10.

5 Factorial notation EMCK3

Worked example 12: The arrangement of outcomes without repetition
QUESTION
Eight athletes take part in a 400 m race. In how many different ways can all 8 places in
the race be arranged?
SOLUTION
Any of the 8 athletes can come rst in the race. Now there are only 7 athletes left to be
second, because an athlete cannot be both second and rst in the race. After second
place, there are only 6 athletes left for the third place, 5 athletes for the fourth place, 4
athletes for the fth place, 3 athletes for the sixth place, 2 athletes for the seventh place
and 1 athlete for the eighth place. Therefore the number of ways that the athletes can
be ordered is as follows:
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 = 40 320
As in the example above, it is a common occurrence in counting problems that the
outcome of the rst event reduces the number of possible outcomes for the second
event by exactly 1, and the outcome of the second event reduces the possible outcomes
for the third event by 1 more, etc.
As this sort of problem occurs so frequently, we have a special notation to represent
the answer. For an integer, n, the notation n! (read n factorial) represents: n(n 1)
(n 2) 3 2 1
This allows us to formulate the following:
The total number of possible arrangements of n different objects is
n (n 1) (n 2) . . . 3 2 1 = n!
with the following denition: 0! = 1.
Worked example 13: Factorial notation
QUESTION
1. Determine 12!
2. Show that
8!
4!
= 8 7 6 5
3. Show that
n!
(n 1)!
= n
429 Chapter 10. Probability