BCM SCHOOL BASANT CITY, LUDHIANA

PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATIONS

Fundamental Principle of Counting:

 Multiplication principle: If an event can occur in „m‟ different ways and following it a
second event can occur in „n‟ different ways, then these two events in succession can occur
in mxn different ways.
 Addition principle: If an event can occur in m different ways and following it a second
event can occur in n different ways and these two events can occur simultaneously in p
different ways, then either of the two events can occur in m+n-p ways.
Factorial Notation:

 The continued product of first n natural numbers is called factorial of n or n factorial and is
denoted by n! or ∟n
n! = 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5…………….(n-1) x n = n x (n-1) x (n-2)………5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1
e.g. 5! = 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 120
Remember:
a) 0! = 1
b) n! = n(n-1)! = n(n-1)(n-2)! And so on. [e.g. 6!=6x5! or 6x5x4x3!]
c) x! + y! ≠ (x+y)!
d) x! x y! ≠ (xy)!

Permutations:
A permutation represents an arrangement or order of a sequence of different objects taken
some or all at a time. nPr or P(n,r) represents total permutations of n different objects taken
some or all at a time ( r≤n) .Total permutations of n-different objects taken r (r≤n) at a time is
n!
P(n, r) = n(n-1)(n-2)………..(n-r+1) =
(n  r )!
P(n, n) = n!
e.g. Total no. of words which can be formed from 5 distinct letters are 5!.

When the objects are not all different:

The number of permutations of n objects taken all together when p of the objects are alike
and of one kind, q of them are alike and of one kind, r of them are alike and of third kind and
n!
remaining are different, is given by .The number of permutations of n different objects
p!q!r!
taken r at a time, repetitions of objects allowed, is nr

Combinations:
A combination is a grouping or selection of different objects taken some or all at a time nCr or
C(n, r) represents the total combinations of n different objects taken r (r ≤ n) at a time.

n!
C(n, r) =
r!(n  r )!

 C(n,0) = 1
 C(n,n) = 1
  C(n, r) = C(n, n-r) i.e. total combinations of n different objects taken r at a time is same as
total combinations of remaining objects.
So C(n, p) = C(n, q) i.e. nCp = nCq

 p = q or p+q=n

nC r + nCr-1 = n+1Cr (r≤n)

ASSIGNMENT
SECTION A
1. How many numbers greater than 10 lacs can be formed from 2, 3, 0, 3, 4, 2, 3?
(a) 420 (b) 360 (c) 400 (d) 300
2. The number of arrangements of the word DELHI in which E precedes I is:
(a) 30 (b) 60 (c) 120 (d) 59
3. The number of ways to arrange the letters of the word CHEESE are:
(a) 120 (b) 240 (c) 720 (d) 6
4. The number of words from the letters of the word „BHARAT‟ in which B and H will never
come together, is
(a) 360 (b) 240 (c) 120 (d) none of these
5. The number of arrangements of the letters of the word „BHARAT‟ taking 3 at a time is
(a) 72 (b) 120 (c) 14 (d) none of these
6. Three persons enter a railway compartment. If there are 5 seats vacant, in how many ways
can they take these seats?
(a) 60 (b) 20 (c) 15 (d) 125
7. If = , then
(a) 2m = n (b) 2m = n(n+1) (c) 2m = n(n -1) (d) 2n = m(m -1)
8. If = , then r is equal to
(a) 5 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 2
9. + + + + is equal to
(a) 30 (b) 31 (c) 32 (d) 33
10. The number of diagonals that can be drawn by joining the vertices of an Octagon is:
(a) 20 (b) 28 (c) 8 (d) 16
11. Among 14 players, 5 are bowlers, In how many ways a team of 11 may be formed with at
least 4 bowlers?
(a) 265 (b) 263 (c) 264 (d) 275
12. A lady gives a dinner party for six guests. The number of ways in which they may be
selected from among ten friends if two of the friends will not attend the party together is
(a) 112 (b) 140 (c) 164 (d) None of these

SECTION B
13. How many different words can be formed with the letters of the word „PENCIL‟ when
vowels occupy even places?
14. A servant has to post 5 letters and there are 4 letter boxes. In how many ways can he post
the letter?
15. How many numbers are there between 100 and 1000 such that every digit is either 2 or 9.
16. How many numbers are there between 100 and 1000 such that 7 is in the unit‟s place.
17. If 5P(4, r) = 6P(5, r-1) find r.
18. If C(n, r-1) = 36, C(n, r) = 84 and C(n, r+1) = 126, then find C(r, 2)

SECTION-C
19. A tea party is arranged for 16 persons along two sides of a long table with 8 chairs on each
side. Four persons wish to sit on one particular and two on the other side. In how many
ways can they be seated?
20. Find „n‟ if C(2n, 1), C(2n, 2) and C(2n, 3) are in A.P
21. Find the number of different words beginning with P which can be formed by using all the
letters of the word “PERMUTATION”
22. A candidate is required to answer 7 questions out of 12 questions, which are divided into
groups, each containing 6 questions. He is not permitted to attempt more than 5 questions
from either group. Find the number of different ways of doing the questions.
23. Out of 12 points in a plane, only five points are collinear. These points are joined in pairs.
Find the number of straight lines formed.

SECTION-D
24. Find the number of different 8 letters words formed from the letters of the word
„TRIANGLE‟ if each word is to
a. have no two vowels together.
b. have both consonants and vowels together.
c. have the relative position of the vowels and consonants un altered.
25. A mint prepares metallic calendars specifying months, dates and days in the form of
monthly sheets (one plate for each month). How many types of February calendars should
it prepare to serve for all the possibilities of future year?
26. a. The letters of the word WIFE are arranged in all possible ways and sorted in dictionary
manner. What is the position of the word WIFE in this arrangement?
b. If all letters of the word “RACHIT” are arranged in all possible ways as listed in
the dictionary. Then what is the rank of the word “RACHIT”?
27. A group consists of 4 girls and 7 boys. In how many ways can a team of 5 members be
selected if the team has
a. no girls. b. at least three girls. c. at least one girl and one boy.

SECTION-E
28. Case Study
A school administration decides to send some of its students of class XI to an educational
tour. From a class of 25 students, 10 are to be chosen for the tour.
There are 3 friends - Rajesh, Shreya and Deepa - who decide that either all of them will join
or none of them will join.
Based on the above information answer the following:

(i) In how many ways can the students be chosen for this educational tour, if these three
friends will join?

(ii) In how many ways can the students be chosen for this educational tour, if these three
friends will not join?
 (iii) In how many ways can the students be chosen for this educational tour?

(iv) The Mathematics teacher of school puts some questions for these three students
with a condition that if any one of them answers correctly then, they may join this
tour. He asks them to find the number of words formed using all the letters of
„Rajesh‟. Deepa answers it correctly. What could be her answer?

(v) Further the Mathematics teacher asked them to find the number of words formed
using all letters of „Deepa‟. What could be the correct answer?

SECTION-F

ASSERTION-REASONING MCQ’s
Directions: Each of the following questions contains two statements Assertion(A) and
Reason (R) . Each question has four choices, any one out of which is correct. You have to
select one of the codes (a), (b) , (c) and (d) given below:
(a) A is true, R is true; R is correct explanation of A.
(b) A is true, R is true; R is not a correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true; R is false.
(d) A is false; R is true

29. Assertion(A) The number of ways of selecting 5 students from 12 students (of which 6 are
boys and 6 are girls), such that in the selection there are at least 3 girls is x .
Reason (R) If a work has two independent parts, of which the first part can be done in m
ways and for each choice of first part, the second part can be done in n ways, then the work
can be completed in m x n ways.

30. Assertion (A) Total number of permutations of n things of which p are alike of one kind, q
are alike of 2nd kind, r are of 3rd kind and rest are all different is
Reason(R) Total number of selections from n identical object is n.

ANSWER KEY

SECTION A

Q. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Ans. b b a b a a d c b a c b

SECTION B,C,D,E,F

Q. No. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Ans. 144 1024 8 90 3 3 243 3628800 1814400
Q. No. 22 23 24(a) 24(b) 24(c) 25 26(a) 26(b) 27(a)
Ans. 780 57 14400 1440 720 14 24th 481 21
Q. No. 27(b) 27(c) 28(i) 28(ii) 28(iii) 28(iv) 28(v) 29 30
Ans. 91 441 22
C7 22
C10 22
C10  22C 7 720 60 d c