Name: Aldrin A.

Magallanes
Subject: Combinatorics
Time: 7:30 – 10:30

Combination

1. How many ways can a committee of five may be selected from an organization with 35
members?

Solution:
n!
C (n,r) =
( n−r ) ! r !
35 !
C (35,5) = = 324,632 ways
( 35−5 ) ! 5 !

2. How many line segments can be formed by 13 distinct point?

Solution:
Since a line segment is defined by any two distinct points, therefore the total number of line
segments that can be drawn is the combination of 13 points taken 2 at a time.

13!
C (13,2) = = 78 line segments
( 13−2 ) ! 2!

3. In how many ways can a hostess select six luncheon guests from 10 women if she is to avoid
having a particular two of them together at the luncheon?

Solution:
Let A and B be the two women who should not be together.

If B is excluded in the selection:

9!
N1 = C (9,6) = = 84
( 9−6 ) ! 6 !
If A is excluded in the selection:
9!
N2 = C (9,6) = = 84
( 9−6 ) ! 6 !

Since both cases includes the condition wherein the two of the women may not be selected,
we have to subtract, from the total, the number of ways where the two may not be selected,
which is equal to C (8,6) = 28

Thus, the number of ways is: 84 + 84 – 28 = 140 ways

4. A semiconductor company will hire 7 men and 4 women. In how many ways can the company
choose from 9 men and 6 women who qualified for the position?

Solution:
The number of ways hiring 7 men and 4 women from 9 men and 6 women is:

N = C (9,7) x C (6,4)
N = 540 ways

5. How many ways can you invite one or more of five friends to a party?

Solution:
The combination of n things taken 1,2,3,….. n at a time is:

C = 2n – 1
C = 25 – 1 = 32 – 1 = 31 ways
 6. On the plane there are 6 different points (no 3 of them are lying on the same line). How many
segments do you get by joining all the points?

Solution: 
 

You get 15 different segments. 

7. On a circle there are 9 points selected. How many triangles with edges in these points exist?

Solution: 
 

There are 84 such triangles. 

8.  In how many ways you can choose 8 of 32 playing cards not considering their order?

Solution: 

The playing cards can be chosen in 10 518 300 ways

9. A teacher has prepared 20 arithmetics tasks and 30 geometry tasks. For a test he‘d like to
use: 

a) 3 arithmetics and 2 geometry tasks    

b) 1 arithmetics and 2 geometry tasks   
How many ways are there to build the test?

Solution: 
 
 

The teacher can choose from 495 900 tests or 8700 tests respectively. 

10. On a graduation party the graduants pinged their glasses. There were 253 pings. How many
graduants came to the party?

Solution: 
 

There were 23 graduants on the party. 

11. If the number of elements would raise by 8, number of combinations with k=2 without repetition
would raise 11 times. How many elements are there?

Solution: 
 
 There are 4 elements. 

12. For which x positive integer stands:

Solution: 
 

The inequality is valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. 

13. In the confectioners 5 different icecreams are sold. A father would like to buy 15 caps of
icecream for his family. In how many ways can he buy the icecream?

Solution: 
   

The father can buy the icecream in 3876 different ways. 

14. In how many ways can a coach choose three swimmers from among five swimmers?

Solution:

There are 5 swimmers to be taken 3 at a time.

5!
5 C3 = = 10 ways
( 5−3 ) ! 3 !
 The coach can choose the swimmers in 10 ways.

15. Six friends want to play enough games of chess to be sure everyone plays everyone else. How
many games will they have to play?

Solution:

There are 6 players to be taken 2 at a time.

Using the formula:

They will need to play 15 games.

16. How many triangles can you make using 6 non collinear points on a plane? 

Solution:

6!
6 C3 = = 20 triangles
( 6−3 ) ! 3 !

17. A committee including 3 boys and 4 girls is to be formed from a group of 10 boys and 12 girls.
How many different committees can be formed from the group? 

Solution:

10  C 3 × 12 C 4 = 59,400 committees

18. In how many ways can you select a committee of 3 students out of 10 students? 

Solution:

10 !
10 C3 = = 120 ways
( 10−3 ) ! 3 !

19. We need to form a 5 a side team in a class of 12 students. How many different teams can be
formed? 

Solution:

12  C 5 = 12! / [ (12 - 5)!5! ] = 792 teams

20. A group of 3 lawn tennis players S, T, U. A team consisting of 2 players is to be formed. In how
many ways can we do so?

Solution:

3C2=3!/2!(3−2)!= 3 ways

21. The Art Club consists of 4 girls (Jennifer, Anna, Gloria, Teresa) and 2 boys (Mark and Dan).
How many 2-person teams can be selected to work on a project?

Solution:

6!
6 C2 = = 15 ways
( 6−2 ) ! 2 !
22. A committee of 5 people is to be chosen from a group of 6 men and 4 women. How many
committees are possible if there are to be 3 men and 2 women?

Solution:

C3 x 4C2
6
6! 4!
= x
( 6−3 ) ! 3 ! ( 4−2 ) ! 2!
= 20 x 6
=120 committees

23. In a hand of poker, 5 cards are dealt from a regular pack of 52 cards. In how many of these
hands are there all Hearts?

Solution:
13 !
13 C5= = 1287
( 13−5 ) ! 5 !

24. In a hand of poker, 5 cards are dealt from a regular pack of 52 cards. In how many of these
hands are there 2 Clubs and 3 Hearts?

Solution:
13C2 x 13C3

13! 13 !
= x
( 13−2 ) ! 2! ( 13−3 ) ! 3 !
= 78 x 286
=22308

25. If 4 Math’s books are selected from 6 different Math’s books and 3 English books are chosen
from 5 different English books, how many ways can the seven books be arranged on a shelf if
there are no restrictions?

Solution:
6C4 x 5C3 x 7!
= 15 x 10 x 5040
= 756,000 ways