9/26/13 Mrunal [Aptitude] Permutation Combination made easy without Formulas Print

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[Aptitude] Permutation Combination made easy without Formulas
If the following questions make you uncomfortable, then read this article.
In how many ways can 5 member committee be formed out of 20 students? Or
How many ways can the word UPSC be arranged so that U is always second
from left.
In a party of 20 guest, if every member shakes hands with other, how many total
handshakes are done?
1. Fundamental counting principle
2. Permutation (Place, arrangement)
Case 1: Six men and 6 chairs
Case 2: Six men and 3 chairs?
Case 3: One chair always occupied
3. Combination (choice)
Case 1: Committee formation
Case 2: Handshakes
4. The Formulas
PS. Article contains lot of images, if youve trouble viewing, Click me to download the
PDF version.
First the basics
FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLE
There are 3 trains from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and 7 trains from Ahmedabad to
Kutch. In how many ways can Jethalal reach Kutch?
From Mumbai to Abad, Jethalal can go in 3 ways. (Because there are three train,
he can pick anyone)
Similarly From Abad to Kutch, he can go in 7 ways.
Total ways: simple multiplication =3 ways x 7 ways =21 ways Jethalal can reach
Kutch.
This is fundamental counting principle.
Lets extend this further to sitting arrangement problems:
PERMUTATION (PLACE, ARRANGEMENT)
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6 Men of Gokuldham society go to Abduls sodashop. And there are 6 chairs. Yes Im
talking about our beloved Jethalal, Bhide Master, Sodhi, Dr.Haathi, Mehta saab and
Aiyyar.
In how many ways can they be seated? Or How many way can you arrange these 6
gentlemen into 6 chairs?
CASE 1: SIX MEN AND 6 CHAIRS
Lets do one chair at a time.
For the first chair, youve 6 candidates:
Just pick one man and make him sit.
How many ways can you do it? Ans. 6 ways, bcoz youve 6 men and pick one. (Just like
the train)
Now second chair: youve to pick one guy from the remaining 5 members. So 5 ways.
Third chair: 4 men remaining and youve to pick one: again 4 ways..

For the 6th chair only one man remains. So you can pick in 1 way only.
Now Just extending the fundamental counting principle
So total number of ways in which men of Gokuldham society can sit in chairs
= 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1
=6! (six factorial ways)
CASE 2: SIX MEN AND 3 CHAIRS?
How many arrangements possible?
= 6 x 5 x 4 x ..OK STOP! Because there are only 3 chairs.
Why?
First chair= 6 men pick one=6 ways.
Second chair = 5 men pick one=5 ways
Third chair=4 men pick one= 4 ways
Thats all.
So number of ways
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=6x5x4
=120 ways.
CASE 3: ONE CHAIR ALWAYS OCCUPIED
In the 6 men 6 chairs problem, Dr.Haathi insists that hell sit in the number #1 chair
only. Then How many arrangements are possible?
First chair= 1 man (Haathi) and youve to pick one= 1 way only!
Second chair=5 men remain, pick one =5 ways
third chair=4 men remain, pick one = 4 ways and so on

So here weve
=1x5x4x3x2x1
=5! Ways.
=120 ways.
This is permutation. Here order / ranking matters. i.e. who sits in the first chair, who
sits in the second chair etc.
The same question can appear under different wordings example
1. How many 4 lettered words can be formed out of UPSC, without repetition?
Answer: Same logic. Consider U, P, S, C are four gentlemen and theyve to be arranged
in 4 seats.
2. How many 4 letter words can be formed out of UPSC so that U always
occupies the second position from left?
Answer: Same Dr.Haathi logic.
Second Topic is
COMBINATION (CHOICE)
CASE 1: COMMITTEE FORMATION
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The one and only Secretary of Gokuldham society, Master Bhide decides to form a 3
member-Committee for arrangement of Holi-festival. Out of the 5 members (Jetha,
Sodhi, Mehta, Popat and Aiyyar) how many ways can he do this?
Ans.
Here order or ranking doesnt matter.
Because in case of chair sitting: we can say yes Mr.Sodhi is in first chair, Mehta saab
in Second chair and so on
But in case of Committee: it is only IN or OUT i.e. Yes Sodhi is in the Committee,
No Mehta saab is not in the Committee.
So order doesnt matter. Only selection matters.
Lets proceed
How many ways can you pick up the first member? = 5 ways.
Second member? = 4 men remain, 4 ways
Third member? = 3 ways.
So total ways= 5 x 4 x 3= 60.
But wait, there is over counting.
A committee made up of Mehta, Sodhi and Aiyyar (MSA) is same as a Committee
made up of Aiyyer, Mehta and Sodhi. (AMS) (because order doesnt matter, only
selection matters: are you In or Out?).
But in this answer 60, weve over counted such orders.
Thats why we need to divide the answer
Suppose Mehta, Sodhi and Aiyyar are in the committee.
Suppose theyve to sit in three chairs. How many ways can you do it?
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Just like permutation in first example
3 x 2 x 1=6.
Thats the overcounting : 6.
Our answer is
=(5*4*3)/(3*2*1)=10 ways.
CASE 2: HANDSHAKES
Handshakes is another type of combination problem because
Aiyyar shakes hand with Sodhi or Sodhi shakes hand with Aiyyer= both incidents are
one and same. order doesnt matter!
So How many ways can 6 men of Gokuldham society shake hands with each other?
To shake hands, you need two men.
How many ways can you pick up first man? = 6 ways.
How many ways can you pick second man? = 5 men remaining so 5 ways.
Hence answer is 6 x 5=30
But wait, over counting!!
Suppose Sodhi and Aiyyer (SA) are selected for handshaking: =two men.
How many ways can you make two men sit in two chairs?
= 2 x 1 =2 ways. (SA and AS)
Thats the over counting.
So weve to divide this over counting: to get the correct answer.
Total Handshakes=(6*5)/(2*1)=15
The Formulas
The books give readymade formulas:
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But essentially theyre derived from above concepts of fundamental counting
principle.
Permutation =place them = order matters in placement
Combination= choice = only Yes or No or In or Out
What now?
Open your books right now, solve the sums using both the method shown above
as well as the readymade formulas, then youll get a good command over these
topics.
Remember, You can never learn the aptitude by reading the sums.
You must to get your hands dirty, and learn from the mistakes in calculation, so
start solving the sums on paper by yourself.
To be continued
What now?
Well I hope I was able to explain the topic-concept to you.
But it is not sufficient to crack the exam! Still You might end up making silly mistakes
in calculation or get stuck in some question during the actual exam. So You must
practice as many sums as you can at home, to get a firm command over the topic.
Thats why Get the books, and start solving sums!
URL to article: http://mrunal.org/2012/03/aptitude-permutation-combination-
made.html
Posted By On 06/03/2012 @ 09:34 In the category Aptitude