FUNDAMENTAL COUNTING PRINCIPLE

Factorial(!)

𝑛! = 𝑛 × (𝑛 − 1) × (𝑛 − 2) × (𝑛 − 3) × … × 3 × 2 × 1 for 𝑛 ≥ 1

Examples

1. 3! = 3 × 2 × 1 = 6
2. 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120

Note that:

3! = 3 × 2! 𝑎𝑛𝑑 5! = 5 × 4 × 3!

Therefore, 𝑛! = 𝑛(𝑛 − 1)!

A) PERMUTATIONS

Permutations represent a counting process where the order must be taken into account.
e.g the number of permutations of the letters A, B, C, and D if only two are taken at a time are:
AB, AC, AD, BA, BC, BD, CA, CB, CD, DA, DB, DC
i.e AC is a different permutation from CA (different order)
 Instead of permutation the term arrangement is often used.
 A permutation is an ordered arrangement
This definition leads to a number of counting principles.
The total number of ways that n different objects can be arranged in order is equal to
𝑛 × (𝑛 − 1) × (𝑛 − 2) × (𝑛 − 3) × … × 3 × 2 × 1. We use factorial notation for this
notation
i.e 𝑛! = 𝑛 × (𝑛 − 1) × (𝑛 − 2) × (𝑛 − 3) × … × 3 × 2 × 1
Example
In how many ways can 7 horses finish in race assuming there are no ties?
Solution
7! = 5040 ways.

Counting permutations
 Using factorials, we see that the number of permutations of 𝑛 different objects is 𝑛!
The total number of ways of arranging 𝑛 objects taking 𝑟 at a time is given by:
𝒏!
(𝒏 − 𝒓)!

𝑛!
Notation: we use 𝑛𝑟𝑃𝑟𝑛 to denote (𝑛−𝑟)!

𝑛!
i.e 𝑛𝑟 𝑃𝑟𝑛 = (𝑛−𝑟)!

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Examples
1. How many ways can gold, silver and bronze medals be awarded for a race run by 8 people?

Solution
8 𝑛
8!
𝑟 𝑃3 = = 336 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
(8 − 3)!

2. How many five-digit zip codes can be made where all digits are unique? The possible digits
are the numbers 0 through 9.

Solution
10 3
10!
3𝑃5 = = 30240 𝑧𝑖𝑝 𝑐𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑠
(10 − 5)!

Permutation with repeated objects (identical objects).

Example
How many different arrangements of letters of the word HIPPOPOTAMUS are there?
Solution
The word is made up of 12 letters, unfortunately they are not all different. Swapping 3 p’s with
each other does not change the word same with 2 o’s.
12!
Therefore, the total number of times is 3! 2! = 39 916 800 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠.
Note: Some objects called by the same name are not necessarily identical
For example five boys standing in a queue are not identical but p’s of the word
HIPPOPOTAMUS are identical.

Permutation with restrictions

Examples

1. How many different arrangements of the letters of the word STATISTICS if :

a) s are together
b) a and c are together
c) I are apart

Solutions

a) SSSTATITIC
8!
× 1 = 3 360 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠
3! 2!

b) ACSSSTTITI

9!
× 2! = 10 080 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠
3! 3! 2!
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 c) NB: when letters I are apart it implies no restrictions, but if we permute with no
restriction there exists a point when letters I are together.
Hence; when separated = no restriction – when together
10! 9!
− = 40 320 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠
3! 3! 2! 3! 3!

2. In how many ways can the letters of the word STATISTICS be arranged if:
a) begin with I and end with I
b) begin with A and end with C

Solutions
a) ISSSTTTACI
8!
= 1120 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
3! 3!
b) ASSSTTTIIC
8!
= 560 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
3!3!2!

Note that fixed letters are not counted

B) COMBINATIONS/SELETIONS/CHOICES

Combinations represent a counting process where the order has no importance. e.g combinations
of the letters A, B, C and D if two are taken at a time are:

AB, AC, AD, BC, BD, CD i.e AB and BA are considered as the same.

NB: Instead of combination the term selection is often used.

The total number of ways of selecting 𝑛 objects taking 𝑟 at a time is given by:

𝒏!
(𝒏 − 𝒓)! 𝒓!
𝑛!
Notation: 𝑛𝑟𝐶𝑟𝑛 = (𝑛−𝑟)!𝑟!

Examples

1. How many ways can 2 slices of pizza be chosen from a plate containing one slice of each
pepperoni, sausage, mushroom and cheese pizza
Solution
4 𝑛
4!
𝑟 𝐶2 = = 6 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
(4 − 2)! 2!

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2. How many ways are there to select a committee to develop a discrete mathematics course at a
school if the committee is to consist of 3 faculty members from the mathematics department
and 4 from computer science department, if there are 9 faculty members of the mathematics
department and 11 of the computer science department?
Solution
9 𝑛 11 𝑛
9! 11!
𝑟 𝐶3 × 𝑟 𝐶4 = × = 27 720 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
(9 − 3)! 3! (11 − 4)! 4!
3. A sports committee at a school consists of 5 members. A new committee is to be elected of
which 3 members must be women and 2 members must be men. How many different
committees can be formed if there were originally 5 women and 4 men to select from?
Solution
5 𝑛 4 𝑛
5! 4!
𝑟 𝐶3 × 𝑟 𝐶2 = × = 60 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑠
(5 − 3)! 3! (4 − 2)! 2!
4. A mixed hockey team containing 5 men and 6 women is to be chosen from 7 men and 9
women. In how many ways can this be done?
Solution
7 𝑛 4 𝑛
7! 9!
𝑟 𝐶5 × 𝑟 𝐶2 = × = 1764 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
(7 − 5)! 5! (9 − 6)! 6!

PROBABILITY AND COUNTING PRINCIPLE

NB: Main focus is on permutations and combinations in relation to probability.

Example 1

4 letters are chosen at random from the word RANDOMLY. Find the probability that all 4 letters
chosen are consonants.

Solution

Let S be the probability space

Let A be the event that “4 consonants are chosen”

𝑛(𝑆) = 84𝐶 = 70

𝑛(𝐸) = 64𝐶 = 15

𝒏(𝑬) 𝟏𝟓 𝟑
𝑷(𝑨) = = =
𝒏(𝑺) 𝟕𝟎 𝟏𝟒

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Example 2

A team of 5 girls and 2 boys sit at random on 7 chairs which are in a straight line. Find the
probability that one boy sits at the beginning and the other one at the end of the line.

Solution

Let S be the probability space

Let E be the event that one boy sits on each end of the line.

𝑛(𝑆) = 7!

𝑛(𝐸) = 5!

𝑛(𝐸) 5! 1
𝑃(𝐵) = = =
𝑛(𝑆) 7! 42