Principle

• Use of the multiplication principle frequently involves us evaluating

expressions like:
2x1
3x2x1
4x3x2x1
5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 etc
• We write n! (n factorial) to represent n x (n – 1) x (n – 2) … 3 x 2 x 1 where
n is a positive integer.
The Multiplication Principle

• For example
• 3! = 3 x 2 x 1 = 6
• 5! = 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 120
• 7! = 7 x 6 x 5 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 5040

Note : 0! is defined as 1.
The Multiplication Principle

• Evaluate:
• 3! + 3!

• =3x2x1+3x2x1 = = =

• = 12 = 504 = 9900 = n2 + 3n + 2
 The Multiplication Principle

• To find the number of arrangements of r objects from a set of n objects, we can

use the formula

n
Pr = where n and r are non-negative integers and n ≥ r.

Note: An arrangement is sometimes referred to as a permutation.

The Multiplication Principle

• How many six letter arrangements are there of the word EXCITE?
6! = 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 720

• How many four letter arrangements are there for the word EXCITE?
6! 720
= =360
(6 − 4 )! 2

• How many two letter arrangements are there for the work EXCITE?
6! 720
= =30
( 6 −2) ! 24
The Multiplication Principle

• Complete Exercise 10A

Combinations

• A permutation is an arrangement – the order does matter.

• A combination is a selection - order does not matter.

Combinations

• Given the set of vowels of the English language {a, e, i, o, u}, how many
selections (or combinations) are there if each combination must contain :
• one vowel?
• two vowels?
• three vowels?
• four vowels?
• five vowels?
Combinations

• Given the set of vowels of the English language {a, e, i, o, u}, how many
selections (or combinations) are there if each combination must contain :
• one vowel?
• If each combination must contain one vowel, then the list of such combination is:
a e i o u
• That is there are five combinations such that each combination has 1 vowel taken from 5
vowels.
Combinations

• Given the set of vowels of the English language {a, e, i, o, u}, how many
selections (or combinations) are there if each combination must contain :
• two vowels?

• If each combination must contain two vowels, then the list of such combination
is:
ae ai ao au ei eo eu io iu ou
• That is, 10 combinations such that each combination has two vowels taken from 5
vowels.
Combinations

• NOTE:
• ae and ea are different arrangements of the two vowels but are the same combination
as the order does not matter.
• The number of permutations of 2 vowels is 2!
• The number of permutations of 2 vowels chosen from 5 vowels is 5 x 4 = 20.
• The number of combinations of 2 vowels chosen from 5 vowels is 10 and is given by
.
• Hence the number of combinations is given by = = 10
 Combinations

• Given the set of vowels of the English language {a, e, i, o, u}, how many
selections (or combinations) are there if each combination must contain :
• three vowels?

aei aeo aeu aio aiu aou eio eiu eou iou

• The number of combinations of 3 vowels chosen from 5 vowels is given by = = = 10

 Combinations

• Given the set of vowels of the English language {a, e, i, o, u}, how many
selections (or combinations) are there if each combination must contain :
• four vowels?

aeio aeiu aeou aiou eiou

• The number of combinations of 4 vowels chosen from 5 vowels is given by

• = = =5
 Combinations

• Given the set of vowels of the English language {a, e, i, o, u}, how many
selections (or combinations) are there if each combination must contain :
• five vowels?

aeiou

• The number of combinations of 5 vowels chosen from 5 vowels is given by = = = 1

Combinations

• This method is not very practical for finding the number of combinations as
it is time consuming and may be confusing for large sets of data.
 Combinations

• We can find the number of combinations without identifying each one using
combination notation.
Number of objects to choose from n
Cr Number of object in each selection
Combinations

• From the previous example we can see that:

n
Cr =

= ×

=
Combinations

• The number of combinations nCr of r different chosen

from n different objects is given by
n
Cr =
Combinations

• nCr is also written

• For example = 7C2.
• nCr can be thought of as “from n choose r.
Combinations

• Calculations involving factorials, permutations and combinations can be

done on the Classpad.

• CAS Combinatorics Factorials Permutations Classpad

Calculator – YouTube
Combinations

• Evaluate the following

a) 7
C4 b)

7
C4 = =

= =

= 35 = 252
Combinations

• In how many ways can a group of 5 students be chosen from a class of 18

students?
Combinations

• In an examination, a candidate must answer 4 questions out of a total of 7.

How many combinations of 4 questions are possible?
Combinations

• a) How many selections of 3 chocolates can be made from a tray

containing 12 different chocolates?
• b) How many selections of 9 chocolates can be made from a tray
containing 12 different chocolates?
Combinations

• a) How many selections of 3 chocolates can be made from a tray

containing 12 different chocolates?
Combinations

• b) How many selections of 9 chocolates can be made from a tray

containing 12 different chocolates?

Note: The number of combinations

of 12 objects taken 3 at a time is
the same as the number taken 9 at
a time. This is because every time
we take 3 objects we leave 9
behind.
Combinations

• A committee of 4 is to be chosen from 7 men and 6 women. How many

different combinations are possible if
• (a) there are no restrictions?
• (b) there must be an even number of men and women?
• (c) the oldest and the youngest must be on the committee?
Combinations
Combinations
Combinations

• Do Exercise 10B
Pascal’s Triangle

• Consider the expansions of the binomial expression (x + y) n, where n is a

whole number.
Pascal’s Triangle
• The array of coefficients is known as PASCAL’S TRIANGLE and is named after
Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), a French mathematician who systemized these results.

• These results were known as early as 1300AD having been discovered by the
Chinese.

• Pascal did not give a general formula for these binomial coefficients, this was
done by Englishman Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727).
Pascal’s Triangle

• NOTE:
• Apart from the 1 at each end, any number in a row is the sum of two numbers
immediately above it and on either side of it.
Pascal’s Triangle

• NOTE:
• The coefficients which are equidistant
from the ends of a row are equal in size.
Pascal’s Triangle

• The expansion of (x + y)n contains n+1 terms.

Pascal’s Triangle

• The powers of x decrease from n to 0 and at the same time the powers of y
increase from 0 to n.
Pascal’s Triangle

• Use Pascal’s Triangle to write the expansion of (x + y) 6

Pascal’s Triangle

• Use Pascal’s Triangle to write the expansion of (x  y)7

Pascal’s Triangle

• Use Pascal’s Triangle to write the expansion of (2x  3)6

Pascal’s Triangle

• Pascal’s Triangle may be written in form.

Pascal’s Triangle
Pascal’s Triangle
• Expand (a – 2b)5
 Pascal’s Triangle

• Find T4 in the expansion of (1 – 2x)8

• Use the 8th row of Pascal’s triangle.

1 8 28 56 70 etc
• The first term of T4 will be raised to the power of 5
• The second term will be raised to the power of 3
• Therefore T4 = 56 × (1)5 ( 2x)3
T4 = 56 × 1 ×  8 x3
T4 =  448 x3
Pascal’s Triangle
• Find T4 in the expansion of (1 – 2x)8

• Alternatively, you can use combinations to calculate T4.

• Use the 8th row…..
•
• So T4 = × (first term)5 × (second term)3

T4 =

T4 = 448
Pascal’s Triangle

• Do exercise 10C