Permutations & Combinations
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Permutations
• Order is important
• "The email password is 785".
• Now we do care about the order.
• "758" won't work, nor will "857".
• It has to be exactly 7-8-5.
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Combinations
• Order is not important
• "My juice is a combination of apples, mango
and berries”
• " We don't care what order the fruits are in,
they could also be "berries, mango and apples"
or "mango, apples and berries",
• It’s the same, a juice.
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PERMUTATIONS
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Permutations
• Repetition is allowed
• Example:
3 digits password = 7-7-7
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Solution (using formula)
n = 10 = 1000
r 3
0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9
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Solution (Manually illustrate)
7 7 7
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 5 6 7 8 9 5 6 7 8 9
we have n choices each time! we have n choices each time!
we have n choices each time!
Answer = 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000 NIJ, UiTM
Permutations
• Repetition is not allowed
• Example:
3 digits password = 7-5-1
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Solution (using formula)
n!
n
Pr
n r !
Answer
n = 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
r=3 3 digits password
10
P3 720 NIJ, UiTM
Solution (Manually illustrate)
7 5 1
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 5 6 8 9 6 8 9
our n choices get reduced our n choices get reduced
each time each time
Answer = 10 x 9 x 8 = 720 NIJ, UiTM
Example
• Repetition is not allowed
Consider the number of ways of
arranging two letters selected
from letters A B C D
r=2
n=4 NIJ, UiTM
Solution (using formula)
4
P2 12
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Solution (Manually illustrate)
AB AC AD
BA BC BD
CA CB CD
DA DB DC
Answer = 12 ways NIJ, UiTM
Cont..
AB AC AD
BA BC BD
CA CB CD
DA DB DC
Note:
AB is not same to BA – permutations – order is important
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Example
• Given are six digits 1 2 3 4 5 6
a) Determine the number of four digit numbers that
can be formed using the digits given if repetition is
allowed.
n=6
r=4
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Formula Manual
nr = 64 = 1296 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 = 1296
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Example
• Given are six digits 1 2 3 4 5 6
b) Determine the number of four digit numbers that
can be formed using the digits given if repetition is not
allowed.
n=6
r=4
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Formula Manual
6
P4 360 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 = 360
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Example
• Given are six digits 1 2 3 4 5 6
c) How many four digits numbers greater than 4000
can be formed using digits given without repetition?
Keywords:
n=6
r=4
greater than 4000
repetition is not allowed NIJ, UiTM
Solution (Manually illustrate)
n choices = 5 n choices = 4 n choices = 3
4 5 6
our n choices get reduced
n choices = 3 each time
Answer = 3 x 5 x 4 x 3 = 180 NIJ, UiTM
Example
How many different permutations can be formed
from the word PROBABILITY?
11!
9,979,200
2!2!
Note:
Using calculator = 11! / (2! x 2!)
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COMBINATIONS
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Combinations
• Order is not important
• Example:
We want to select three candidates Ahmad,
Sukri and Daud to fill two vacancies in a
company
n=3 r=2
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Formula Manual
1) Ahmad & Sukri
3
C2 3 2) Sukri & Daud
3) Ahmad & Daud
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Cont..
Formula Manual
1) Ahmad & Sukri
3
C2 3 2) Sukri & Daud
3) Ahmad & Daud
Note: – Combinations–
Ahmad & Daud = Daud & Ahmad order is not important
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Example
How many ways can a student choose four out
of six questions in an examination?
n=6 r=4
Answer = 6
C 4 15
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END