BUBENDORFF MEMORIAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ADAZI- NNUKWU

SUBJECT: FURTHER MATHEMATICS

TERM: THIRD
CLASS: SS2

TOPIC: COMBINATION/SELECTION
Specific Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. State the meaning of combination
2. State the formula of combination
3. Use combination in solving problems
Meaning of Combination:
A combination of n different objects taken x at a time is a selection/chosen of x
out of n object with no attention given to the order of arrangement.
OR
A combination is a selection of all or part of a set of objects without regard to
the order in which objects are selected. For example; suppose we have a set of
three Letters A, B and C. We might ask how many ways we can select 2 letters
from that set. Each possible selection would be an example of a combination.
The complete list of possible selections would be; AB, BC and AC which give
3 possible ways. Note: AB = BA
AC = CA
BC = CB
Order not recognized.
Meaning of Factorial
0! = 1
1! = 1
2! = 2 x 1 = 2
3! = 3 x 2 x 1 = 6
4! = 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 24
Formula
𝑛!
𝑛𝐶𝑥 =
(𝑛 − 𝑥)! 𝑥!
3!
𝑆𝑜 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑠: 3𝐶2 =
(3 − 2)! × 2!

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3 × 2!
= 3 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑣𝑒.
1! × 2!

𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝟏:
In how many ways can a school Principal choose three prefects out of twelve
prefects to represent the school at a leadership training programme?

Solution
The number of ways of selecting 3 prefects out of 12 prefects is 𝑛𝐶𝑥 which equals
12𝑪3 . Here n = 12 and 𝑥 = 3.
12! 12!
12𝑪3 = =
(12 − 3)! × 3! 9! × 3!
12 × 11 × 10 × 9!
= = 220𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠.
9! × 3!

𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝟐:
In how many ways can a Committee of 5 comprising of 3 male and 2 female be
formed from 6 males and 4 female.
Solution
6!
We can select 3 males from 6 males as 6𝐶3 = (6−3)! = 20𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
×3!
Also we select 2 females from 4 females as 4𝑪3 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠.
4! 4! 4 × 3 × 2!
= =
(4 − 2)! × 2! 2! × 2! 2! × 2 × 1
= 6𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠.
Therefore there are 20 × 6 = 120𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 possible committee that can be formed.

𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝟑:
Out of 9 teachers and 5 Principals, a committee consisting of 4 teachers and 3
Principals is to be formed. In how many ways can this be done?
i. Any teacher and Principal can be included.
ii. One particular Principal must be on the Committee
iii. Two particular teachers cannot be on the committee?
Solution
i. 4 teachers from 9 can be selected as 9𝐶4 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 and 3 Principals out of 5
can be chosen as 5𝐶3 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠.
Hence we have: 9𝐶4 × 5𝐶3
9! 5!
×
(9 − 4)! (5 − 3)! × 3!

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= 1260𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠.
ii. There is no condition on teachers so it is still the same 9𝐶4 . Since one
particular Principal must be included them. We will have to choose 2 more
Principals from the remaining 4. Which can be done in 4𝑪2 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠.
Selection: 9𝐶4 × 4𝑪2
9! 4!
= ×
5! × 4! 2! × 2!
=9×2×7 ×2×3
= 756

iii. Since 2 particular teachers cannot be on the committee we are left with 7
teachers to 4 from and this can be done in 7𝐶4 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠. There are 5𝐶3 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠
to select the principal. Since no restriction is attached.

Selection = 7𝐶4 × 5𝐶3

7! 5!
= ×
3! 4! 2! 3!
= 7×5×5×2
= 350

𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝟒:
In how many ways can a committee of 4 be selected from 6 men and women if
the committee must contain at most 2 women?
Solution
At most 2 women, men there will be 0, 1 and 2 women.
2 Women 1 Woman 0 Woman
8𝐶2 × 6𝐶2 + 8𝐶1 × 6𝐶3 + 8𝐶0 × 6𝐶4
28 × 15 + 8 × 20 + 1 × 15
420 + 160 + 15
= 595
𝑬𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝟓:
A committee of 5 health officers is to be formed from a group of 6 doctors and
4 nurses. Find the probability that it consist of 3 doctors.
Solution
Total sample space is 10𝐶5
Selection of 3 doctors 6𝐶3 × 4𝐶2
𝑅𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒
𝑃𝑟 =
𝑃𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒

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6𝐶3 ×4𝐶2 10
= =
10𝐶5 21

Assignment
1. A Committee of five is to be formed among 6 Ghanaians, 8 Nigerians and
5 Gambians. In how many ways can the Committee be formed if;
a. There is no restriction
b. At most 2 Ghanaians are on the Committee.
c. 1 Nigerian is on the Committee?
2. The number of ways in which a Committee of 3 Ladies and 4 Gentlemen
can be appointed out of 8 Ladies and 7 Gentlemen. If Mrs. X refuses to
serve in a Committee of which Mr. Y is a member.
3. A Committee of 4 people is to be chosen from 5 married Couples. Find in
how many ways the Committee can be chosen if:
a. Everyone is equally eligible.
b. The Committee should include at least one woman.
4. An examination paper has three sections, namely A, B and C. There are 6
questions in section A, 5 questions in B and 4 questions in C. A candidate
is required to answer all the questions in A, 3 from B and 2 from C.
a. How many ways can he make his choice?
b. How many selections are possible if:
i. A question in B is made compulsory?
ii. One particular question in C cannot be chosen because the
question is out of the syllabus.
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